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Dr. Andreas Schneider Fall 2009 Sociology 4327: Juvenile Delinquency Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 1:00-1:50PM Holden Hall 0152 |
Contact Information
My Office hours
Fall 2009: Mondays and Wednesdays 10:00-11:00 AM Holden Hall 159, phone 806 742 2401 ext 231
By E-mail andreas.schneider@ttu.edu I usually check at least twice a workday.
Anytime on our teaching homepage on the World Wide Web http://courses.ttu.edu/aschneid/
Teaching Assistant: Nicholaus Abbott
E-mail nicholaus.a.abbott@ttu.edu
office hours: Tuesday & Thursday 10-11, Wednesday 2:30-3:30, Holden Hall 26
Social Sciences Librarian: Brian Quinn, Texas Tech University Libraries, 806-742-2238 ext. 294, brian.quinn@ttu.edu
Juvenile delinquency is seen as a serious problem in the American society. I want to provide students with a solid theoretical foundation to critically evaluate this problem. To facilitate this evaluation I will frequently employ a cross-cultural perspective and real world examples. We will exercise our theoretical skills with examples of policy and practice.
The first part of the course will deal with the history, theory and demographics of juvenile delinquency. In the second part we will illuminate different forms and problems of juvenile delinquency. Our main source of reading will be Larry J. Siegel and Brandon C. Welsh. 10th edition 2009. Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and Law, Wadsworth ISBN-13: 9780495503644 . One of the newer methodologies involves the Internet as a resource. Students will be required to use information from the Internet. Students will have access to the electronic version of this syllabus on the World Wide Web (WWW) at: http://www2.tltc.ttu.edu/Schneider. Although overheads and other sources used in class will be posted on our WWW page, class attendance will be mandatory, just as in traditional courses.
A general reminder: We will be dealing with diverse theoretical approaches and some emotional and controversial issues, e.g., the perspective of the delinquent, or surfing the Internet without a parental censoring program. Students should be prepared to be exposed to alternative opinions and materials which may be considered offensive by some people.
One section of this syllabus contains the administrative "laws" of the course. The other section with the course outline is to a certain degree variable. We shall proceed through the material at our own pace and take advantage of interesting current events. In the following the outline of topics and their corresponding readings are listed according to their anticipated sequence.
Participation is an important aspect of our class. I welcome feedback from students and try to incorporate it into the class session. For that reason we will proceed at our own pace as much as possible. In each class session I will provide you with a brief preview of our next session. Sessions described below are listed in their sequential order. In the electronic version this syllabus will be extended as we proceed in our course. I will link overheads and other information to the topics below, as they become available.
For everyone interested, I link my article about the reasoning behind the electronic syllabus, and the evaluation of students: Schneider, Andreas. 1998. "Sociology: The Internet as an Extended Sociology Classroom." Social Science Computer Review Vol. 16, No. 4.
We will cover the following in the sequential order in which they are listed.
Important URLs:
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- U.S. Department of Justice
- Bureau of Justice Statistics (NCVS)
- Social Statistics provided by the White House (UCR & NCVS)
- The Library of Congress
- National Institute of Mental Health
Read Chapter 1
Read Chapter 2
Additional required readings:
- UCR FAQ at http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucrquest.htm (just this page)
- National Crime Victimization Survey 4/96 at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv94.htm (just this page)
- Criminal Victimization, 1996: Changes 1995-96 at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cv96.htm (just this page)
Read Chapter 13
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Just for fun:
Take a Journey in time, well before the Concept of Juveniles was established |
Friday October 9 exam 2
Monday October 12 Holiday
Wednesday October 14 Library session in the Library
There will be a 50 minute session on the use of the library held by Brian Quinn October 14 at our ordinary course time at the Library TLTC section Room 150. Directions: enter the library lobby through the main doors, turn right at the elevators, walk down the hall to the large video screen, turn right at the video screen and walk through the double doors, room 150 is just inside the double doors on the left.
Read Chapter 3
Sept 18
1. Choice Theories
Rational Choice, Routine Activities
Sept 21 #843 "I would like to talk about the rational choice theory. I would talk about how people view being rational and how they weight the outcomes of their decisions." Critically introduce one rational choice approach that is used in juvenile delinquency.
