Syllabus

Criminology 451, Section 401

Race, Crime, and Justice

 

Maymester, 2015

 

Classroom: Willard 320

Hours: Monday-Friday, 10:15am-12:15pm

 

Instructor: Andrew Ritchey, ajr328@psu.edu

Office: Oswald Tower 1017

Office Hours: By appointment

 

Prerequisite: Criminology 100, Introduction to Criminal Justice

 

Course Overview

Issues of race and ethnicity define much of American history and remain salient today.  Literature, economics, biology, and other disciplines have all added to our understanding of how race functions in the world.  This course provides a criminological perspective on race in the United States.  Grounded in sociology, this course combines narrative and statistical approaches to achieve the following goals:

 

Course Goals

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

1. Identify racial differences in crime and incarceration.
2. Explain those differences using criminological theories.
3. Relate race to each step of the criminal justice system (police, courts, corrections).
4. Develop your own perspective regarding the implications of racial bias on society.

 

Learning Objectives

In addition to the specific goals listed above, this course also aims to help you:

1. Read and comprehend academic research.
2. Integrate learning inside and outside the classroom.
3. Engage with and synthesize a variety of perspectives.
4. Gain an understanding and appreciation of collaborative inquiry.

 

Course Rules

1. Turn off cell phones.
2. We start and end class on time.
3. Check your email account daily.
4. Respect your fellow students. Respect their viewpoints and respect them enough to share your perspective.

 

Academic Integrity

The Code of Conduct at Penn State will be in effect through all exams, quizzes, and written assignments (http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/conduct/pdf/TheCodeofConduct.pdf).  Please read carefully the provisions of the Code of Conduct, make certain you understand and adhere to them, and ask me to clarify any questions you have regarding academic integrity or the code.

Texts

Readings available on course website: angel.psu.edu

 

Format/Preparation

The course uses an active format, involving collaborative inquiry among groups of students.  Besides lectures, this course will employ group discussion and activities, as well as regular, individual posting on a blog.  You should expect to spend around 1.5 hours outside of class preparing for each class period.

You will be expected to actively participate in an effort to ensure your own and your classmates’ understanding of the ideas presented in class.  We need your commitment to demonstrate a willingness to contribute ideas, to listen to others, and to be a constructive force in the learning process.  A typical class period will consist of a lecture on background material and concepts, discussion of the readings, and some sort of group or individual activity or activities, not necessarily in that order.

 

Attendance

Show up.  You’re getting a semester’s worth of knowledge in a month.  Don’t schedule any appointments, trips, association meetings, or other activities that would require you to miss class.  After 2 absences, you will lose 1 classroom contribution point for each missed day.

If you know you’ll be out of town and have to miss a class, please let me know ahead of time.  Also, if a family/medical emergency comes up, please let me know.

 

Evaluation

Your course grade is based upon personal blog comments, formal papers, group-led discussion, and contributions in the classroom.  In the spirit of collaborative inquiry, your classmates will help assess your performance.

 

Components of your Grade

Weekly Blog Comments                                 50%

3 Formal Papers                                              30%

Leading Discussion                                         10%

Classroom Contributions                                10%

 

Blog: https://sites.psu.edu/crim451maymester2015/

Shortly after each class period, questions regarding the next day’s assignments will be posted on the class blog.  These questions are designed to help you better understand the assignments and also serve as possible prompts for reflection.  You are expected to reply to 3 topics each week.  While your comments may be personal reflections, one comment each week must be a reflection on something outside the course—a news article, YouTube clip, movie, song, what-have-you—and how it relates to the course.  You are also expected to reply to 3 comments posted by your fellow classmates each week (for a total of up to 6 comments each week).

I: Introduction to Race, Crime, and Justice

M May 11- What is Prejudice?

 

T May 12- Perceptions of Race and Crime

• Felson, Richard B. and Noah Painter-Davis. 2012. “Another Cost of Being a Young Black Male: Race, Weaponry, and Lethal Outcomes in Assaults.” Social Science Research 41: 1241-1253.

 

W May 13- Crime Disparities

• Steffensmeier, Darrell, Ben Feldmeyer, Casey T. Harris, and Jeffery T. Ulmer. 2011. “Reassessing Trends in Black Violent Crime, 1980-2008.” Criminology 49(1): 197-252.

 

R May 14- Explanations: Gene-Environment Interaction and Strain Theory

• Guo, Guang, Michael Roettger, and Tianji Cai. 2008. “The Integration of Genetic Propensities into Social Control Models of Delinquency and Violence among Male Youths.” American Sociological Review 73 (4): 543-568.
• Rios, Victor M. 2012. “Stealing a Bag of Potato Chips and Other Crimes of Resistance.” Contexts 11(1): 48-53.

 

F May 15- Explanations: Social Disorganization and Social Learning Theory

• Logan, John. 2003. “Life and Death in the City: Neighborhoods in Context.” Contexts 2(2): 33-40.
• Lutton, Linda. “Harper High School, Part One- Act One: Rules to Live By.” This American Life. http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/487/harper-high-school-part-one?act=1#play

 

II: Police

M May 18- Minority Officers

• Hassell, Kimberly D. and Steven G. Brandl. 2009. “An Examination of the Workplace Experiences of Police Patrol Officers: The Role of Race, Sex, and Sexual Orientation.” Police Quarterly 12(4):408-430.
• Gardner, Geoffrey. 2008. “White Cop Disciplined for Profiling Black Police Chief.” NPR. http://www.npr.org/sections/newsandviews/2008/05/nypd_disciplines_white_officer.html

Blog assessments due in class.

