Course Description
The nature, extent, and correlates of crime; theories of criminal behavior and victimization.
Athena Title
Sociology of Crime
Semester Course Offered
Offered every even-numbered year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course provides an overview of the major issues in contemporary criminology. Students will learn about the different ways to measure crime (police statistics, victimization surveys, etc.) as well as the debates that have arisen around the validity and reliability of those measures. Students will also become familiar with some of the major patterns in crime, including patterns of offending and victimization, as well as trends over time in criminal behavior. Finally, students will be expected to become knowledgeable about the major theories of crime, their key assumptions, central variables, and explanatory strategies.
Topical Outline
Topics may include: 1. The measurement of crime. 2. Patterns of criminal offending. 3. Patterns of criminal victimization. 4. Crime in spatial and temporal perspective. 5. Theories of crime. 6. Evaluating theories of crime. 7. Crime prevention and control.
Syllabus