This course provides a broad overview of sociological and interdisciplinary theories of criminal behavior and social control. Students learn how to analyze theories and research on crime for the purpose of advancing theory as well as developing policies for crime prevention and control.

Crime is both a popular and controversial subject. Political debates (and stalemates) over the death penalty, drugs, “tough on crime” laws, inner-city violence, and white-collar crime are regular newspaper fodder. Among domestic concerns, being “soft” on crime is one of the most damaging characterizations one can make of a politician. Crime is also a central cultural focus: we seem fascinated by movies and television shows focusing on criminals, criminal investigators, lawyers, and prisons. 

This course serves as a general introduction to the study of crime, largely from a sociological perspective. The course might be summarized by a series of (seemingly) simple questions:

·      What is crime? How do we decide what is criminal?

·      How do we study or measure crime?

·      What causes crime?

·      How do we perceive crime? Why do these perceptions matter?

·      How do our reactions to crime affect future crime?