CJS 202 - Criminology

Semester Hours: 4

The growing field of Criminology is interdisciplinary. This course utilizes both structural and individualistic approaches to examine aspects of crime; including, but not limited to the social and physical characteristics of community networks and the influence of personal demographics like (perceived) age, gender, race, ethnicity and social class. We will begin by examining the prevalent definitions, applications and measurements of crime. We will also discuss some of the popular theoretical explanations for certain types of criminal behavior, as well as victimization. This analysis will culminate in a discussion centered on innovative approaches to reducing crime. Throughout the semester this course will explore the following three questions: 1. Why do crime rates differ across social and geographic locations, and over time?, 2. Why do crime rates differ according to the key dimensions of structured social inequality (i.e. race, ethnicity, social class and gender)?, 3. How and why is the legal response to crime shaped by personal characteristics of the individual offender?