SOC 371 - Deviance and Crime

The Catholic University of America xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Department of Sociology

SOCIOLOGY 371/571 - Deviance and Crime
Spring Semester 2004, Monday-Wednesday-Friday 12:10-1:00, McMahon 200

Instructor: Dr. Sullins

Office: Life Cycle Institute, Rm. 215	Office Hours: 9:30-10:00 MWF, or by appointment
Office Phone: (202) 319 - 5943	E-mail Address: Sullins@cua.edu
Teaching Assistant: Lele Yang (202) 319 - 5999	E-mail Address: 87Yang@cua.edu

Welcome and Overview Requirements Texts Assignment Schedule

Welcome and Overview

This course is an examination of theories and cases of crime, deviance, and social control. Within the context of nine theories of crime and deviance, we will examine types of deviant behavior, the nature and organization of societal reactions, and the processes of personal attribution and the social redefinition of deviance and/or institutional change, through classic cases such as colonial witch hunts and contemporary cases such as (in 2004) homosexual marriage, the Enron corporate collapse and sexual scandals within the Catholic Church.

Required Texts

Deviant Behavior: A Text-Reader in the Sociology of Deviance, by Delos H. Kelly, Editor. Referenced in the schedules as "DK".
Deviant Behavior (7th ed.), by Alex Thio. Referenced in the schedule as "AT".
Wayward Puritans: A Study in the Sociology of Deviance by Kai T. Erikson. Referenced in the schedule as "KE".

Any other readings, such as single articles or book chapters, noted in the course schedule below, are on reserve in the Sociology Department Office, Room 116 in the Life Cycle Institute. They are available 9-5 Mon-Fri for 2-hour checkout, or you may obtain a photocopy at cost.

Course Requirements and Grade Percentage

15% Midterm Exam I
20% Midterm Exam II
25% Final Examination
25% Paper
15% Class Attendance/Participation

Exams: All exams are in-class exams based on both readings and lectures. Midterms will consist of objective questions (true/false, multiple choice and/or short answer) and/or essay questions; the final exam will be only essays. Essay questions will be selected from a larger list of possibilities which you will receive in advance of the exam date. The midterms will focus only on those readings and topics covered since the previous exam (not cumulative). The final will solicit thoughtful integration of all the course content from beginning to end (cumulative).

Paper: A research paper of at least 12 pages on a case study or theory topic in deviance or crime. Other topics may be considered with approval of instructor. You may do a related class presentation for extra credit.

Roll is taken every class period, and your attendance grade is reduced proportionately for every class or class portion missed.

For more details see my general policies on grading, assignments and exams.

ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE

Note: the course schedule is occasionally subject to change. Advance notice, as much as possible, will be given of all changes both in class and on this web page. The student is responsible to discover anything that has been both announced in class and posted to this page.

WEEK OF:	ASSIGNMENTS, PROJECTS DUE:
Week of January 12 Introduction and Overview	AT Ch. 1 DK pages 1-9
Part One.	Theories of Deviance
Week of January 19 Positivist Theories	AT Ch. 2 DK 14 (Merton) 1/21: The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., National Holiday, class does not meet.
Week of January 26 Constructionist Theories	AT Ch. 3 DK 3 (Moral Enterpreneurs)
Week of February 2 Focus: Social Benefits of Deviance	KE (Wayward Puritans) 1-110, but skip 30-64. DK 7 (Durkheim)
Week of February 9 Focus: Deviance and Social Change	KE (Wayward Puritans) 111-206.
Part Two.	Deviant Behaviors
Week of February 16 Suicide	AT Ch. 7 DK 13 (Cheating Among College Students) 2/20: Midterm One Study Guide MC Practice Exam
Week of February 23 Violence	AT Ch. 4 DK 17 (Persistent Property Offenders) 2/25: Guest Speaker: Homeless individual, National Coalition for the Homeless
Week of March 1	Spring Recess, no classes.
Week of March 8 Rape and Sex Abuse	AT Ch. 5 3/10: Guest Speaker: Agent Barbara Wallace, Unit Chief for Community Relations, Federal Bureau of Investigation Jenkins, Philip (1994). The Construction of Problems and Panics, from PEDOPHILES AND PRIESTS. (On Sociology Reserve, see below)
Week of March 15 (Hetero)sexual Deviance	AT Ch. 9 DK 6 (Discovery of Hyperkinesis)
Week of March 22 Homosexuality	AT Ch. 10 DK 23 (Stigma Management Among Gay Men with HIV/AIDS) Graphs
Part Three.	Critical Theory
Week of March 29 Drug Use	AT Ch. 11 DK 11 (Differential Punishing of African Americans and Whites) 4/2: Guest Lecturer: Dr. James Loewen, author of Lies My Teacher Told Me
Week of April 5 Alcoholism	AT Ch. 12 DK 4 (Status Politics and the Smoking Ban) 4/9: Good Friday, class does not meet.
Week of April 12	4/12: Easter Monday, class does not meet. 4/14: Midterm II Study Guide MC Practice Exam 4/16: Guest Lecturer
Week of April 19 Deviance and Social Change	DK 45 (Race and Policing)
Week of April 26 Review and Integration	Moynihan, Defining Deviancy Down 4/26: Paper Due
Week of May 3	Final Examination as scheduled by the Registrar.

Notes to note well:

Copies of readings not in the required texts are on reserve in the Sociology Department Office, Room 116 in the Life Cycle Institute. They are available 9-5 Mon-Fri for 2-hour checkout, or you may obtain a photocopy at cost.
The readings listed for each week are designed to be read IN ADVANCE of classes that week. Thus, students not generally reading the material before class will be at a disadvantage, and readings listed the same week as an exam will be on that exam.
I have left the midterm exam study guides from a previous class up in order to give you an idea of the types of questions they contain. Your exam questions are likely to be similar, but they will not be the same. Updated questions for each exam will be posted at least two weeks prior to the exam. The study guides are clearly marked as to which semester they pertain to.
I am happy to make reasonable accommodations for students with learning disabilities. In accordance with CUA policy, all requests for accommodation must be made directly to the Office of Disability Support Services, ext. 5618.

Check out Dr. Sullins' other course this semester, Social Problems.