Introduction

The study of crime is broad in scope, cutting across many fields including sociology, psychology, law, history, philosophy, and biology. SOCI 123 is a three credit hour introduction to the sociological study of criminology. Sociologists study what Emile Durkheim (one of the fathers of sociology) termed emergent properties, or those properties that emerge out of human interaction and cannot be explained by studying only the characteristics and attributes of individuals. In this course, we therefore concentrate on the social facts of crime, studying both social structures (such as the criminal justice system and the structure of economic inequality) as well as social processes (such as the development of a criminal identity through interactions with other criminals). We also discuss the environments in which people are embedded, paying particular attention to the disruptive physical and social settings characteristic of the American urban underclass.

In SOCI 123, we focus on how our lives reflect the context of our social experience and the ways that social forces translate into our everyday understanding of crime. Many of the facts discussed in this course will contradict both media and commonsense notions of crime, criminals, victims, and the criminal justice system.

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Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, I hope you will have achieved the following:

• A basic knowledge of important facts surrounding crime today. These facts include general patterns of crime, important statistics, changing definitions of crime and criminals throughout history, and possible and probable future trends concerning crime in America. Because this is an online course, students should also develop the ability to distinguish legitimate information and data from much of the sensationalist and incorrect information disseminated over the Internet.

• A basic knowledge of some important sociological theories concerning crime, including compatible ideologies and their implications for crime control policies.

• The ability to use this basic knowledge to discuss current crime problems and possible solutions beyond media sensationalism and political rhetoric.

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Required Textbooks

The required textbook is:

Barkan, Steven. Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, 3rd edition. Prentice Hill, 2005.

The text can be purchased from Friday Center Books & Gifts at the Friday Center in person, by ordering online, or by printing and mailing the book order form.

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Using the Internet

Throughout this course, we will be using data from the Internet. Some lessons will require you to look up and interpret online data. Although I will provide you with the required Web addresses and specific instructions for finding the data, Web sites are constantly being updated. I will update instructions when appropriate. If, however, you catch any Web site changes before I do, please let me know.

Many of the online tables we will be using require the use of Adobe Acrobat reader, which you can download for free from the Adobe Web site. Just click on the "Get Acrobat Reader" icon at the bottom of the home page and follow the instructions. If you have difficulty or if your computer will not support this program, please let me know.

At the end of every chapter in your textbook, Barkan places a section entitled “Crime Online.” This section directs you to specific online data sources related to the topics discussed in the chapter. All of the data can be accessed through Prentice Hall's Cybrary. This Web site is clearly put together and can take you to literally hundreds of other Web sites containing reliable information on all of the topics discussed in this class. I strongly encourage you to look at this Web site and browse some of these data sets for yourself. This is also an extremely valuable source for your own future research.

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Course Organization

This course is divided into four parts, made up of fourteen lessons. Three lessons will include discussion of two chapters each and the remaining eleven will focus on one chapter each.

In Part I, “Understanding Crime and Victimization,” we begin the course by discussing how we study and come to understand crime. For example, we discuss in some detail the role of sociological perspective and how this is relevant for studying crime and punishment. Because most of us get our knowledge of crime through media, we also discuss the role of media and public opinion in shaping our view on crime. In this first part of the course, we also examine data collection and statistics on crime, and become familiar with online primary data sources, which we will use throughout the course.

Starting with Lesson 3, we begin Part II of our class, “Explaining Crime." In Part II, we study sociological theories that attempt to explain various aspects of crime and criminals.

In Part III, “Criminal Behaviors,” lessons nine through twelve, we examine specific crimes, their definitions, characteristics and how they change over time.

“Controlling and Preventing Crime,” Part IV, focuses on societal reactions to crime. Here we discuss, the criminal justice system and the state of American prisons.

Finally, you will explore a topic of your choice in a book report, which also serves as your final exam.

Included with each assignment is a set of notes on the reading. These notes, which are similar to lecture notes, are not designed to provide a complete summary of the readings. Instead, the notes highlight and expand upon general, important points and will hopefully serve to help you organize the information from the assigned readings.

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Study Suggestions

1. Be careful and take your time. Although introductory textbooks can sometimes seem like "easy reading," the many facts and theories make it difficult to identify the most important points. In the notes with each lesson, I provide you with what I consider to be the central ideas for each topic. I strongly encourage you to read these notes carefully, as I think they will help you identify and better understand important points in the text. If you have questions regarding anything in the text or notes, please let me know. I will be happy to help you.
   
