CCJ 6920 Seminar in Criminological Theories
Akers
Fall, 2008 Periods 7-9 Wednesday
Meeting in Turlington 2341
Office: 3358 Turlington
Phone: 2-0265
Office Hours for this class: Before and after class on Wed. and by
appointment
E-mail: rla@crim.ufl.edu
Web Sites: Akers =
http://web.crim.ufl.edu/faculty/ra/index.html
Department=
http://web.crim.ufl.edu
COURSE PURPOSE AND REQUIREMENTS
Purposes
The purposes of the course are to:
(1) Gain an advanced understanding of the concepts,
explanations, propositions, and empirical validity of the
historically significant and leading contemporary
criminological theories. The focus will be on theories of
crime, delinquency, and deviance, but some attention will be paid to
theories of law and criminal justice.
(2) Analyze those theories critically to uncover
their logical, empirical, and policy strengths and weaknesses.
(3) Examine the similarities and differences and
possible integration among the theories.
(4) Develop relevant analytic, oral, and writing
skills.
The assignments and requirements below are meant to facilitate these
goals by maximizing student involvement and participation in the
seminar sessions
Course Requirements, Assignments, and Grades
1. Responsibility for Readings and Seminar Discussions.
Reading assignments are made from the required
texts on each theory as shown on the Course Outline and Reading
Assignments below.
The topics will be taken up in class according to
the attached Schedule of Class Sessions and Topics.
Each student in the seminar will be responsible for
reading the assignments and coming to the class prepared to raise and
answer questions and join in the discussion about them. Other
reading assignments may be made from time to time as appropriate.
The reading should be done with a view toward a clear understanding of
the content of the assignment, a critical appreciation for its
strengths and weaknesses, and how it relates to the topic for that
particular class session. Class participation should indicate
preparation through having read and thought about the topics and issues
in the assignments.
2. Student Class Presentations.
Each student in the seminar will also be assigned to
make an oral class presentation of approximately 15 minutes on a
literature source that is not on the assigned reading list and has not
been assigned to another student.
The student will be responsible for distributing
copies of a 1-2 page summary or outline of the reading, with full
bibliographic reference, to me and to each member of the seminar.
The readings on which the presentations are made
will be selected by the students reflecting their special interests,
but must be approved by me at least one week prior to the session in
which the presentation is made.
The reading must be relevant to one of the
theories under discussion by the class, and the presentation will be
made during the class period(s) in which the theory is discussed.
Once we have moved on to other topics, no presentations will be
scheduled for previous topics. There will not necessarily be a
presentation at each class session, but I will attempt to schedule no
more than two such presentations during any given class period.
Therefore, the earlier the student decides on what presentation to make
the better.
The piece on which the presentation is made
must be a published journal article, book chapter, or other source that
is an original statement or presentation (i.e. not a summary, textbook,
review, or other secondary source) on a theory of crime, delinquency,
or deviance. The original statement may be the first
statement of a theory by its author(s), a modification or
revision of a theory, an empirical test of a theory or theories, an
application of a theory to policy or practice, an integration of
theories, or other original statement or analysis.
3. Student-Led Class Discussion.
Each student will also be assigned to lead
discussion of assigned readings during one class session. No
student will be assigned to do this more than once during the semester,
but depending on the number of students enrolled there may be more than
one discussion leader in any given class period.
Leading the discussion will entail: (1) Providing a
concise and accurate overview of the assigned readings and (2)
asking relevant questions about the readings and eliciting response
from others in the seminar, (3) moderating the discussion.
Although the length of this discussion may vary
depending on the topic and readings, no student will be expected to
lead a discussion for more than one class period (50 minutes).
4. Graduate Term Paper.
Each student will be required to complete and
submit to the instructor a seminar term paper on some topic or issue on
criminological theories. This is the most important intellectual
product of the course and will be the major basis for the course grade
assigned to each student. The topic of this paper will be of the
student's choosing, but must be made in consultation with and approval
of the instructor. Of course, the final product must be the work
of the student; evidence of plagiarism will result in failure and
possible reference to student honor court.
