Department of Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice 345W
Fall 2003
IITV-WEB ENHANCED
Human and Cultural Relations in Criminal Justice
(3 Credit Hours)
Class Time:
Meeting Dates: October 23 –
Instructor: Dennis
W. Catlin, Ph.D.
Office Location: NAU-Southern
Office Phone: (520) 879-7915 –
(520) 879-7941 – Fax in
Pager: 520- 410-1701 (
Home Phone: (520)
296-9849
E-mail:
dennis.catlin@nau.edu
Website: http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~dwc5/
Office Hours: Before and after class and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
Course Prerequisites:
Junior Status and 12 hours of Criminal Justice coursework.
Course Description:
The course is divided into four
sections. First, we will take some time
to put our subject matter into context by thinking about some of the key
conceptual terms that inform the course (e.g., difference, prejudice, etc.),
and by tracing a brief history of the ways in which the United States justice
system has excluded or included particular groups. Second, we will explicitly address cultural
variations in offending and victimization.
Third, we take a look at trends in employment and training that
facilitate or inhibit just treatment and inclusion of all people within the justice
system. Finally, we will explore the
potential for minimizing the disparities we have identified, through criminal
justice and social reform.
Because this course fulfills the junior level writing requirement in
Criminal Justice, we will also explore the importance of effective communication
- written and oral - for criminal justice service providers. This will include extensive writing and oral
assignments. At least 50 percent of the
course will be devoted to writing.
Course Objectives:
By the end of this course, students will
be able to:
1) demonstrate
awareness of the wide array of people and cultures they are likely to encounter
within the criminal justice system;
2) identify,
discuss and critique patterns of language, policy and practice that underlie
discriminatory experiences within the criminal justice system;
2) assess and
critique the relationship between culture and criminal offending, victimization
and sentencing;
3) assess the impact of cultural
differences on criminal justice employment;
4) engage in
effective interpersonal and intercultural communication, in writing and orally;
5) research and
write papers that reflect a critical and synthetic understanding of the
implications of difference for criminal justice processes; and
6) critically
assess and edit their own written work and that of others.
COURSE STRUCTURE AND APPROACH
This course will not be dominated by
lectures. It will retain an informal
seminar format. Much of the onus for
exploring the issues raised in the readings will be placed on you. Consider me a facilitator. Thus, you will be evaluated on your
participation and contributions to the classroom experience. That is, I am concerned with the extent to
which you contribute to class, both as a whole and in small group discussions,
of which there will be many. I will
periodically ask members of the class to debate a particular issue. It is, therefore, vital that you keep up with
the readings so that, if called upon, you will be prepared to take part.
The most valuable and long-lasting
knowledge often comes from your active participation. Therefore, I expect each of you to engage in
open discussions. Keep in mind the
ancient Chinese proverb that says, "What I hear I forget; what I see I
remember; what I do I understand.”
ATTENDANCE
On
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Students with disabilities
documented by
REQUIRED BOOKS:
Two books are required for this
course:
Investigating
Difference: Human and Cultural Relations in Criminal Justice
ISBN:020530205X - The Criminal Justice Collective of
The
Criminal Justice Student Writer's Manual, 2nd Edition, 2002
ISBN:0130932574 - Johnson, William A. / Rettig, Richard P. / Scott, Greg /
Garrison, Stephen
Statewide
students can order these books from:
MSB Direct. Call 1-800-325-3252.
Or
You
can order On-Line at http://direct.mbsbooks.com/nau.htm.
If you have any questions, contact
the NAU Bookstore at: 1-800-426-7674.
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING SYSTEM:
Grades will be
based on your performance on writing assignments, class attendance, and
participation in class discussions.
§
Writing
Assignment# 1: Your Cultural and Ethnic History (25 points)
§
Writing
Assignment #2: Growing Up __________________ (25 points)
§
Writing
Assignment #3: Women and the Criminal Justice System (50 points)
§ Class Participation (50 points)
§
Quizzes
10 Points
I reserve 50
points of the total and will assign those points based on my sole judgment of
the quality and frequency of your participation.
To receive a
grade in this course, all writing assignments must be handed in. In other words, if all assignments are not
handed in, an “F” will be given.
An Incomplete
grade will only be given in cases of documented medical emergencies.
General
Instructions for Writing Assignments
The general rule
for all writing assignments is that they are grammatically correct and checked
thoroughly for spelling. Further, the
organization of writing assignments must follow a logical and coherent
pattern.
You will be
graded on content, organization, grammar, spelling and punctuation.
All writing assignments must be done in either Microsoft
Word or Corel Word Perfect. They MUST BE
submitted to me prior to the beginning of the class on the date they are due.
