- Course Catalog Description:
- The purpose of this class is to develop a working understanding of the sociology of punishment. To that end, the course focuses on three interrelated questions: How do various social factors (the economy, culture, crime, media, race relations, etc.) shape the development of criminal punishment? Why does punishment differ across time and place? How do penal laws, practices, and institutions affect individuals, groups, and communities? The course combines lectures and small and large group discussions. prereq: 3101 or 3102 recommended; soc majors/minors must register A-F
- Class Notes:
- Click this link for more detailed course information: http://classinfo.umn.edu/?ecorneli+SOC4105+Fall2024
- Class Description:
- How do social forces shape the development of criminal punishment? In this course, we will study how different sociological traditions have answered this question. Traditions may include Marxism, functionalism, symbolic interactionism, and post-structuralist and post-colonial theories. We will study how these traditions have analyzed the connections between punishment and the economy, politics, imperialism, culture, crime, media, gender, and racialization. We will examine these traditions' strengths and weaknesses and how they complement each other. We will read classical and contemporary texts and use them to analyze contemporary topics, such as mass incarceration, the war on drugs, surveillance, policing, white-collar crime, and crimmigration.
- Grading:
1. Two short memos (30%)
2. Mid-term (30%)
3. Final exam (30%)
4. Class participation (10%)
- Exam Format:
1. Two short memos: short written reflections about course readings submitted via Canvas;
2. Mid-term: in-class written exam with short answer and essay questions;
3. Final exam: in-class written exam with short answer and essay questions;
4. Class participation: a brief memo with a few sentences on the readings to facilitate in-class discussion (to be brought to every class or posted on Canvas).
- Class Format:
Lecture, discussion, small group activities, film and videos, mock exams.
- Workload:
1. About 50 pages per week;
2. Two short memos;
3. Two in-class written exams;
4. Preparation for class and participation.
- Textbooks:
- https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/32290/1249
- Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
- 7 April 2024