JS 422: Race, Class, Gender and Justice
2012
Note: You will not know in advance which questions will be selected for the exam
so it is advisable to prepare for each question.
Remember the exam will be closed-notes and closed-book. Your answers
should reflect the breadth of information presented in the class
and must incorporate specific material
from the course readings whenever appropriate.
Please bring a blank blue book and a pen to the exam.
One of the essay questions below will appear on your exam.
There will also be a true/false, multiple-choice, etc. section on the
exam.
1) Compare and contrast the lessons concerning race
and the justice system represented in “Justice Denied: The Hurricane Carter
Story” and “The Scottsboro Boys,” Be sure to include at least discussions of:
a) Whether the cases represent disparity or
discrimination. What is the difference?
b) Where would you place each case on the
disparity-discrimination continuum?
Explain your choices.
c) Describe the basic principles of conflict theory
and show it may be used to analyze each case.
2)
Discuss the ways in which the media shape perceptions of the relationships
between crime, criminals, victims, race, and ethnicity.
What are the policy implications?
3)
Discuss the argument that there is racial/ethnic discrimination in policing.
Be sure to at least:
a)
Show the data that supports this argument.
b)
Discuss the data that challenges this point.
c)
Include a discussion of the videos we have seen. In what ways do they support or
challenge this argument?
d)
Examine the difficulties in proving discrimination in policing.
4)
Examine what the data show about the “typical” offender and victim
patterns for at least four crimes.
What are the difficulties in evaluating the patterns?