Course Description
Examines the causes of criminal behavior. Also examines ethical issues, policy implications, and research.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to
- Discuss the theory and the research methodology used to test various theories of crime, delinquency, and behavior
- Explain that correlation does not equate to causation
- Identify the historical foundations of criminological theories
- Define the macro versus the micro viewpoints of crime, delinquency, and behavior
- Summarize the various theoretical schools of thought on crime, delinquency, and behavior and their utility in examining, explaining, and preventing crime and delinquency
Week 1
Lecture: Introduction
Lecture: Researching Crime and Measuring Criminal Behavior
Outcomes
- Explain the purpose of counting crime and measuring criminal behavior
- Discuss the ingredients of crime defenses, typologies of crime, measurements of crime, nature of crime, extent of crime, and characteristics of crime
Week 2
Lecture: Schools of Thought Throughout History
Outcomes
- Explain criminological schools of thought throughout history
- Discuss the importance of classical and positivist criminology; biological, psychological, and sociological determinism; and historical versus contemporary criminology
Week 3
Lecture: Biological Perspectives
Lecture: Psychological Perspectives
Outcomes
- Explain psychological and biological perspectives of crime
- Discuss psychology and criminality, mental disorders and crime, biology and criminality, and crime and human nature
Week 4
Lecture: Sociological Theories and Cultural Deviance Theory
Outcomes
- Explain strain and cultural deviance theories of crime
- Discuss the interconnectedness of sociological theories; anomie, strain, and cultural deviance theories
- Illustrate ways these theories form policy
Week 5
Lecture: The Formation of Subcultures
Outcomes
- Explain the formation of subcultures
- Discuss the functions of subcultures
- Distingush and identify subcultures of delinquency and violence, Miller’s Theory, and gangs
- Identify how theory forms policy regarding subcultures
Week 6
Lecture: Labeling Theory, Conflict Theory, and Radical (Marxist) Theory
Outcomes
- Explain labeling, conflict, and radical theories
- Compare and contrast labeling, conflict, and radical theories
Week 7
Lecture: Environmental Theories
Outcomes
- Define the principles of environmental theory
- Discuss situational theories of crime
- Explain theories of victimization
- Identify key ways to prevent crimes from occurring
Week 8
Lecture: Social Control Theories
Outcomes
- Explain social control theory
- Discuss theories of social control, containment theory, recent theoretical explorations
- Identify how these theories inform policy
The course description, objectives and learning outcomes are subject to change without notice based on enhancements made to the course. February 2012
