INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY
Dr. Sopenoff
CRJU 151
TEXT: Larry Siegel, Criminology, eighth edition, Thomson/Wadsworth Publishing Co.
2004
COURSE OBJECTIVE
Criminology is the study of crime and criminal behavior. Three different methods of
measuring crime will be described five different schools of criminological theory will be
reviewed; and several different crime problems will be discussed.
STUDENT OBJECTIVES
1. Students will be able to describe the methodology and findings of the Uniform
Crime Reports and the National Crime Victimization Survey.
2. Students will be able to compare differences between the two official measurements
of crime and other non-official measurements of crime.
3. Students will be able to summarize the perspective of the following schools of
crime causation:
a. Classical School of Criminology
b. Bio-genetic Positivism
c. Social Structure Theory
d. Learning Theories
4. Students will reach conclusions as to which of these explanations they find valuable
in an effort to understand the nature and causes of crime.
5. Students will be able to describe the typologies of occasional, organizational and
organized crime.
6. Students will be able to describe the typologies of three different types of violent
crime.
CORE COMPETENCIES
1.1 Students will communicate information and ideas clearly and effectively in written
form.
1.5 Students will demonstrate effective listening skills.
1.6 Students will demonstrate effective reading skills.
5.2 Students will be able to analyze and interpret scientific data.
6.2 Students will understand the relationship between the individual and society.
EXPECTATIONS
1. Students are expected to attend class. Students who cut one class are missing three
hours or one week.
2. Students are expected to read the text. Students will be asked questions on the text
that will count in the recording of the participation grade for the course. Class is
much more interesting and valuable to the student when they come to class prepared.
3. Classroom participation is urged for all students. Students who are willing to ask
questions of the instructor, the text or anything related to the course contribute to a
more interesting and informative class. The best learning experience for everyone
is when there is dialogue between the class and the instructor, and among the
members of the class. There is a great deal of material that must be presented by
the instructor, but students in the class should never hesitate to be active participants
and ask questions or question the text or the instructor.
4. Students are expected to act in a mature and responsible manner. This is a class in a
school of higher education. Students who cannot be courteous and responsible will
be asked to desist and can be asked to leave upon repeated disturbance of the class.
5. All cell phones should be turned off. Do not return to class if you leave to answer a
phone call. There are always exceptions for emergencies.
6. There will be a break during every class. Students are expected to attend to personal
need before class. Inform the instructor if you have a medical problem.
DISABILITY
If a student has a documented disability and requests accommodation and/or
Academic adjustments, contact the Disability Services Office at 732-224-2730 or
TTY 732-842-4211.
STUDENT ACADEMIC OBLIGATIONS
Under Brookdale Community College regulation 6.300R a student has an
obligation to exhibit honesty and high ethical standards in carrying out academic
assignments. A list of all violations of this standard is included in the Student Handbook.
Any and all violations of this standard will be handled according to the guidelines
included in the regulations. In short, the regulations give the faculty almost complete
control over instances of academic misconduct. In this class violations of the regulations
most likely will result in the student failing the course.
SCHEDULE
1/19 Criminology: The discipline, methodology and early theories
Text: Chapter 1
1/26 Measurement of crime: The two official measurements of crime.
Text: Chapter 3
2/2
Victimology: The victim’s role in crime.
Text: Chapter 4
2/9
Choice Theories: From classical criminology to contemporary explanations.
Text Chapter 5
2/16 Exam I
2/23 Biological Criminology: Early and later biological explanations of crime.
Text: Chapter 6
Video: Biology and Crime
3/2
Sociological Criminology I: Environment and social structure theories.
Text: Chapter 7
3/9
Sociological Criminology II: Learning theories.
Text: Chapter 8 and 10, pp. 290-309
3/16 Spring Break (3/13-3/19)
3/23 Violent Crime
Text: Chapter 11
Video: TV and Vioence
3/30 Exam II
4/6
Occasional Property Crime
Text: Chapter 12
4/13 Organizational Crime
Text: Chapter 13, pp. 395-416
4/20 Organized Crime
Text: Chapter 13, pp.417-426 and Chapter 14, pp.430-433
4/27 Organized Crime continued
5/4
Exam III
GRADING
A
B
C
D
F
90-100
80-89
70-79
65-69
Less than 65
GRADE COMPUTATION
Journal Assignment
Research Assignment
Test I
Test II
Test III
Attendance
Participation
10%
25%
20%
20%
20%
5%
5%
The attendance grade will be computed by the loss of 2 points for the second absence and
one point for each subsequent absence. Participation is a subjective evaluation by the
instructor.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Students will read one article from the journal, Criminology. The Journal is found in
the periodical section of the library (second floor) and filed alphabetically. Students will
write a two or three page summary of the article which will include the following:
a. a description of the issue or topic presented.
b. a description of the thesis, argument, or question raised by the author.
c. a summary of the findings in the paper.
d. your understanding of the conclusions drawn by the author.
e. your evaluation of the value of the paper in explaining a problem or issue in
the field of criminology.
All papers must present a proper citation. The citation should be as follows:
Auythor, “Title of the Article” Criminology, number of the issue, page numbers.
All papers must be typed or printed. Papers are due 3/9. Any paper turned in more than
two weeks late will have a grade deducted.
2. Students will complete a research paper on the internet. All papers concern an
organizational crime. Most of us are aware of the common crimes that are all over the
television (both dramatic and news accounts), but are not as much aware of the crimes by
individuals working in national and international business organizations. For example,
the crimes associated with ENRON may be the most costly crime of the past ten years.
Who is Ken Lay? Do you know this name? If not, I think an internet search will display
a good deal of information for a paper. Ken Lay or ENRON would be two good topics to
complete this assignment. Other names to consider would be:
Michael Milkin - junk bonds
Charles Keating – savings and loan scandal
Dennis Kozlowski – WorldCom
Samuel Waksal - IMClone
Andrew Fastow - ENRON
Martha Stewert – stock fraud
Ivan Boesky - stock fraud
Papers will be based upon information from the internet. All cites used must be properly
cited. Papers will be three to five pages. It will be interesting to see what you come up
with. Students are not limited to the names listed above. You can research another
organizational crime of your choice, but you must inform the instructor. Papers are due
on 4 /27. Papers turned in early may be helped by the instructor reading the paper and
making suggestions to improve the paper. An incomplete grade will be entered if papers
are not turned in by the last class on 5/4.