They will be submitted as attachment to a WebCT E-mail. This will be explained in detail. No other means of submitting them will be
acceptable.
The assignments will be graded and returned to you in the
same way
You must also bring a copy of your work to class.
Grading
90-100% = A
80-89% = B
70-79% = C
60-69% = D
Less than 60%=F
The following is
a Preliminary Schedule of Topics,
|
Week |
Tentative Topic |
Text |
Additional |
Assignments |
|
October
23 |
Course Overview Background and
History Writing Tips
and Using the APA Style World Views |
|
|
|
|
October
30 |
Research Tips Diversity in
the |
Chapter 1
Investigating
Difference Chapter 2
and Chapter 4 (pp. 83 – 98) Criminal
Justice Writer’s Manual |
FRONER, ERIC
“Who is an
American” RUBIN, LILLIAN “Is this a
White Country or What” SAKS, KAREN “How Jews
Became White” HESS, MARKSON
& STEIN “Racial and
Ethnic Minorities: An Overview” |
Practice
Assignment Due – Current
Events Article Due by |
|
Week |
Tentative Topic |
Text |
Additional |
Assignments |
|
November
6 |
Patterns of
Cultural Relations |
Chapter 5
Exclusion,
Inclusion, and Violence |
DAVIS, JAMES Who is Black?
One Nation’s Definition SPENCER, JON The New
Colored People JAMES, ANNETTE Federal Indian
Identification Policy FERNANDEZ,
CARLOS La Raza and
the Melting Pot: A Comparative Look at Multi-ethnicity ESPIRITA,
YENLE Asian American
Panethnicity FRAKENBERG,
RUTH Whiteness as
an ‘Unmarked’ Cultural Category |
Writing
Assignment #1 Your Ethic and Cultural History Due by Presentations
of Ethnic and Cultural History |
|
Week |
Tentative Topic |
Text |
Additional |
Assignments |
|
November 13 |
Constructing
and Legislating Difference |
Chapter 2
Conceptualizing
Difference Chapter 3
Male
Privilege and the Construction of Crime |
ROTHENBERG,
PAULA The Social
Construction of Difference: Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality OMNI &
WINANT Racial
Formations HUBBARD, RUTH Rethinking
Women’s Biology LORBER, JUDITH The Social
Construction of Gender KATZ, JONATHAN Invention of
Heterosexuality BEM, SANDRA In a Male
Centered World, Female Differences are Transformed into Female Disadvantages |
Writing
Assignment # 2 Growing Up:
_____________ Due by Presentations
of Writing Assignment 2. Position
Paper Topic
Statement Due |
|
Week |
Tentative Topic |
Text |
Additional |
Assignments |
|
November
20 |
Race,
Ethnicity and the Social Construction of Crime |
Chapter 4 Stolen
Lands, Stolen Lives: Native Americans and Criminal Justice Chapter 6
Historical
Injustices, Contemporary Inequalities: African-Americans and Criminal Justice Chapter
7 Unwelcome
Citizens: Latinos and the Criminal Justice System Chapter
8 Perpetual
Outsiders: Criminal Justice and the Asian-American Experience |
|
Writing
Assignment #4 Women and
the Criminal Justice System Due by
|
|
November 27 |
Thanksgiving
Break |
|
|
|
|
Week |
Tentative Topic |
Text |
Additional |
Assignments |
|
December
4 |
Gender,
Sexuality and Criminal Justice Employment and
Training in the Criminal Justice System Employment and
Training in the Criminal Justice System Course
Evaluation |
Chapter 10
Women and
Criminal Justice: Wielding the Tool of Difference Chapter 11
Constructing Sexual Identities: Gay Men and Lesbians in the Criminal Justice System Chapter 16
Widening
the Workforce: Diversity in Criminal Justice Employment Chapter 17
Educating
for Change: Cultural Awareness Training for Criminal Justice |
The History of
Women’s Entry into the Criminal Justice System BELKNAP,
JOANNE Working Women
on the Job |
|
|
December
11 |
Final Class |
|
|
Argument/Research
Paper Due |
Practice
Assignment
Current
Events Article
You
should select an article from the paper, a magazine, or the Internet that has
to do with human and cultural relations in the criminal justice system. You should write at least on page (double
spaced, 1-inch margins, 12 point type) using the format below. This is to be
done in Microsoft Word or Word Perfect.
It is to be sent to me as an attachment to e-mail within the Web-CT
environment.
FORMAT
TITLE
OF ARTICLE:
SOURCE
OF ARTICLE:
SUMMARY
Here
you should summarize the article in your own words. By reading this summary, a person should have
a good idea what the article is about.
