INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINOLOGY
 
CR-102.004
SURVEY IN CRIMINOLOGY
FALL 1998
 
Instructor: Theodore Shields
Class Meetings: Walsh 205; M,W, and F--11:45 a.m to 12:45 p.m.
Office Hours: Sutton 428, Monday and Wednesday 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Home Phone: 724/465-7577, Office Phone: 724/357-5978, or x 7-2720
Email - tshields@yourinter.net
        and qlgg@grove.iup.edu
 
 
Course Description:
 
     This course is designed to provide "an understanding of the 
discipline of criminology through an examination of its theories,
basic assumptions, and definitions" (IUP Undergraduate Catalog, 
1998-1999). 
 
 
Course Objectives:
 
     The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the 
fundamentals of criminology as an academic discipline. Students will
acquire a basic knowledge of how, why, and by whom crime is defined. 
Students will also become aware of the functions of the different 
branches of the criminal justice system in this country. Finally, 
students will become familiar with a variety of criminological 
perspectives, including historical, interdisciplinary, cross-cultural
and modern explanations of criminal behavior. 
 
     In addition to the more traditional objectives, students 
will develop the skills necessary to practice criminological inquiry 
via the World Wide Web.
 
 
Required Text:
 
	Siegel, Larry J. (1998). Criminology, sixth edition. New York:
                West/Wadsworth Publishing Company
 
	Other readings will be assigned during the semester.
 
	

Grading:
 
	Class Participation: 10%
	Midterm Exam:	     30%
	Final Exam:          30%
	Web-based Project:   30%
 
 
Final Grade Criteria:
 
	90% to 100%  -- A
	80% to 89%   -- B
	70% to 79%   -- C
	60% to 69%   -- D
	Less than 60%-- F
 
     As opposed to some instructors, I really do not relish the 
thought of speaking for hours at a time. Such behavior is very rough 
on the throat. As is such, you will be expected to contribute to the 
learning process during each class period. Such contributions need 
be no more than merely your opinion on certain topics. Additionally, 
I have always suspected that individuals simply cannot listen to 
endless lectures and learn at an optimal level, therefore a portion 
of class time will be devoted to cooperative (group) learning. Your 
grade (10%) will reflect your participation in this process. Though 
I will not keep track of your every absence, it will be difficult to 
earn this 10% without regularly attending class.
 
 
Bonus Points:

	
	There will be various opportunities during the semester to 
collect bonus points. You will be provided with in class assignments 
(approximately 12). Completion of each assignment will provide you 
with one bonus point to be added to your final examination. Thus, 
you have the opportunity to add 12 points to your final examination 
simply by completing these assignments. Such assignments will include
 written reactions, or opinions, on films, lectures, guest speakers, 
or current events.  There will be no make-up of in-class bonus 
assignments, and there will be no individual extra credit assignments.
 
 
Midterm and Final Exam:
 
	The midterm examination will cover material presented before 
October 12th. The final examination will cover material presented 
following the midterm. During our class review, I will make you aware
of the information and concepts that will appear on the examination. 
You will not go into these examinations blind. Each examination will 
consist of a multiple-choice section, a matching section, a short 
answer section, and one short essay question. Make-up examinations 
can be provided in the event of illness or personal/family emergency.
Instructor may require written confirmation during such situations.
It is the student's responsibility to schedule make-up examinations.
There will be no mak-up examinations after the course is over. 
As opposed to scheduled examination format, make-up examinations may 
be comprised entirely of several essay questions. 
 
 
World Wide Web Project:
 
     Students will be asked to build/design a web page devoted to 
some crime- related issue. This project is to be completed by groups 
of four. These groups will be assigned as the semester progresses. 
Time will be provided during class for the groups to get together and
discuss their projects, but this is predominately an out of class 
assignment. We will hold three class sessions in the computer lab in 
order to get used to communicating via e-mail and allow students to 
familiarize themselves with the Internet. Do not be alarmed, this 
assignment does not require HTML skills or really ANY technical 
skills. Trust me, I do not have any. Tripod.com (see Handout) has 
made the web design process virtually equivalent to simple word 
processing/typing. 
 

The topic of the web project is for the groups to choose. The 
following is a list of potential topics:
 
1. Law Enforcement 
2. Juvenile Crime 
3. Juvenile Justice Systems
4. Gun Control (Pro, Con, or Neutral)
5. Death Penalty (Pro, Con, or Neutral)
6. Corrections (Prisons, Alternatives to Prisons, Prison Life, etc.)
7. Violent Crime (Murder, Child/Domestic Abuse, Sex Crimes, etc.)
8. Organized Crime (Either White Collar or Organized Street Crime)
9. Drug Crimes/Drug War (Pro, Con, or Neutral)
10. Property Crimes (Any aspect)
11. Internet Crime
12. War Crimes
13. Terrorism
14. Serial Murder
15. 1st Amendment (freedom of speech) issues
16. Crimes by the Government
 
 
Groups may choose a relevant topic that does not appear on the list. 
All group topics must be approved by me before you begin work on your
project.
 	
