ClassInfo

***Update Based on COVID-19***

As an instructor for this course, my job is to assist in meeting our course objectives and to excel in higher education and beyond. Given our current context of the coronavirus epidemic, I wanted to emphasize that I understand that students are in a stressful time where many obstacles present themselves in your personal and professional lives. We will be entering this course together recognizing that we are in unprecedented times and I will be in email contact and/or use virtual office hours to make sure that we work together to meet the goals of the course. I want this to be a stress-free and fun experience! This is also an introductory course, and I believe the readings and assignments for this course are straightforward, engaging, and encourage creativity. I want to create a space in this course for students to be able to learn and grow and I will work with each and every one of you to make that happen.

****Class Description****

This introductory course seeks to develop an understanding of law, crime and punishment in the U.S. from a sociological perspective, and an understanding of what a ‘sociological perspective'-- or rather, the sociological spirit--really means, using the field of law, crime and punishment as our playground.

One of the cornerstones of the sociological spirit is its focus on the taken-for-granted, the mundane, the everyday life, turning what seems so familiar and obvious into something fascinating and strange. Embracing this spirit, this course focuses on the ubiquitous presence of law and legality in everyday life, and the relevance of law, crime and punishment--in their broadest sense--to the everyday lives of all of us.

At the same time, we will also address macro-level questions such as: why are there such exceptionally high crime rates in the U.S.? How come race plays such a significant role when it comes to putting people behind bars? And why do we punish in the first place, and how have prisons become our default, taken-for-granted method of punishment? We will conclude the course with a transition back from the macro and abstract to the micro and concrete, and examine law, legality and resistance where it matters the most: our lives.

As an online, 21st century course, it attempts to utilize technology in creative, accessible, user-friendly ways. You will create short videos, listen to podcasts, and create a podcast of your own for your final assignment. More generally, as a strong believer in joy as the ultimate educational

instrument, the course is designed to provide you with a meaningful, challenging and enjoyable experience.