RACE, CLASS, GENDER AND JUSTICE
Justice Studies/Sociology 422
Spring 2012
Professor:
Gary Reed
Justice Studies Program
Social Science Division
Lewis-Clark State College
Spalding Hall, Room #211
500 8th Ave.
Lewiston, ID 83501-2698
Phone: (208) 792-2794
E-mail: gereed@lcsc.edu
Website: www.lcsc.edu/gereed
Class Meets:
Tuesday & Thursday 10:30am – 11:45am in Sam Glenn #126
Office Hours:
Monday 1:30pm-2:45pm
Tuesday 3:00pm-4:15pm
Wednesday 1:30pm-2:45pm
and by
appointment
Course Description:
This course explores the effects of race, class and
gender on the criminal justice system. Patterns of offending and victimization
associated with the categories of race, class and gender will be studied.
Students will study topics such as profiling, disparities in sentencing and the
death penalty, minority overrepresentation in prison, responses to battering,
and criminal justice system employment practices. Pre-requisite: JS 103 or SOC
101 or instructor permission. Cross-listed with SOC 422.
Goals:
It is expected that students will become more adept at
utilizing social scientific analysis to understand the relationships between
elements of social life, systematic inequality, and the justice system. The
written work and verbal presentations of students should reflect systematic,
logical arguments clearly supported by theory and research.
Course Requirements:
Class Participation 25%
Exam One 25%
Exam Two 25%
Exam Three 25%
Class Participation:
Attendance is expected and active participation is
essential for the success of this class. Students who participate actively
derive the most lasting benefits from the course. Attendance will be taken most
days, and at the end of the semester, students with an attendance record of 90%
or better will receive an extra one percent added to their course grade.
Participation includes attending class meetings and contributing to class
discussions. In order to ensure
adequate student discussion, I reserve the right to call on students to discuss
the topics of the day, so please be prepared to contribute.
Participation also includes short reports (approximately
2-3 typed pages) on selected issues in the readings (to be assigned in class).
The reports are important because they will serve as preparation for
discussions. The reports will be evaluated on the quality and thoughtfulness of
your social scientific analysis of the assigned material. They will be graded
as: excellent, surpassing expectations (A), good, competent work (B),
satisfactory (C), not satisfactory (D), failing (F).
REPORTS WILL BE DUE IN CLASS. LATE REPORTS WILL BE
PENALIZED A FULL LETTER GRADE (e.g. a late "B" will become a "C"). FIVE (5)
REPORTS WILL BE ASSIGNED. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT THREE (3). YOU MAY SUBMIT
FIVE REPORTS IF YOU NEED EXTRA CREDIT. The extra credit will be applied towards
your participation grade. An "A" extra credit report adds three percent to your
participation grade, a "B" is worth two percent, and a "C" is worth one percent.
Also note that your reports must contain references
for paraphrased and quoted material. See the end of the syllabus for models of
reference citations.
Exams:
Three exams (including the final exam) consisting of
essay, multiple-choice, true/false, and fill-in-the-blanks questions will be
administered in class. Study questions will be available prior to the exams to
help you prepare.
Student Conduct:
"Cheating or plagiarism in any form is unacceptable.
The College functions to promote the cognitive and psychosocial development of
all students. Therefore, all work submitted by a student must represent
his/her own ideas, concepts and current understanding" (Provost Fernandez,
2008).
All students are expected to take the short tutorial on
citing sources at: http://www.lcsc.edu/library/ILI/Module_2A/Welcome.htm
Any student with questions remaining as to what constitutes
cheating or plagiarism should consult the instructor in order to avoid any
misunderstanding. If a student is caught cheating, at minimum, he/she will fail
the assignment, the Judicial Affairs Officer will be notified and the incident
recorded. Students must also keep copies of any written work turned in.
Moreover, we will be dealing with controversial issues at times and it is
essential that discussions remain constructive and respectful.
Please refrain from gaming, web surfing or using
your cell phone during class.
Assignment Grading:
A 93%
A- 90%
B+ 87%
B 83%
B- 80%
C+ 77%
C 73%
C- 70%
D+ 67%
D 63%
D- 60%
F 53%
Readings: (Available at the LCSC Bookstore)
The Color of Justice, Fourth or Fifth Edition
(Walker, Spohn & DeLone) Wadsworth, 2007 or 2012
The Invisible Woman: Gender, Crime, and Justice, Third
Edition (Belknap) Wadsworth, 2007
Topics and Assignments:
(Due to the nature of academic discussions, the topics
listed below will not always correspond to the days’ discussions, and we may not
be able to cover every topic)
Jan 17-19: Introduction to the Course
Race, Ethnicity and Crime: The Present Crisis
Reading: Walker et al., Chapter 1
Jan 24-26: Victims and Offenders: Myths and Realities
about Crime
Reading: Walker et al., Chapter 2
Jan 30: Last day to drop without a W.
