CJCTR400 Applying Theory to Criminal Justice  Syllabus

Professor Holmes
Office: Wheatley, 4-144/31
Phone: 287-7328 E-mail: william.holmes@umb.edu
FAX: 287-7274 Website: http://www.omega.cc.umb.edu/~holmes

Text: Curran and Renzetti, Theories of Crime, second edition.

PURPOSE

• To develop theoretical perspective on the operation of the criminal justice system

• To demonstrate an ability to apply criminal justice theories to understanding the criminal justice system and how it may be used to achieve desired ends
  

  REQUIREMENTS:
  To achieve the competency or a grade for the course, students must complete all assignments for the course. The assignments consist of:
  

  1. A short paper stating whether your own views regarding human nature is more similar to that of "original sin," "tabula rasa," or "social cooperative" (explained in the first class).
  

  2. A short paper, no more than five pages, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of two theories examined in the first half of the course in understanding a criminal justice issue and in their ability to lead to policies that deal with the issue. It must have at least five citations
  

  3. A short oral presentation in class on how a theory was applied to a criminal justice problem and what conclusions the presenter has about applying the theory to the problem.
  

  • A paper of at least ten pages that applies two criminal justice theories to a criminal justice issue. It must explain the issue, describe the theories, and apply the theories to the resolution of the issue. The paper must note how problems with the theories may lead to problems in its application to resolving the issue. Note how the different theories may lead to different approaches to resolving the issue. The paper must have at least ten bibliographic citations.

  All papers by criminal justice majors must be in the format used by the Academy for Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) in its publications (such as, Justice Quarterly). CAS students who are taking this course for a grade will be graded on the papers and the presentation.

  
  

  Week Topic and Assignments
  

  1 Introduction and Distribution of Syllabus
  Read Curran & Renzetti, pps. ix-xi (Preface) and 1-6 (Importance of Theory).
  

  2 Classical Theories
  Read Curran & Renzetti, pps. 6-26.
  

  3 Biological and Physiological Theories
  Read Curran & Renzetti, pps. 26-48.
  FIRST PAPER DUE
  

  4 Biological and Physiological Theories (continued)
  Read Curran & Renzetti, pps. 48-66
  

  5 Intelligence and Personality Theories
  Read Curran & Renzetti, pps. 67-82
  

  6 Mental Illness
  Read Curran & Renzetti, pps. 83-93
  

  7 Ecology and Anomie
  Read Curran & Renzetti, pps. 99-117
  SECOND PAPER DUE
  

  8 SPRING BREAK
  

  9 Subculture, Opportunity, and Strain
  Read Curran & Renzetti, pps. 118-132
  

  10 Differential Association and Social Control
  Read Curran & Renzetti, pps. 135-159
  

  11 Self Control and Self Image
  Read Curran & Renzetti, pps. 160-179
  

  12 Class Conflict and Class Struggle
  Read Curran & Renzetti, pps. 183-205
  

  13 Feminist Theory
  Read Curran & Renzetti, pps. 209-227
  THIRD PAPER DUE
  

  14 Choosing Among Theories