CRM 187 A-Z - (IS) Special Topics in Criminology

Semester Hours: 3

Fall, Spring
Interdisciplinary exploration of specific issues in the discipline of criminology — e.g., organized crime, forgery, juvenile courts, crimes against children, etc. Topics may change each semester.

Current Special Topics

CRM 187B: White Collar and Institutional Crime

The goals of the course are to examine White collar Crime in a Contemporary Domestic and Global Framework. To that end we adopt an approach in which the application of social science research is used to investigate and analyze human social behavior as applied to the central issues of White Collar and Institutional Crime in modern society. This unique course examines the so called “White Collar Offsenses as opposed to” crimes in the street as examined in most criminology courses.

CRM 187I: Immigration and the Law

This course will provide students with the analytical tools to understand the dynamics driving the politics of the current wave of immigrants from the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, and Africa, and the way it affects the American society and culture. It will also focus on current and past legislations about immigration to the United States. Can state control migration, including “unwanted” migrants? How do we understand the politics of immigration in the context of criminalization of immigrants? In an era of uncertainty, how can we pursue policies that will ensure the security of our borders without closing off flows which are often considered necessary for our economic security? We begin with an examination of immigration law and policies in the United States that let some people in, while keeping other out.

CRM 187H: Restorative Justice

Contrasts between the Restorative Justice approach and the traditional retributive response to crime will be undertaken through the examination of topics such as mediation, victim-offender reconciliation, family group counseling, community service, and offender reintegration.

CRM 187P: Forensic Psychology

Forensic psychology is broadly defined as any application of psychological research, methods, theory, and practice to a task faced by the legal system. The essential focus will be looking at the impact of psychological research and applied psychology on the legal system. The topics for study will include: the role of the forensic psychologist, psychology of law enforcement, consulting and testifying in criminal and civil cases, the psychology of violence, intimidation and sexual assault including - battered women’s syndrome, child sexual abuse. It may also include the consideration and determination of insanity and competence, the assessment of dangerousness, child custody, death penalty trials and appeals, and how forensic psychologist influence public policy.

CRM 187R Race and Criminality

A survey course about the societal reaction and state response to the presumed criminality of racialized subjects in America. It will introduce the sociological concepts of race and racialization and explore the ways in which the nation creates and congeals racial categories in the pursuit of nation-building. Alongside this conversation of race, we will critically evaluate and discuss “criminality,” defined as the state or quality of being considered criminal. Therefore, this course will explore historical and current processes of considering certain, racialized bodies criminal or dangerous. Topics of this course range from Japanese Internment, ”oriental depravity,” illegal immigration, the racializing of Muslims after the War on Terror, and assumptions about Black “thugs” and “welfare queens.”

CRWR 187Z: (BH) Sociology of Violence

In this workshop, we will explore different ways to write real life and make it matter by using the first person to look outward. Historically, activists have used their personal stories or the closely-reported stories of those without voices to illuminate injustice. In this class, we will do the same, reading works by current memoirists striving for universal change through personal writing and draft our own works.

Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
May be repeated for credit when topics vary. As individual subjects are offered, each is assigned a letter (A-Z) which is affixed to the course number. Students may take up to two (6 s.h.) of these courses in fulfillment of the electives requirement for their Criminology major or minor, so long as each special topics course has a different letter designation. Specific titles and course descriptions for special topics courses are available in the online class schedule.

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