This course will introduce you to sociological perspectives on crime and punishment in the United States. We will cover the major stages of the criminal justice process- from investigations and prosecutions to courts and punishment- and beyond.
Within the stages of the criminal justice process, the sociological imagination is especially useful in enabling a macro-level perspective on what are commonly seen as micro-level issues that individuals involved in the criminal justice system face. We will discuss how race, gender, and socioeconomic status matter throughout the various stages of the criminal justice process. Additionally, sociological theories will be applied throughout the course to deepen your sociological understanding.
The course meets the Council on Liberal Education's (CLE) Civic Life and Ethics Theme. As such, this course provides an opportunity to become more critical and thoughtful about the world around you and, in the process, to become more engaged in public life, whether that be through voting, serving on a jury, participating in politics, or pursuing a criminal justice career. As a Civic Life and Ethics Theme requirement, this course provides you with the tools to evaluate central moral questions including: what is crime? Who is a criminal?
Is the U.S. system of punishment fair? How do we, as a society, respond to racial and ethnic inequalities in the criminal justice system? These questions are not just factual, but also ethical- and they may provoke strong feelings and controversy. We will spend the semester working through these controversies, and this course will help you learn how to move beyond your individual "gut reactions" to issues and to consider the broader research evidence from sociology, psychology, anthropology, and law in evaluating criminal justice patterns and policies. Not only will you be learning the central sociological literature on the criminal justice system through readings and lecture, but you will grapple with these issues yourself through class discussion, small group work, and written exams. In the process, this course will train you in how to think sociologically, digest and reformulate research findings, and use the research literature to come to your own opinions and build your own sociological arguments.