 
Web Pages should include the following:
 
1. Explanation of the importance/relevance of the topic
1. Explanation of how the world wide web can advance the 
   understanding and/or knowledge of the subject
2. Links to other sites with information relevant to your
   topic. This should be the bulk of your cite, as you can have links
   to almost endless information all from one page. Each group's page
   should have a minimum of eight links to other, relevant sites.
3. Links to each group member's e-mail account (either as provided by
   IUP or personal)
 
By linking to your page and all of your links, any web surfer should 
be able to gain a beginning, but substantial, knowledge of your 
topic/issue.

 
Web Page Presentation:

			
     Groups will present and explain, via computer overhead projector,
how and where each of the four criteria noted above is expressed 
within the web site. Groups will also explain the information that 
is available from each hyperlink. The presentation should provide 
evidence that, through visiting your web site and the links within 
your site, the web surfer mentioned above will be able to gain a 
working knowledge (i.e. more than is generally known) of your topic. 
As our time in the computer lab is limited, plan for your 
presentations to last approximately 10 minutes. Individual group 
members may divide presentation time amongst themselves in whatever 
manner they choose.
 

Calculating Grades for Web Project:
 
        Student's grades will be calculated by combining three 
        methods of evaluation: 
 
Self-evaluation within each group	20%
Peer evaluation between groups  	20%
Instructor evaluation			60% 
 
 
     Each member of each group will (confidentially) rate the other 
members of their group on their contribution to the project (1 to 25,
with 1 being the lowest and 25 the highest). Also, each student will 
individually rate how they feel each group has fulfilled the four 
criteria mentioned above (each criteria rated from 1 to 5, with 1 
being the lowest and 5 the highest, and an additional 1 to 5 for 
presentation and page appearance). Finally, I will also grade the 
project with regards to the four criteria, along with each group's 
presentation and the appearance of the page. 
 
            More detailed evaluation criteria for the first
     two methods will be provided as the semester progresses



Tentative Class Schedule (Dates may change according to class 
progress. Such changes will be announced in class):
 
 
	All readings, unless otherwise specified, are from the 
        Siegel text.
 
 
9/1 -  Introduction; Web/Tripod Handout
9/2 -  What is criminology? Criminology, Criminal Justice, and 
       Deviance; pp2-22
9/4 -  Origins of Western Law; pp24-42
9/7 -  Meet in McElhaney 113; First Group
9/9 -  Meet in McElhaney 113; Second Group
9/11 - Meet in McElhaney 113; E-mail and additional practice on 
       Tripod
9/14 - Nature and Extent of Crime; pp45-68; Form project groups
9/16 - Origins and Overview of the Criminal Justice System; 
       pp419-442; Handout
9/18 - History of Policing; pp445-452; Handout; GROUP TOPICS DUE
9/21 - Contemporary Issues in Policing; Community Policing; pp452-473
9/23 - Judiciary; pp479-501
9/25 - Sentencing; pp502-510 
9/28 - Death Penalty; pp511-513; Handout(s)
9/30 - History of Punishment and Corrections; pp518-522; Handout
10/2 - Corrections in the United States today; pp523-546
10/5 - Development of Classical Criminological Theory; pp100-123
10/7 - Development of Positivist School; Handout(s)
10/9 - Review for Midterm Examination
10/12 -MIDTERM EXAMINATION
10/14 -Early Criminology (Durkheim, Chicago School); pp162-173
10/16 -Early Criminology continued…; Handout(s)
10/19 -Anomie and Subcultural Theories; pp174-189
10/21 -Social Learning Theories; pp195-207
10/23 -Social Control Theories; pp207-208; Handout
10/26 -Labeling Theories; pp212-220
10/28 -Marxist Thought and Conflict Theories; pp226-245
10/30 -Peacemaking; pp226
11/2 - Feminist Perspective; Handout
11/4 - Integrated Theories; pp252-260
11/6 - Integrated Theories; pp263-274
11/9 - Theoretical Summations/Future of Criminological Theory; 
       Handout(s)
11/11 -No Class, Alternate Assignment 
11/13 -No Class, Alternate Assignment 
11/16 -Violent Crimes; pp280-300
11/18 -In Class Assignment
11/20 -In Class Assignment
11/23 -Property Crimes; pp317-333
11/25 -Thanksgiving Break
11/27 -Thanksgiving Break
11/30 -Juvenile Crime; Handout
12/2 - White Collar/Organized Crime; pp337-369; Handout(s)
12/4 - White Collar/Organized Crime; Handout(s)
12/7 - WEB PROJECT PRESENTATIONS; McElhaney 113
12/9 - WEB PROJECT PRESENTATIONS; McElhaney 113
12/11 -WEB PROJECT PRESENTATIONS; McElhaney 113
 
12/18 -FINAL EXAMINATION; 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.