Criminology

Catalog description

This course is intended to introduce and review the sociological perspective as it is applied to the themes of crime, criminality and the individual offender. Specifically, criminological theories of social process, social structure and social conflict are explored in conjunction with views on developmental and trait-based perspectives to illuminate the social underpinnings of crime in modern society. Each particular viewpoint is applied to the understanding of broad categories of criminal behavior and activity, including but not limited to: violent crime, property crime, public order crimes, organized crime, and white collar offenses. Additionally, the criminal justice system and its component structural and procedural parts are reviewed to provide the student with an enhanced awareness of the social aspects of criminal behavior and its impact for law-making and enforcement.