Jan 21-Feb 2: Race, Ethnicity, Social Structure and Crime
Reading: Walker et al., Chapter 3
Written Report 1 (Feb 2)
Feb 7-9: Stereotyping by the Media
Reading: Walker et al., Chapter 4
Feb 14-16: The Police, Courts and Minorities
Reading: Walker et al., Chapter 5
Written Report 2 (Feb 16)
Exam Study Questions Distributed
Feb 21-23: Justice on the Bench?: Trial and Adjudication
Reading: Walker et al., Chapter 6
EXAM ONE Feb 23
Feb 28-March 1: Race and Sentencing
Reading: Walker et al., Chapter 7
March 6-8: Race and the Death Penalty
Reading: Walker et al., Chapter 8
March 12-16 Spring Break
March 20-22: Corrections: A Picture in Black & White
Reading: Walker et al, Chapters 9-10
March 27-29: Female Offending - Part I
Reading: Belknap Chapters 1-2
Written Report 3 (March 29)
Study Questions distributed
March 30: Last day to withdraw
April 3-5: Female Offending - Part II
Reading: Reading: Belknap, Chapters 3-5
EXAM TWO April 5
April 10-12: Female Victims of Male Violence - Part I
Reading: Belknap, Chapters 6-7
April 17-19: Female Victims of Male Violence - Part II
Reading: Belknap, Chapter 8
Written Report 4 (April 19)
April 24-26: Working in the Criminal Justice System Part
I
Reading: Belknap, Chapter 9-10
May 1-3: Effecting Change
Reading: Belknap, Chapters 11-12
Exam Study Questions Distributed
Written Report 5 (May 3)
May 8: FINAL EXAM: Tuesday, 10:30AM-12:20PM
Make your travel plans accordingly. Having plane tickets
for travel before the exam is not a valid excuse for missing the scheduled exam.
Referencing for Written Reports:
Reference all paraphrasing and quotes. Use block quotes
for quotes longer than 5 sentences. Include a reference page. You must use
the modified APA-style referencing that is used in the journal
Criminology: A recent study (Smoe, 1996) reveals knowledge is good. A more
specific paraphrase: Joe Smoe (1996:2) found 90 percent of the people believe
knowledge is good. A long quote should be indented on both margins and
single-spaced:
All work and no play make Jack/Jill a dull person. All
work and no play make Jack/Jill a dull person. All work and no play make
Jack/Jill a dull person. All work and no play make Jack/Jill a dull person. All
work and no play make Jack/Jill a dull person. All work and no play make
Jack/Jill a dull person. All work and no play make Jack/Jill a dull person.
(Smoe, 1996:3)
Here are some useful referencing sites:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_docsocio.html
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html
When in doubt, it is better to err on the side of
over-referencing sources. If you plagiarize, you will receive an "F" for the
assignment. If you are having trouble getting started, browse through the
readings for topics, look at the sources referenced in the readings, and think
about issues that relate to the connections between the various social
institutions, such as the economy, family, education, culture, and politics.
FROM PLAGIARISM.ORG:
Many people
think of plagiarism as copying another's work, or borrowing someone else's
original ideas. But terms like "copying" and "borrowing" can disguise the
seriousness of the offense:
1.
to
steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own
2.
to
use (another's production) without crediting the source
3.
to
commit literary theft
4.
to
present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source.
In other
words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else's
work and lying about it afterward.
According to
U.S. law, the answer is yes. The expression of original ideas is considered
intellectual property, and is protected by copyright laws, just like original
inventions. Almost all forms of expression fall under copyright protection as
long as they are recorded in some way (such as a book or a computer file).
·
turning in someone else's work as your own
·
copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit
·
failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
·
giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation
·
changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving
credit
·
copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of
your work, whether you give credit or not (see our section on "fair use" rules)
Most cases
of plagiarism can be avoided, however, by citing sources. Simply acknowledging
that certain material has been borrowed, and providing your audience with the
information necessary to find that source, is usually enough to prevent
plagiarism. See our section on
citation for more information on how to
cite sources properly.
Syllabus Addendum
Consumer Information
In 2008, the federal government required all post-secondary
institutions offering federal financial aid programs to provide key data to both
prospective and current students. To
comply with this requirement, Lewis-Clark State College has developed a consumer
information page, which may be accessed at
http://www.lcsc.edu/studentconsumerinformation/
Disability Accommodations
Students requiring special accommodations or course
adaptations due to a disability and/or a health-related issue should consult
their course instructors and the LCSC Student
Student Rights and Responsibilities
Students have the responsibility for knowing their program
requirements, course requirements, and other information associated with their
enrollment at LCSC. Students should
review the LCSC General Catalog (http://www.lcsc.edu/catalog/)
and the LCSC Student Handbook (available at
http://www.lcsc.edu/studentservices/contactus.htm) for more information.
Accidents/Student Insurance
Students participating in LCSC classes normally must look
to their personal health insurance policy (Student Health Insurance Plan or
comparable private coverage) should an accident occur.
In the event of an accident, please seek medical help, if necessary, and
report the incident to LCSC Security (792-2226).
Fieldtrips or other special student activities may also require students
to submit a signed participation waiver (forms can be obtained from the
supporting Division Office).
Enrollment Verification/Attendance
Students who are not actively pursuing their classes may
have to repay part or all of their financial aid awards depending upon the
circumstances.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty, which includes cheating and
plagiarism, is not tolerated at LCSC.
Individual faculty members will impose their own policies and sanctions
regarding academic dishonesty.
Students who are accused of being academically dishonest may be referred to the
Dean of
Illegal File Sharing
Students using LCSC’s computers and/or computer network
must comply with the college’s appropriate use policies and are prohibited from
illegally downloading or sharing data files of any kind.
Specific information about the college’s technology policies and its
protocols for combating illegal file sharing may be found on the Dean of
Diversity Vision Statement
Regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, national
origin, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation, you will be treated
and respected as a human being.
http://www.lcsc.edu/culturaldiversity/