2. Biological Trait Theories
Biochemical, Neurological, Genetic
Sept 23 #302 "In the twentieth century there was an emphasis on environmental factors of delinquency; however, this view was modified to include genetic factors that lead to delinquency. Genetic inheritance was seen as an influence on behaviors that were once used for survival. Biosocial theorists reject equipotentiality, which states that all individuals are alike in their potential for good or bad, they simply react differently. The biosocial view looks at the role that genetics plays in the behavior of individuals, and risks for delinquency are exaggerated by environmental factors." Introduce one or two biosocial approaches and demonstrate how they clash with the idea "that we are all equal" and differences are socialized.
Sept 23 #453 How do endocrine system imbalances produce behaviors that are labeled as delinquent.
Some background information on the endocrine system from the hormone foundation: http://www.hormone.org/endocrine_system.cfm
3. Psychological Trait Theories
Psychodynamic, Behavioral, Cognitive, Personality, Nurture
Sept 25 #211 "Contrast the differences in Freud's psychodynamic theory, behavorist theories, cognitive theory, personality, and nurture theory."
Sept 25 #999 "Psychological Trait Theories: ... I am a psychology major, and I think it will be very interesting to see how juvenile delinquency is perceived when looking at it through a problem with an individual rather than a group. Knowing more about how juvenile delinquent’s minds work and the reasoning behind it will help to better understand the situation and possibly identify better ways to prevent it." Introduce psychologicla trait theories and their relevance for the study of juvenile delinquency.
Sept 28 #807 "I would like to research the different psychological theories of delinquency and how they are applied to juvenile behavior. I would like to distinguish differences between the different theories, how they relate/intertwine with one another." Give a very brief introduction of two theoretical approaches of your choice and a focus on a detailed comparison of both.
Read Chapter 4
1. Social Disorganization and Relative Deprivation
2. Strain Theory
Sept 30 #292 "An interesting topic that would be fascinating to talk about is Merton’s approach on Strain Theories. He asked the question of “why can’t we simply follow the norms?”" Describe the norms impose don young people today and why they might have problems to follow these normative expectations. How do they cope with the gaps that emerge between normative expectation and actual behavior?
3. Cultural Deviance
Concepts of Social Stratification and Culture of Poverty
Sept 30 #348 "Due to the lower class values and focal concerns within families is the theory behind cultural deviance. I want to explain Miller’s lower-class focal concerns of trouble, toughness, smartness, excitement, fate and autonomy."
Oct 2 #172 "I would like to explore trends in juvenile delinquency amongst juvenile second generation immigrants. As well as look to sociological theory to explain how cultural differences can lend to criminal activity and how dual cultural expectations can lead to deviant behavior amongst children of immigrants." Do you see a possibility to separately account for immigration status and income?
Interconnection of Social Disorganization, Strain Theory and Cultural Deviance
Oct 5 #328 "Lower-class cultures develop in disorganized neighborhoods. When juveniles are brought up in disorganized neighborhoods or around many organized or single crimes close by they do not see what is really going on. For example, if a child is always isolated from everyone and not so social but comes up in a home of abuse and alcoholism, the child has a high percentage of becoming like their family and having the same household one day." Within this context discuss the question: By welcoming cultural diversity, to what extent do we have to accept and accommodate all cultures, including the deviant ones?
Read Chapter 4
1. Social Learning Theories
Differential Association, Neutralization
Oct 16 #552 "The presentation will talk about social learning theory. It will specifically be about differential association theory and neutralization theory." Demonstrate how differential association theory and neutralization theory are applied in specific cases of juvenile delinquency and discuss the effectiveness of these approaches in these examples.
2. Social Control Theories
Containment, Social Control
Oct 19 #885 "I would like to look at different aspects of Social Control Theory. I would explain the concepts of self-concept and delinquency and Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory. I would also like to explore the approaches taken by society to implement these social controls. By doing so I would like to see how delinquency is affected by social control."
Oct 21 #173 "Social Control Theory. This theory states that everyone has the potential to violate the law. This potential to commit crime or not to, depends on whether or not the person is concerned with their social status. Therefore, those who have strong social bonds are less likely to commit crime more than those who have weak social bonds." Do gangs provide strong social bonds? How do you see the strength and shortcomings of the social control theory?
Read Chapter 5
Labeling Theory
Oct 23 #821 "Theory- Labeling theory is also called social reaction theory which means that many juveniles engage in delinquent acts when they are labeled by others as delinquents." Describe examples of students receiving labels in school and how they are acting upon these labels.