To be acceptable, the paper must be of graduate
quality, about 20-25 pages with double-spaced line spacing, and
done in standard social science journal format (e.g. ASR, SF, SP,
Criminology) for style, citation, and references. The paper
should be written as if it were to be submitted to a journal for
publication, a chapter for an edited volume, a research proposal for
funding, or similar scholarly written product. The paper may be
submitted in printed or electronic form (in WordPerfect or Word or
compatible format).
It is quite possible to write a seminar paper that
is a publishable paper or a research proposal suitable for submission
and that should be your goal in doing the paper. Students are
also encouraged to become acquainted with student paper competitions
held in the department and by various relevant scholarly societies
(e.g. ASC, ACJS, ASA, SSSP, SSS) and consider submitting their seminar
papers for that competition.
The paper will be evaluated on the usual criteria
for assessing scholarly or scientific papers, such as quality of
content, writing style and organization, demonstration of knowledge and
mastery of the paper's topic, use of literature sources, how well
the paper relates to, goes beyond, or adds knowledge to the extant body
of knowledge on the topic, adequacy of the methodology (where relevant)
or approach taken in the paper, and the soundness of logic, theoretical
reasoning, and conclusions.
The paper may focus on one or more of
the criminological theories covered in the class assignments, or if
appropriate to the student's particular interests, on another relevant
theory. The content of the paper may be a critical, conceptual,
or theoretical analysis using library resources to develop or modify
theory, an empirical paper using primary or secondary data analysis to
test one or more theories, an application/evaluation of theory to
policy, a review of the state of knowledge about a theory or set of
theories, or other relevant ways of addressing theoretical
issues.
The earlier the student begins selecting a term
paper topic, the better. The topic, approach, and tentative
outline of the paper must be approved by me no later than October 15.
Changes in topic or approach can be made after this date if warranted.
The paper may be submitted to me as the final
submission for a grade at any time during the semester, but no later
than the due date of December 10.
It is not required, but each student has the
option of submitting drafts of the paper to me for reactions,
suggestions, and critique without a grade being assigned anytime before
Dec. 3. Any submitted to me after that date will be viewed as the
final draft and assigned a grade without further opportunity to revise.
5. Bases for Assignment of Grades for the Course.
There will be no examinations, written or oral, in
the course. The course grade will be assigned as follows:
Term Paper-- 80%. The course grade will be
based primarily on the evaluation of the quality of the term
paper. But the grade will also be based on evaluation of the
quality of the student's leading a class discussion, oral presentation
made in class, and participation in the seminar
discussions.
Leading Class Discussion-- 10%
Class Presentation and Participation-- 10%.
6. Class Attendance.
A seminar is dependent upon the consistent
preparation and participation of the students. Therefore,
attendance is required and absences must be excused by me. This
should be done by contacting me before (if there is prior knowledge of
an absence) or as soon after an unanticipated absence as
possible. Because part of the grade is based on quality of class
participation, unexcused absences could adversely affect the grade in
the course.
COURSE OUTLINE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS
CCJ6920 Fall 2008
Seminar in Criminological Theory
Akers
REQUIRED TEXTS
1. Akers, Ronald L. and Christine S. Sellers,
Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, and
Application. New York: Oxford University Press Fifth Edition
2009.
Assignments from this text are identified in
the outline below as Akers and Sellers: Ch. #.
2. Cullen,
Francis T. and Robert Agnew. Criminological Theory: Past to Present.
Third Edition Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury Publishing (through Oxford U.
Press), 2006.
Assignments from this text are identified in
the outline below as Cullen and Agnew: Reading #, Author
3. Kubrin, Charis E., Thomas
D. Stucky, and Marvin D. Krohn. Researching Theories of Crime and
Deviance . New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Assignments from this text are
identified in the outline below as Kubrin et al. Ch. #.