WHAT
YOU LEARNED
Here you should tell me what you learned about
human and cultural relations from this article.
Assignments
Writing
Assignment 1: Your Ethnic and Cultural History
This assignment
is intended to make the historical development of cultural groups meaningful
and relevant to each student, you will write a 3-5 page essay (double spaced,
12 point type, 1-inch margins) that will cover the
following:
§
Choose
the ethnic group that best identifies you
§
Briefly
describe the history of that ethic group
§
Describe
the culture, values, politics, and traditions of that ethnic group (i.e.: world
view)
§
Discuss
the history of the immigration of that ethic group to the
§
Is this group relatively powerless or powerful in
social, economic or political terms?
What factors have limited or facilitated their power? What are popular
images of this group? What stereotypes
or attitudes do others hold about this group?
§
Compare
yourself to the culture, values, politics and traditions of that ethnic group.
I suggest that
you use the above list of items to be covered as a way to organize your paper.
This assignment
will require you to use not only the material we discuss in class, but also for
you to conduct library research regarding the history, culture and values of
the ethnic group. The following
resources should be helpful along with others you discover in your research:
Harvard
Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups
Encyclopedia
of World Culture
Encyclopedia
of American Social History
Gale
Encyclopedia of Multicultural
You must use the
American Psychological Association (APA) style of citations and references
discussed in your text The Criminal Justice Student Writer's Manual when
you cite material that is not your own.
You must also include a list of references using the appropriate
format. I expect you to use at least 2
sources other than those used for class.
You will also
present a brief oral summary of your research in class.
This assignment
is due on the date and time indicated in the schedule. It is worth 25
points. This assignment will be reduced
by 5 points for each day it is turned in late.
Writing
Assignment 2: Growing Up __________________.
In this
assignment I want you to investigate and write about what it is like growing up
in an ethic group other than your own.
You can choose any other ethnic group. You may choose to interview
another class member or someone you know outside of class to obtain the
information necessary. You may also do
research that will provide you with a view of another ethnic group. This is to
be a 3-5 page essay (double
spaced, 12 point type, 1-inch margins).
If you use sources other than interviews of individuals you must use the
American Psychological Association (APA) style of citations and references
discussed in your text The Criminal Justice Student Writer's Manual.
At a minimum
cover:
You will also
present a brief oral summary of your research in class.
This assignment
is due on the date and time indicated in the schedule. It is worth 25
points. This assignment will be reduced
by 5 points for each day it is turned in late.
Writing
Assignment 3: Women and the Criminal Justice System
Your third
writing assignment is to answer the following question:
How are women
treated differently than men in the criminal justice system?
To complete this
writing assignment, you will have to use both the material we have been reading
as well as conduct independent library research. It is expected that this paper will contain a
number of references to material other than that included in the course. While we have read material on this subject
in class, your paper should be original and NOT simply a restatement of what is
found in the text or reading materials.
I expect you to use at least 4 scholarly sources other than those
used for class.
You should
narrow you paper to a specific area. For example you might want to look at
sentencing differences, arrest differences, or employment differences.
This will be a 5
– 7 page paper (double spaced, 12 point type, 1-inch margins).
You must use the
APA style of citations and references discussed in your text The Criminal
Justice Student Writer's Manual. You must also include a list of references
using the appropriate format.
This must be an
original paper and cannot be a paper you have submitted for any other class.
You will also
present a brief oral summary of your research in class.
This assignment
is due on the date and time indicated in the schedule. This paper is worth 50
points. This assignment will be reduced
by 10 points for each day it is turned in late.
Argument/Research
Paper
You are to write
a detailed library research paper, focused on a relevant issue of your
choosing. Relevant means Human and
Cultural Relations in Criminal Justice.
You will be asked to provide a background report that summarizes the
history, nature and extent of the problem in question. In order to facilitate a well-structured
paper, I am requiring that a thesis statement and, later, an outline be
submitted well in advance of the due date for the first draft. In addition, you
will have to submit a bibliography that will indicate that you have begun your
research in a timely fashion.
The thesis statement you are required to provide
should state your position on a topic or issue. For example:
“Racial profiling is a useful tool in law enforcement.
Profiling has been show to reduce crimes such as airline highjacking. It should be further developed, refined and
implemented in every law enforcement agency.”
The paper will be a minimum of 10 pages, double-spaced,
12 point type and 1-inch margins.
