SOC339 Introduction to Crime, Law, and Deviance
Instructor’s Information
Purpose and Goals of Course
This course is an introduction to areas of crime, law, and deviance. The goals of this course are to
provide an overview of these topics, provide sufficient background for students to understand important
concepts, to expose students to possible career opportunities in criminal justice or other public service,
and provide students with the tools necessary to be successful in other crime, law, deviance courses. The
course introduces criminology’s history, influences, and related fields of knowledge. It seeks to provide
a comprehensive, balanced, and concrete overview of crime, law, and deviance. A particular focus is
developed upon the criminal justice system in the United States. In so doing, the course strives to
describe how the criminal justice system works, why it works that way, how it is different from past
systems, how it is different from systems in other cultures, as well as how it is influenced by scientific
knowledge, social norms, and prevailing beliefs about crime, criminality, and justice. The course
provides a balanced critical view in that it examines strengths as well as weakness, successes as well as
failures. In the big picture, crime, law, and deviance are keenly important disciplines in that it speaks
directly to such issues as civil liberties, citizen rights and responsibilities, collective and individual
feelings of safety and security, as well as other quality of life isues. My approach to teaching this course
focuses on the scientific production of knowledge. This focus does not imply that I expect every student
to become a producer of scientific knowledge. Rather, my focus on the production of scientific
knowledge assumes that each and every one of us is a regular consumer of social scientific knowledge.
Further, each and every one of us continually bumps up against policies and practices that have been
based on social/behavioral scientific knowledge. Therefore, to be able to identify, pursue, and realize
one’s self interest one must become a skilled consumer of scientific knowledge. Furthermore, the
development of skills that allow one to become competent consumers of social/behavioral scientific
knowledge is absolutely essential for individuals to meet their fundamental obligations as fully-engaged
citizens in this information age. With the overarching objective of providing students with the tools to
become better consumers of social/behavioral scientific knowledge, I have established four primary
goals. Specifically, this course expects students to demonstrate an understanding of: 1) the essential
vocabulary, concepts, assumptions, and theories central to crime, law, and deviance, 2) the application
of the scientific method, 3) how culture, socialization, and social structure impact crime and reactions to
crime, and 4) some of the key findings and interpretations of criminological knowledge. The class
provides lecture, discussion, and assignments to help students learn the skills to become better
consumers of social scientific knowledge. The class utilizes a series of tests to determine the degree to
which students have met these expectations.
Required Texts
Fagin, Jame A. 2003. Criminal Justice. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Student Learning Objectives
(1) To learn the essential vocabulary, concepts, assumptions, and theories central to crime, law, and
deviance.
(2) To understand the application of the scientific method to studying crime, law, and deviance.
(3) To learn how culture, socialization, and social structure impact crime and reactions to crime. (4) To
learn some of the key findings and interpretations of criminological knowledge.
Teaching Objectives
(1) To provide an overview of crime, law, and deviance.
(2) Provide sufficient background for students to understand important concepts.
(3) To expose students to possible career opportunities in criminal justice or other public service.
(4) To provide students with the tools necessary to be successful in other crime, law, deviance courses.
Student Responsibilities
Unit Vocabulary Quizzes: There will be three unit (i.e., not comprehensive) vocabulary quizzes in-class,
covering all of the key terms from the text. All of the questions will provide a definition and ask you to
pick the correct term from a choice of four terms. Flashcards are helpful in preparing for vocabulary
quizzes. In terms of grading, the total number correct from each quiz will be summed and then divided
by the total possible number of correct answers. This percentage of the total correct will be curved. That
is, the highest score in the class will serve as the 100% mark. Individual scores will be determined as a
percentage of correct answers divided by high score for that quiz.
Unit Exams: There will be three unit (i.e., not comprehensive) multiple choice tests in-class, surveying
materials covered in the text and in-class. Each test will consist of 100 multiple choice questions.
