SOCI 2310 - Criminology

4.5 Credits

This course examines crime and criminology from a broad sociological perspective. Topics include definitions of crime, the various causes of criminal behavior, theoretical perspectives for studying socially deviant behavior, and systems of criminal justice.

Prerequisites: (1) SOCI 1010

Lecture Hours: 4.5
Lab Hours: 0.0
Internship Hours: 0.0
Clinical or Practicum Hours: 0.0

Course Objectives

1. Relate the current definitions of crime.

2. Review the crime data collection procedures related to crime, criminals, and victims, and discuss statistical reporting practices on both the local and the national levels.

3. Appraise the historical perspective on crime and punishment and explain the progression of the concept of sanction from Biblical times to the 21st Century.

4. Compare and contrast the classical and positivistic views of crime, criminals, and their behavior and punishment.

5. Demonstrate an awareness of the major biological, psychological, and sociological explanations of the causes of criminal behavior.

6. Explore the different types of crime as they are manifested in American society.

7. Describe the current systems of criminal justice and assess proposals for change.

8. Examine the existence of cultural bias and other multicultural issues as related to explaining and dealing with deviance and crime.

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