   
2. Make sure that you understand the assignment questions. One of the most common mistakes that students make is not taking enough time to consider what the question is really asking. Frequently, students find themselves in the unfortunate situation of having written a very good answer to a question that was not asked. Please take time to consider what the question requires, and be extra careful to make sure you answer all parts of each question. This, I think, is an especially difficult problem in an online course, where we do not meet face to face. Therefore I encourage you again not only to write to me with questions regarding the texts but also with questions regarding the assignments (even if you think they are minor or trivial questions).
   
   
3. Don't be afraid to question the material in the course. Sometimes the pressure to take in all of the facts (and there are many) in an introductory course prevents students from thinking about those facts. I encourage you to evaluate the material in light of your own knowledge, perhaps from other courses or even personal experience.
   
   
4. Be careful with the use of direct quotations. When you use a direct (word for word) quote, you are required to use quotation marks and cite the author, year, and page number of your source. When you do not cite sources or use the appropriate punctuation marks, you are committing plagiarism, which is a very serious violation of the Honor Code.
   
   

   You also need to be aware of paraphrasing. If you only change one or two words in a sentence, and you do not cite the author, page number, and use quotation marks appropriately you are also committing plagiarism. For example, the following sentence appears in your text book, on the top of page 20: “One problem with experiments is that they are not generalizable” (Barkan 2006, page 20). Now, if you only change only one or two words in this sentence and write something like: The problem with experiments is they can’t be generalized—you would be committing plagiarism. The proper way to write a slightly changed sentence would be “[The] problem with experiments is [they can’t be generalized].” (Barkan 2006, page 20).
   
   Although using direct quotations (providing they are properly cited) is not incorrect, it is a good idea to put things in your own words. Use this class as an opportunity to develop and sharpen your writing skills. The most effective way to become a better writer is to practice. I’ll make suggestions and we can work together. This may take you a little more time, but the benefits far outweigh the cost.

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Grading and Final Exam

Your course grade will be based on fourteen written assignments, fourteen discussion forum assignments, and your book report/final. The first fourteen assignments, which count as 70 percent of your grade, consist of several essay questions drawn from the readings, lecture notes, and several Web sites. Assignment fifteen is a book report on a book of your choice. For this assignment I will provide you with a list of possible choices. You are not limited to this list, but you will need to get my approval if your choice is not on the recommended list. The book report final is worth 15 percent of your grade.

You are also required to participate in a weekly discussion forum. Each Monday, I will post a discussion topic on the discussion forum, which is accessible through Blackboard. The topics will relate to the topic of the week and will ask you to apply the information you learn to your own experiences or a “real world” situation. There are no right or wrong answers for the discussion board questions; they are a chance for you to discuss the material with me and with your fellow students. In general, your postings should be about a paragraph in length and should respond to the initial question posed. Your participation in the discussion forum is worth 15 percent of your final grade.

Grading criteria

I will judge your essay/exam answers and written assignments by the following criteria:

Clarity

In order for me to evaluate your work appropriately, I must first understand what you are trying to say. It is therefore very important for you to keep your answers focused and to the point. Be careful to use terminology correctly and don't assume I know what you mean. If you are having difficulty with any concepts discussed in the text or notes, please let me know. My advice is that you first write your answer and then put it away for a few hours or even a day. When you reread the answer, you might find mistakes that you would have otherwise overlooked.

Organization

As stated above, your answers should be focused. Be sure you understand the question and organize your answer accordingly. Your answers should indicate that you understand the relevant issues and that you can separate important issues from trivial ones. More words don't necessarily make for a better answer.

Analysis

Your analysis should be comprehensive. Make sure you answer each question thoroughly and completely. Often, one question may have several parts, so please be careful not to miss any. Your analysis should also consider the merits of different points of view, using evidence to support your conclusions. Be careful to cite work appropriately. For example, don't just write, "studies indicate"—you need to cite which studies you are discussing. Finally, the arguments you present should be well thought out and follow a pattern of logical construction.

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Honor Code

Remember that as a student of UNC-Chapel Hill, you are bound by the University's Honor Code: "It shall be the responsibility of every student at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to obey and support the enforcement of the Honor Code, which prohibits lying, cheating, or stealing when these actions involve academic processes or University students or academic personnel acting in an official capacity." This code applies to all lesson assignments and to the book report.