I. Introduction: Classification, Criteria for Evaluation,
and Application of Theories of Crime and
Deviance
Readings:
Akers and Sellers: Ch 1
Cullen and Agnew:
Introduction
Kubrin et al.: Ch. 1
II. Classical Criminology, Deterrence, and Rational Choice
Theory
A. Classical and Neoclassical Criminology
B. Contemporary Deterrence and
Rational Choice Theory
C. Routine Activities Theory
D. Policy Implications
Readings:
Akers and Sellers Ch. 2
Cullen and Agnew: 1, Beccaria; 37,
Stafford and Warr; 38, Cornish and Clarke; 39, Cohen and Felson; 40,
Clarke
Kubrin et al.: Ch. 2
III. Biological Theories
A. Lombrosianism and Early Biological
Theory
B. Modern Biological and Sociobiological
Theory
D. Policy and Program Implications of
Biological Theories
Readings:
Akers and Sellers: Ch. 3
Cullen and Agnew: 2, Lombroso; 4. Ellis and
Walsh; 5, Rowe
Kubrin et al.: Ch. 3, pp. 49-54; 56-71
IV. Psychological Theories
A. Psychoanalytic Theory
B. Personality Theory
C. Policy and Program Implications
of Psychological Theories
Readings:
Akers and Sellers: Ch. 4
Cullen and Agnew: 3. Glueck and
Glueck; 6, Caspi et al.
Kubrin et al.: Ch. 3, pp.
54-56; 71-77
V. Social Learning Theory
A. Sutherland's Theory and Modifications of It
B. Social Learning Theory
C. Applications of Social Learning Theory
Readings:
Akers and Sellers: Ch. 4
Cullen and Agnew: 10, Sutherland and Cressey;
11, Sykes and Matza; 13, Wolfgang and Ferracuti; 14, Anderson
Kubrin et al.: Ch. 6
VI. Social Bonding and Control Theories
A. Control Theories
B. Social Bonding Theory
C. Self-Control Theory
D. Policy and Program Implications of
Control Theory
Readings:
Akers and Sellers: Ch. 6
Cullen and Agnew: 20, Hirschi; 21, Gottfredson
and Hirschi; 22, Sampson and Laub
Kubrin et al.: Ch. 7
VII. Labeling Theory
A. Labeling Theory
B. Policy and Program Implications of Labeling
Theory
C. Revisions and Modifications
D. Policy and Program Implications of
Reintegrative Shaming Theory
Readings:
Akers and Sellers: Ch. 7
Cullen and Agnew: 24, Lemert; 25, Braithwaite;
26, Sherman
Kubrin et al.: Ch. 8
VIII. Social Disorganization, Anomie, and Strain Theories
A. The Chicago School and the
Ecology of Crime and
Delinquency
B. Anomie and Strain Theory
C. Applications of Social
Disorganization and Anomie Theory to Community
Projects
Readings:
Akers and Sellers: Ch. 8
Cullen and Agnew: 7, Shaw and
Mckay; 8, Sampson and Wilson; 9, Sampson et al.15. Merton; 16, Cohen;
17, Cloward and Ohlin; 18, Rosenfeld and Messner; 19, Agnew
Kubrin et al: Ch. 4; Ch. 5
IX. Conflict Theory
A. Conflict and Consensus in Law and
Criminal Justice
B. Group Conflict in Criminal Behavior
C. Policy and Program Implications
of Conflict Theory
Readings:
Akers and Sellers: Ch. 9
Kubrin et al.: Ch. 9
X. Marxist/Critical Theories
A. Marxist Theory of Law and Criminal
Justice
B. Marxist Theory of Crime
C. Critical/Constitutive and Leftist
Criminology
Peacemaking Criminology
D. Policy and Program Implications
of Marxist and Critical Theory
Readings:
Akers and Selles: Ch. 9
Cullen and Agnew: 27, Bonger; 28 , Quinney;
30, Colvin and Pauly; 31,
Quinney
XI. Feminist Theories
A. Feminist Theory of Law and Criminal
Justice
B. Feminist Theories of Crime and
Delinquency
C. Policy and Program Implications of
Feminist Theories
Readings:
Akers and Sellers: Ch. 11
Cullen and Agnew: 23, Hagan; 32, Adler; 33,
Chesney-Lind; 34 Heimer and DeCoster; 35, Messerschmidt; 36,
Steffensmeier and Allan
XII. Review, Comparisons, and Integration of Theories of Crime and
Deviance
A. Issues in Theoretical
Integration
B. Examples of Theoretical
Integration
Readings:
Akers and Sellers: Ch. 12
Cullen and Agnew: 43, Patterson et al.; 45,
Laub and Sampson; 46, Elliott et al.; 48, Tittle; 49 Cullen; 50 Agnew
Kubrin et al.: Ch. 10
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