Apples_or_Oranges

All courses are 3 credits SOC 4005 Research Methods and Analysis The functions of concepts, hypotheses, and theories for an empirical discipline; the operationalization of theoretical variables; the principles of research design; and the problems of inference. The association between criminological theories and research methods used to study crime is explored through the utilization of a variety of related data sources. Also covered are basic quantitative techniques, relevant statistics, data interpretation, and an overview of SPSS. Required of all students unless SOC 4075 is taken. SOC 4015 Criminological Theory A systemic and critical analysis of the major theories of criminality, including an examination of both traditional and contemporary theories. Consideration will be given to conceptualizations of crime, the relationship of criminological theories to crime on the streets, and specific aspects of criminal behavior. Required of all students. SOC 4045 Crime, Police, and Punishment A comparative study of crime, police, and punishment as seen in their historical settings. Topics include the development and reform of criminal law and procedure, urbanization and crime, crime trends, public order, the evolution of modern police forces and prisons, crime detection, and emerging trends in these areas. SOC 4055 The Criminal Justice System Provides a foundation and overview of the criminal justice system and process. The major components are discussed including crime, law, criminology, law enforcement, adjudication by the courts, corrections, juvenile justice, current issues and policies. This course is designed for students with only limited prior study in American criminal justice and little or no professional Criminal Justice experience in the United States. Permission of the Program Director required. SOC 4065 Law and Social Policy An exploration of various dimensions of the relationship between law and social policy in contemporary American society. In assessing how judicial opinions and legislative efforts affect social relations and institutional arrangements, inquiry is focused upon: (1) the ways in which social problems become defined as legal issues; (2) the forces which shape the initiation and ultimate formulation of legislative acts designed to affect public policy; (3) the role which cultural values and assumptions play in framing legal arguments and influencing judicial opinions and remedial programs; (4) the issue of compliance and the ways in which it is measured and enforced, and (5) the strengths and limitations of the law as a means of achieving specific social policy objectives. SOC 4075 Advanced Research Methods and Analysis In-depth coverage of data collection including questionnaire construction, advanced quantitative techniques and statistics, interpretation and drawing inferences, comprehensive use of SPSS, function of the SJU Institutional Review Board, and research report formulation. Students will select a topic, complete the literature review, and develop a research methodology that may later be used as the initial components of the master’s thesis. Prerequisite: recent coursework and present working knowledge of basic research methods. Required of students intending to complete a master’s thesis via SOC 6005. May be substituted for SOC 4005 as a core course. SOC 4095 Ethics and Criminal Justice This course will address ethical issues in the criminal justice system at both the theoretical and applied levels. Typical theoretical issues addressed might include the following: the relationship between law and morality; theories of punishment; conditions for the moral and/or legal responsibility of individuals; notions of procedural justice. Typical applied ethics issues might include the following: search and seizure rules; the insanity defense and the “guilty but mentally ill” verdict; plea bargaining; capital punishment; mandatory sentencing; civil disobedience; limits on the use of deadly force. Required of all students. SOC 4105 Contemporary Criminology: Scope and Application The goal of this course is to provide students with an understanding of topical issues in contemporary criminology. The course is designed to provide opportunities for active learning and critical analysis with an eye towards an understanding of the social reality of crime and crime control as well as how the social administration of justice operates. Specific areas to be discussed include: the correlates of crime (race, class, gender, and age); violent crime; economic crime; political crime; victimology; policing; and the control and regulation of criminals in the courts and corrections. Further, students will learn to apply their knowledge to better understand contemporary criminal justice research, evaluation, and policy analysis. SOC 4125 Victimology The course focuses on the contemporary concept and status of the victim, juxtaposed with their historical evolution in terms of compensation, retribution, and vengeance. Current victim assistance programs are evaluated. The definition of the victim is broadened to include currently undervalued categories. Other issues addressed are child abuse, environmental casualties, and controversies over recovered memories. SOC 4145 Problems in Contemporary Corrections The major problems of adult corrections, including prison and jail overcrowding, population forecasting, judicial intervention in correctional operations, prison disturbances, mental health and incarceration, pretrial and post-conviction alternatives to traditional incarceration, ethics and corrections, and the death penalty. Case study materials are employed, and current and ongoing correctional issues are discussed. SOC 4155 Contemporary Probation, Parole, and Community Corrections This course is designed to analyze the current legal, managerial, and political factors which impact upon the probation and parole system. It will examine organizational innovations, caseload management techniques, and technological advances used to confront such problems. 4165 Courts, Policies, and Administration An examination of the principles and practices of court administration, its impact on the legal process, and interrelationships with other law enforcement agencies. Special emphasis is placed on methods and techniques needed to modernize the court system. SOC 4175 Violence and Victims This course is designed to explore the serious problem of violence in our society from a sociological perspective. Violence is prevalent in homes and on the streets of the United States. This course will address a variety of types of violence, its causes, consequences, and theories for prevention. Topics which will be addressed include wife abuse, rape, child abuse, gang warfare, street violence, and serial murder. An emphasis will be placed on understanding the structural causes of violence such as gender, race, and social class inequality as well as the effect of pornography, the media, and drugs/alcohol on violence. Particular attention will be given to the consequences of violence for both individual victims and society as a whole. SOC 4185 The Criminal Justice Process: Policy Values, Efficiency and Due Process This course considers the criminal justice system from the point of arrest to final sentencing. Attention focuses on the impact of public perception on the police, prosecutors and judges. Probation and parole mechanisms will be viewed from a policy value standpoint. SOC 4205 Mental Health and the Law