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Course Mechanics

Blackboard

Some of your class components are accessed through a software package called Blackboard, and you will need to login to Blackboard using a unique identifier known as your UNC Onyen (Only Name You'll Ever Need) and Onyen password.

If you do not already have a UNC Onyen, go to the Onyen Web site and follow the instructions for creating an Onyen. If you have an Onyen but have forgotten it (or the password), you will find help on the Onyen Web site.

Use your Onyen to login to Blackboard, then click on the "SOCI 123 CCO" link. You will then see navigation buttons on the left taking you to the Discussion Forums, Gradebook, and so on.

If you experience problems accessing Blackboard, this is what you should do:

• If you do not already have a UNC Onyen, go to the Onyen Web site and follow the instructions for creating an Onyen.
• If you have an Onyen but have forgotten it (or the password), you will find help on go to the Onyen Web site.
• If you have your Onyen but can't log in to Blackboard, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.
• If you can log in to Blackboard but can't find this course listed, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.
• If you can't locate an exam or discussion forum in Blackboard, contact the Instructional Designer.
• If you have other technical problems while using Blackboard, contact Blackboard Help (use the Help button in Blackboard, or call 919-962-HELP).

Library Services and E-reserves

Students enrolled in Carolina Courses Online can access online library resources from the UNC Library System by linking to Library Services for Distance Education Students. This site includes information on using general online reference works as well as accessing e-reserves.

If you are using an off-campus computer, you will need to enter your UNC Onyen and password to access the readings. The UNC library staff is available to assist any students who have difficulties accessing online library resources. If you encounter difficulties, please report your problem by visiting this Web page for reporting a problem.

E-mail

All communication from your instructor will go to your UNC Onyen e-mail address (the one that appears when you post to the discussion forum). Off-campus users can access their UNC e-mail using Webmail. You can have your e-mail forwarded to a different e-mail address by clicking “Forward e-mail” at the Onyen Web site.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your e-mail is functioning properly, and you must check your e-mail frequently. If you use a filter on your e-mail account, you are responsible for ensuring that it does not prevent you from receiving messages from me, the course listserv, or Friday Center staff. Hotmail users should be aware that Hotmail will block messages sent from within Blackboard because Blackboard uses “blind carbon copy” to protect privacy. We recommend that you use your UNC Onyen e-mail account rather than forwarding to Hotmail for this course.

Submitting Assignments

It is extremely important for you to save copies of any work you send to me via e-mail. If I don't receive your work, you must have a duplicate copy, indicating the date sent, to prove that you submitted the assignment on time. It is your responsibility to maintain copies of your sent e-mails, as there is no way to guarantee that any e-mail message will be delivered.

You may submit your assignments either in the body of an e-mail message or as an attachment in Word (.doc) or Open Office (.odt) format. Regardless of how you submit your assignments, please include your name and not just your Onyen.

Please check your e-mail software to see how it manages sent and saved messages. Some software automatically deletes messages one month after they have been sent; others only save messages if they are filed in folders; others save messages received but not those sent. You may need to send yourself a copy of your e-mailed assignment at the same time you send it to your instructor, or you may need to print a copy of the e-mail message and any attachments to keep in your paper files. No matter how your system works, make sure you know how to save a copy of all work that you submit to your instructor and that you save the copy for several months beyond the end of the course.

Other Questions

Contact your instructor with questions regarding the content of the course and your progress. There is an e-mail link to your instructor at the top of every lesson page. Please include "SOCI 123" in the subject line of your e-mail.

Contact the Instructional Designer at the Friday Center about problems with this Web site, including bad links.

If you have any logistical questions as you work through the course (enrollment, Onyen, credits, withdrawal, and so on), contact the Student Services staff at the Friday Center for Continuing Education (phone 919-962-1134 or 800-862-5669).

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Lesson Schedule

To complete the course, you will work through each of the lessons in order and submit your required work to me via e-mail by the due date listed on each lesson page. You are not expected to turn in any work on official University holidays.

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A Final Word

I want to take this opportunity to wish you good luck with SOCI 123. I hope you will find the course both useful and thought provoking. I also hope that this course will increase your desire to learn more about crime and delinquency as well as the field of sociology.

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Lesson 1