Questions will be selected from readings AND materials presented in class. Each question will have one
right answer among four choices. In terms of grading, each unit exam will be curved. That is, the highest
score in the class for each exam will serve as the 100% mark. Individual scores will be determined as a
percentage of correct answers divided by high score for that quiz.
Comprehensive Test: On final exam day, students will be given a comprehensive multiple-choice exam,
sampling materials covered in the text and in-class for the entire semester. Note: the comprehensive
exam is NOT limited to questions presented on the four unit exams. The comprehensive exam will
consist of 200 multiple-choice questions. Each question will have one right answer among four choices.
About 75% of the exam (150 questions) will come from the text and lecture) and 25% of the exam (50
questions) will come from vocabulary terms. The comprehensive exam will be curved in the following
manner: the highest score in the class will serve as the 100% mark. Individual scores will be determined
as a percentage of correct answers divided by the high score for the comprehensive exam.
Policies and Grading
Academic Honesty: Students are expected to do their own individual work always. If you are unclear as
to what constitutes academic dishonesty, please refer to the Student Rights and Responsibilities
Handbook (www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Code>). I will pursue disciplinary action for those violate
academic honesty.
Grading: Final course grades consist of the following course components and percentages
of final grade:
15%
25%
40%
20%
Attendance Percentage Score
Overall Vocabulary Quiz Percentage Score
Overall Unit Exam Percentage Score
Comprehensive Exam Percentage Score
You can calculate your grades as follows:
Final Grade Percentage =
(.15*Attendance %) + (.25*Vocabulary Quiz %) + (.40*Unit Exam %) +
(.20*Comprehensive Exam%)
If you have trouble calculating what your grade is at any point in the semester, please see
me.
Final Grades will be distributed as follows:
A = 90% or higher
B = 80% to 89%
C = 70% to 79%
D = 60% to 69%
E = less than 60%
Make-up quizzes/tests: If you have to miss a quiz or test, contact me as soon as possible.
It is much better to contact me in advance of the quiz or test than afterward, if at all
possible. Those who have a verifiable excused absence (see University Bulletin 20022003, p. 54, for the definition of excused absences) will be allowed to make-up quizzes or
tests at no penalty. Those who missed a quiz or test due to an unexcused absence (i.e.,
those that are not considered excused as defined by the University Bulletin 2002-2003)
will be allowed to make-up quizzes and tests at a 20% penalty.
Missing a film viewing: During the course of the semester, I will show several videos. If
you miss a video, you can check it out from our administrative assistant, Kim Hayden,
Patterson Office Tower 1515, and view it in our departmental library. Films are available
Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM and from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. You
may check the film out for one hour. To check out a film to view in our library, you must
leave Ms Hayden with a copy of your driver’s license or student identification card.
Schedule (see calendar attached below)
January
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
1
4
5
6
7
8
11
12
13
14
15
Introduction
18
19
20
21
Chapter 1
25
26
27
Chapter 3
Film:
Punishment 1
22
Chapter 2
28
29
Chapter 4
February
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
1
2
3
4
5
Chapter 5
Film:
Punishment 2
8
9
10
Crimes against
Persons &
Property
11
Vocabulary Quiz
1
15
16
17
Unit Exam 1
18
Chapter 6
22
23
24
Chapter 8
Film: Hooked
29
12
19
Chapter 7
25
26
Chapter 9
March
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
1
2
3
4
Chapter 10
Film: The Sting
7
8
9
Drug Abuse
Crimes
10
Vocabulary Quiz
2
14
15
SPRING
BREAK
21
22
16
SPRING
BREAK
23
Unit Exam 2
17
SPRING
BREAK
24
Chapter 11
28
29
30
Chapter 13
Film: Angola 1
11
18
SPRING
BREAK
25
Chapter 12
31
S
B
April
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
1
Chapter 14
4
5
6
7
Chapter 15
Film: Angola 2
11
12
13
Technology &
Crime
14
Film: Organized
Crime
18
19
20
26
27
Review
15
White Collar
Crime &
Organized Crime
21
Vocabulary Quiz
3
25
8
22
Unit Exam 3
28
29
Review