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Sociology (SOCI) 305

Sociology and Crime (Revision 1)

SOCI 305 course cover

Revision 1 is closed for registrations, replaced by current version.

Delivery Mode: Individualized study with a video component

Credits: 3

Area of Study: Social Science

Prerequisite: None

Faculty: Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences

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SOCI 305 has a Challenge for Credit option.

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Overview

SOCI 305 provides an introduction to the study of crime from a number of different sociological perspectives. The course covers topics related to crime and the criminal code in Canada: early history of Canadian narcotics legislation; analysis of a videotaped murder confession; a Mohawk viewpoint on the Oka crisis of 1990; and an analytical look at the Canadian prison system.

These and other topics are analysed through different theoretical perspectives including symbolic interactionism, ethnomethodology, feminism, and structural conflict theory. SOCI 305 is intended for students with personal or professional interests in criminology, law enforcement, or criminal justice administration, as well as for those for whom the issues of crime and crime control may be seen as personal, family, or community concerns.

Upon completion of SOCI 305, students should be able to think about crime in a sociological manner; to apply the major sociological perspectives to the study of crime; to discuss a critical sociological approach for the study of crime, and explain how it is able to analyse the shortcomings of more traditional approaches; and to discuss the ways in which sociology can provide valuable insights into the phenomenon of crime, and describe how the study of crime can provide an interesting vehicle for learning about sociology.

Outline

Lesson 1: Sociology and Crime

Lesson 2: Constructing Criminal Law

Lesson 3: Criminalization and Domination

Lesson 4: Ethnomethodology's Law

Lesson 5: Policing as Symbolic Interaction

Lesson 6: The Ethnomethodology of Policing

Lesson 7: The Political Economy of Policing

Lesson 8: Discipline, Domination, and Criminal Justice

Lesson 9: Justice and Symbolic Interaction

Lesson 10: Ethnomethodology in Court

Lesson 11: Crime and Punishment

Lesson 12: The Functions of Crime Control

Evaluation

To receive credit for SOCI 305, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least "D" (50 percent), a grade of at least 50 percent on the term paper, and a grade of at least 60 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

Assignment Mid-term Exam Term Paper Final Exam Total
20% 20% 30% 30% 100%

The midterm and final examinations for this course must be taken online with an AU-approved exam invigilator at an approved invigilation centre. It is your responsibility to ensure your chosen invigilation centre can accommodate online exams. For a list of invigilators who can accommodate online exams, visit the Exam Invigilation Network.

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbook

Hester, Stephen, and Peter Eglin. 1992. A Sociology of Crime. London and New York: Routledge.

Other Materials

The course materials include a study guide to accompany the textbook, a student manual, and a reading file.

Special Course Feature

The television programs are an integral part of SOCI 305. While the textbook provides valuable information and interpretative analysis, videos provide real-life studies of criminalization and crime control. The television programs are available to students in two formats: regular broadcasts on ACCESS, The Education Station throughout Alberta, and videotapes available from Athabasca University Library.

Challenge for Credit Course Overview

The Challenge for Credit process allows students to demonstrate that they have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university level course.

Full information for the Challenge for Credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

Challenge Evaluation

To receive credit for the SOCI 305 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least “C-” (60 percent) on the challenge examination. The two parts of the exam must be written on the same day.

Undergraduate Challenge for Credit Course Registration Form

Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.

Opened in Revision 1.

 

Last updated by SAS  07/07/2014 16:42:09