Assignment:
Student Learning Objectives:
- Apply criminological theory to crime
- Demonstrate knowledge of multiple criminological theories
- Write a clear and critical research paper
- Compare popular culture to academic research
- Conduct a peer interview
- Create new theory through deductive and inductive reasoning
Final Take-Home Assignment Question:
Directions: Please respond in a 4 to 5 page total for both parts, double-spaced Times new roman font with 1" margins to the following assignments. Be sure to answer all parts of the assignment
Part I: Essay (2 pages):
Choose a crime or criminal behavior that interests you. Please define this crime/criminal behavior.
Please choose three or more theories from this course and integrate them to create one new criminological theory that you think best explains the crime/criminal conduct you have chosen. Please summarize ALL of the characteristics, assumptions, etc. of this new theory. In other words, what does this new, integrated theory ‘say' about the crime/criminal behavior you have chosen?
Part II: Popular Culture and Crime (2 to 3 pages):
A. For the second part of the paper, there are three components. First I would like you to identify a popular tv series or movie that focuses on crime. Next, I would like you to summarize the plot and characters. After the summary, I would like you to explain to the best of your ability choosing the life-course perspective, and any other theories that you believe are applicable based on your observation. You must use your deductive and inductive reasoning to apply theories appropriately.
B. Interview a person who is not a criminal justice major about their views on the causes of crime in society. Ask at least five open-ended questions and write them into the paper. Make notes on their beliefs and explain why you think they hold those beliefs.
C. For the final part of part II, I would like you to compare and contrast the fictional program you watched with the brief interview of crime causation. Comment on the similarities or differences.
Lastly, I would like you to describe how what you learned in the course has enhanced your knowledge of the causes of crime.