CJUST 337 - Politics of Crime and Deviance

Credits: (3)
Criminology is the study of the making of laws, the breaking of laws and the reaction to the breaking of laws. Appreciating the importance of the first and third element requires a familiarity with politics and ideology. This course will draw your attention to this issue through our discussions, guided by the Socratic method. Exploring controversies allow us insight into just how the issues in criminal justice are effectively framed and decided. Defining deviancy is a difficult proposition, but there are better and worse methods of approaching the question. This semester will challenge you to formulate a more fully informed rationale for addressing these difficult problems through introducing you to the pros and cons of selected arguments. Your task will be to develop your own opinions on the social construction of crime and deviance. You will do so through a collaborative confrontation with the political process that informs our understanding of how we designate legal from illicit behavior.