The term argument Paper is an apt label, since it
requires you to persuasively argue your position. That is, you must persuade your reader that
your perspective on the topic of choice is well supported. Your essays will be evaluated as much on how
well you express your thoughts as it is on what you think. I will be looking for what ideas you can
generate, what discriminations you can make, what interpretations you can develop,
what arguments you can defend, and what conclusions you can draw.
Introduction: The starting
point for an argument paper is obviously the introduction. This section is key. It sets the tone and direction of your
subsequent work. Therefore, it should be
engaging, creative and informative. It
is here that you first acquaint the reader with the topic. Provide some background to the issue. This may involve some suggestion as to the
importance of the subject, and/or definitions of the key concepts. The introduction also contains your thesis, which
must express your position in an emphatic, declarative statement. A thesis is not a question (e.g. not what is
the relationship between green space and delinquency?), but a statement (e.g.
the presence of vegetated parks enhances community pride, which in turn has an
inhibiting effect on delinquency).
Having established your position, you can end your introduction with a
brief discussion of how you intend to support the thesis, i.e., the structure
of the paper, and the nature of the evidence you will bring to bear.
Refutation: Before you move
on to the body of your paper, you should address alternative positions (some
prefer to do this after their argument - both are acceptable). This
refutation (or rebuttal, or discrediting) involves the presentation and
subsequent negation of opposing views.
Here you point out the weaknesses and gaps associated with the other
side(s).
Body/Argument: Now you're set
to establish and support your own position.
This is where you take up your thesis again, and proceed to offer logic
and/or evidence that support it. This is
the section in which the fruits of your research come into play - integrate
statements, arguments, statistics, research findings, etc. that are in accord
with your position.
As a
general rule, it is often useful to advance and substantiate 3 supporting
arguments.
Some helpful hints for developing
arguments:
1. Good arguments are based on sound
evidence.
2. Good arguments often are highly
informative.
3. Good arguments present
authoritative viewpoints.
4. Good arguments are presented so that readers readily follow and comprehend the supporting logic.
5. Good arguments are made in an orderly fashion: stronger arguments are presented first and last; weaker supportive arguments are in the middle.
6. Good arguments are made when several reasons work together to support a thesis or proposition.
This
assignment is due during the final class period on May 9. An “F” for the class
will be given if it is not turned in on time.
Conclusion: This
is often as difficult to write as the introduction. Conclusions can play any number of roles
singly or together: they can summarise your argument; they can highlight the
strength of support for your thesis; they can suggest future research
directions; or they can suggest policy implications. The depth and direction of the conclusion is
really up to you, but as with the introduction - be
creative.
Citation and List
of References: In the body of your paper, you must cite the
references you used. You must also
include a list of references. You must
use the APA style of citation and references.
Your paper must
include citations and references to at least 6 scholarly journal articles,
books, or studies. You MAY NOT use the course material to fulfil this
requirement. You may use other supporting materials such as newspaper or
magazine articles. If you have any
questions as to whether a reference is a scholarly work, please feel free to
discuss it with me. At the time you give
me your bibliography, I will give you feedback as to whether or not you are
using scholarly works.
The following
are acceptable scholarly academic journals.
These
journals are available through NAU Cline Library and
Justice System Journals
American
Journal of Police
British Journal
of Criminology
Crime and
Delinquency
Crime and
Justice
Criminal Justice
and Behavior
Criminal Justice
Review
International
Review of Criminal Policy
Journal of
Criminal Justice
Journal of
Criminal Law (UA)
Journal of
Criminal Law and Criminology
Journal of
Forensic Sciences
Journal of
Quantitative Criminology
Journal of
Research in Crime and Delinquency
Judicature
Justice System
Journal (UA)
Justice
Quarterly
Juvenile and
Family Court Journal (UA)
Law and
Contemporary Problems
Law and Human
Behavior
Law and Policy
Law and Social
Inquiry: Journal of the American Bar Foundation
Law and Society
Review
Violence and
Victims
Wharton’s
Criminal Procedure (UA)
The following
are not acceptable as scholarly academic journals for purposes of papers
Newspapers
News Magazines
(Newsweek, Time, People)
Trade
Magazines
FBI Law
Enforcement Bulletin
Corrections
Today
Police Chief
Prisons Today
On the Line
Law and Order
American Jails
Suggestions for Writing
Use who
when referring to people and not that.
Try to watch for
watch complex sentences. When possible
break them into two sentences.
Watch for
independent clauses spliced together with a comma. You should void this. You should use two
separate sentences. You can also use a
coordinating connective (or, and, but, and etc.).
Buster’s
dog, which had one white ear, won best in show.
The
dog that won best in show was Buster’s dog.
Redundant
material
“John
had a gun and was threatening people with it.”
Period and comma inside.