 

T May 19- Racial Profiling

• Price, Richard. “Got You Pegged- Act One: The Fat Blue Line.” This American Life. http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/362/got-you-pegged?act=1
• Tomaskovic-Devey, Donald and Patricia Warren. 2009. “Explaining and Eliminating Racial Profiling.” Contexts 8(2):34-39.

 

W May 20- Immigration

• Gau, Jacinta M., Clayton Mosher, and Travis C. Pratt. 2010. “An Inquiry into the Impact of Suspect Race on Police Use of Tasers.” Police Quarterly 13(1):27-48.
• Sampson, Robert J. 2008. “Rethinking Crime and Immigration.” Contexts 7(1):28-33.

 

 

R May 21- Police Legitimacy

• Gau, Jacinta and Rod Brunson. 2010. “Procedural Justice and Order Maintenance Policing: A Study of Inner-City Young Men’s Perceptions of Police Legitimacy.” Justice Quarterly 27(2):255-279.
• Granderson, LZ. 2012. “Why Black People Don’t Trust the Police.” CNN- Opinion. http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/22/opinion/granderson-florida-shootings/

 

F May 22- No class: Work on Paper 1 and blog assessments.

 

III: Courts

M May 25- No class: Memorial Day

 

T May 26- Prosecution and Sentencing

• Ulmer, Jeffery T., Megan C. Kurlychek, and John H. Kramer. 2007. “Prosecutorial Discretion and the Imposition of Mandatory Minimums.” Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 44(4):427-458.
• Johnson, Brian D. and Sara Betsinger. 2009. “Punishing the “Model Minority”: Asian-American Criminal Sentencing Outcomes in Federal District Courts.” Criminology 47(4):1045-1090.

Blog assessments due in class.

Paper 1 due in class.

 

W May 27- The Death Penalty

• Banner, Stuart. 2002. “The Death Penalty’s Strange Career.” The Wilson Quarterly 26(2):70-82.
• Dow, David R. 2011. “Death Penalty, Still Racist and Arbitrary.” The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/09/opinion/09dow.html

 

IV: Corrections

R May 28- Mass Incarceration and the War on Drugs

• Keen, Bradley and David Jacobs. 2009. “Racial Threat, Partisan Politics, and Racial Disparities in Prison Admissions: A Panel Analysis.” Criminology 47(1):209-238.
• Arvanites, Thomas. 2014. “Segregation and African-American Imprisonment Rates for Drug Offenses.” The Social Science Journal: 1-7.

 

F May 29- Parole and Recidivism

• Huebner, Beth and Timothy Bynum. 2008. “The Role of Race and Ethnicity in Parole Decisions.” Criminology 46(4):907-939.
• Wehrman, Michael M. 2010. “Race, Concentrated Disadvantage, and Recidivism: A Test of Interaction Effects.” Journal of Criminal Justice 38:538-544.

 

V: Special Topics

M June 1- The Prison Experience

• Wooldredge, John and Benjamin Steiner. 2012. “Race Group Differences in Prison Victimization Experiences.” Journal of Criminal Justice 40:358-369.
• Grann, David. 2004. “The Brand.” The New Yorker February 16, 2004.

Blog assessments due in class.

Paper 2 due in class.

T June 2- Juvenile Justice

• Bridges, George S. and Sara Steen. 1998. “Racial Disparities in Official Assessments of Juvenile Offenders: Attributional Stereotypes as Mediating Mechanisms.” American Sociological Review 63(4):554-570.
• Sternheimer, Karen. 2007. “Do Video Games Kill?” Contexts 6(1):13-17.

 

W June 3- Post-Incarceration Job Opportunities

• Wang, Xia, Daniel P. Mears, and William D. Bales. 2010. “Race-Specific Employment Contexts and Recidivism.” Criminology 48(4):1171-1211.
• Pager, Devah. 2003. “Blacks and Ex-Cons Need Not Apply.” Contexts 2(4):58-59.

 

R June 4- Post-Incarceration Disenfranchisement and Health

• Uggen, Christopher and Jeff Manza. 2002. “Democratic Contraction? Political Consequences of Felon Disenfranchisement in the United States.” American Sociological Review 67(6):777-803.
• Massoglia, Michael and Jason Schnittker. 2009. “No Real Release.” Contexts 8(1):38-42.

 

F June 5- No class: Work on Paper 3 and blog assessments.

 

M June 8- A Contemporary Issue?

• Jacobs, David, Jason T. Carmichael, and Stephanie L. Kent. 2005. “Vigilantism, Current Racial Threat, and Death Sentences.” American Sociological Review 70(4):656-677.
• Ahmed, Beenish. 2015. “Race Riots, Then and Now.” Vice http://www.vice.com/read/race-riots-then-and-now-501

Blog assessments due in class.

 

T June 9- No class: Study Day.

 

W June 10- Final Exam: Paper 3 due in class.