Question
mark inside most of the time unless it is not part of the actual quote.
Paragraphs
typically have at least two sentences.
Starting
sentence with and or but should be used sparingly.
You should watch
for the inappropriate use of plurals and possessives.
Subject
and verb agreement. Singular or plural.
Agreement
of verbs in a complex sentence. “John had a gun and is threatening people.”
Acronyms – If
you are going to use acronyms you need to identify the acronym the first
time. For example, if you are discussing
the Tucson Police Department (TPD), the first time the formal name is used, you
must then follow it by the acronym in parentheses.
Gender neutral
pronouns - Use he or she when there is a clear
indication of the gender. Otherwise, you
should try to word the sentence in a gender neutral way.
Toward
not towards.
In most cases,
it is wise to set off prepositional clauses at the beginning of a sentence with
a comma.
Guides for Writing Research Papers
based on Styles Recommended by
The American Psychological Association
http://www.emunix.emich.edu/~ehoffman/apahelp.html
http://www.crk.umn.edu/library/apa.htm
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/cws/wworkshop/bibliography/apa/apamenu.htm
http://webster.commnet.edu/apa/apa_index.htm
MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION &
PAPER FORMAT
http://webster.commnet.edu/apa/apa_index.htm
http://www.nau.edu/library/reference/citation.html
NORTHERN
POLICY STATEMENTS
NAU’s
Safe Working and Learning Environment Policy seeks to
prohibit discrimination and promote the safety of all individuals within the
university. The goal of this policy is
to prevent the occurrence of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color,
age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran
status and to prevent sexual harassment, sexual assault, or retaliation by
anyone at this university.
You
may obtain a copy of this policy from the college dean’s office. If you have concerns about this policy, it is
important that you contact the departmental chair, dean’s office, the Office of
Student Life (523-5181), the academic ombudsperson (523-9368), or NAU’s Office
of Affirmative Action (523-3312).
STUDENT WITH DISABLILITIES
If
you have a learning and /or physical disability, you are encouraged to make
arrangements for class assignments/exams so your academic performance will not
suffer because of the disability or handicap.
If you have questions about special provisions for students with
disabilities, contact the Counseling and
It
is your responsibility to register with the Counseling and
If
the Counseling and
INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD
Any
study involving observation of or interaction with human subjects that
originates at NAU - including a course project, report, or research paper –
must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the
protection of human subjects in research and research –related activities.
The
IRB meets once each month. Proposals
must be submitted for review at least fifteen working days before the monthly
meeting. You should consult with your
course instructor early in the course to ascertain if your project needs to be
reviewed by the IRB and/ or to secure information or appropriate forms and
procedures for the IRB review. Your
instructor and department chair or college dean must sign the application for
approval by the IRB. The IRB categorizes
projects into three levels depending on the nature of the project: exempt from
further review, expedited review, or full board review. If the IRB certifies that a project is exempt
from further review, you need not resubmit the project for continuing IRB
review as long as there are no modifications in the exempted procedures.
A
copy of the IRB Policy and Procedures Manual is available in each
department’s administrative office and each college dean’s office. If you have questions, contact Carey Conover,
Office of Grant and Contract Services, at 523-4889.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The
university takes an extremely serious view of violations of academic
integrity. As members of the academic
community, NAU’s Administration, faculty, staff, and students are dedicated to
promoting an atmosphere of honesty and are committed to maintaining the
academic integrity essential to the educational process. Inherent in this commitment is the belief
that academic dishonesty in all forms violates the basic principles of
integrity and impedes learning.
It
is the responsibility of individual faculty members to identify instances of
academic dishonesty and recommend penalties to the department chair or college
dean in keeping with the severity of the violation. Penalties may range from verbal chastisement
to a failing grade in the course. The
complete policy on academic integrity is in Appendix F of NAU’s Student
Handbook.
CLASSROOM CIVILITY STATEMENT
Membership
in the academic community places a special obligation on all members to
preserve an atmosphere conducive to the freedom to teach and to learn. Part of the obligation implies the
responsibility of each member of the NAU community to maintain a positive
learning environment in which the behavior of any individual does not disrupt
the classes of teachers or learners.
It
is the responsibility of the individual faculty member to determine, maintain,
and enforce the standards of behavior acceptable to preserving an atmosphere
appropriate for teaching and learning.
Students will be warned if their behavior is evaluated by the faculty
member as disruptive.
Sanctions
may include a range of responses from immediate removal from class to referral
to the appropriate academic unit and/or the Office of Student Life to review
pertinent alleged university violations of ethical and behavioral
standards. Significant and/or continued
violations may result in administrative withdrawal from the class.