Dramaturgy
Conflict Theory
Oct 26 #533 "Social Reaction Theory and Symbolic Interaction: These two theories are useful in understanding the complex relationship between the written word of graffiti and the viewer. The viewer as either a deviant or participant, or the viewer as an outsider. To both parties the written word or picture relays very different and oftentimes conflicting messages."
Developmental Theories
Read Chapter 6
Oct 28 #221 Identify two developmental theories that are very different form each other. Briefly describe both and focus on the critical comparison of both theories.
Oct 28 #132 "Adolescents that are victims of violence have problems dealing with the norms of everyday life. I work with foster children who have been victims of violence within their household and now find myself helping them cope with their circumstances." Illuminate the assumed causal relationship between victimization and offending with one or two of the theories we have covered.
Read Chapter 7
Nov 2 #640 "How most people incarcerated are male. I would cover the statistics associated with it. What they do to be incarcerated." What are biases that create an overrepresentation of men in the juvenile legal system?
Nov 2 #440 "For this topic, I would like to discuss the prevalence of sex crimes in juvenile offenders. The motivations for these crimes, the sociological and psychological factors that influence them, and the emotional implications for their victims, are all topics of great debate and interest. I would also like to look at different options for the treatment and rehabilitation of juvenile sex offenders, and how their reintegration into society acts as both a negative and a positive. Finally, I would like to look at various case studies regarding adolescent sex offenders and how the outcomes of these individual cases have affected research in this area."
Read Chapter 8
Nov 4 #395 "Family values have strong influence in a child’s life. The home is one of the primary places in which children learn values and important lessons in life which they will carry with them throughout life. So, spousal breakup can cause much damage to a child that will affect the child all through life. There is much controversy on how much of an affect this can have over a child and their development. Studies have shown that children who come from broken homes are more likely to engage in delinquency rather than a child whose parents are more present in their lives." Make sure to differentiate the terms "broken home" from "nontraditional families" and "single-parent household" (or other relevant terms you find in the literature) in your presentation.
Third Exam Monday November 9th
Nov 11 #733 How does "economic stress of American families" influence juvenile delinquency?
Read Chapter 9
Nov 13 #518 "Revenge, Honor, Courage, and Prestige" are major topics for gang members. Are these concepts equally important for non-delinquent youth? How is revenge, honor, courage, and prestige obtained by delinquent and by non-delinquent youth?
Nov 16 #508 Present and critically compare different explanations of how gangs form.
Read Chapter 11
Nov 16 #989 "Why do youth fall victim to negative patterns of drug use? There are many factors that can explain this behavior. Some use drugs to cope with problems while other youths abuse drugs because of pressure rooting from family and/or peers."
Nov 18 #973 "Most people believe that drug abuse among teens is on the rise and that current strategies to diminish the problem are inadequate." Find statistics that support or challenge this argument. Are there self-report studies of the 70s or 80 that can be compared to current ones? Alternatively you might use other statistics (UCR) while making sure to indicate their biases.
Nov 20 #852 "Drugs-The United States is the largest market for drugs in the world. This gives juveniles a large opportunity to obtain drugs. The most commonly used drugs in our society are tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana. Drug use among juveniles can create delinquency and addiction later in life. The drug war is a complete failure and is bleeding our country dry of funds. Addiction is a problem that should be treated medically in order to make people better instead of stigmatizing them with a prison term. The most sensible way to slow drug use is education not incarceration." 1. introduce some education programs used in the US. 2. Present statistics that judge their effectiveness 3. what other programs would you suggest (be inventive).
Nov 20#254 Identify the proportion of juveniles either accused or institutionalized for drug offences. Discuss: did the consumption of drugs make them behave in a delinquent way so they were reported or was it the drug offence that gave an convenient excuse to get the usual suspects?
Read chapter 10
Nov 23 #171 Introduce school programs that intended to decrease juvenile delinquency.
Nov 23 #391 Investigate the respective likelihoods of males and females to be officially reprimanded in school. Might these measures indicate gender specific needs that are not addressed in schools? In the past the US system has supported programs that raise performance of females in schools. What are other gender specific needs of students and to what extent do schools address these needs?
Nov 30 #154 School shootings are a big topic in the US public. Present the statistics of approx. the last 20 years. Are there communalities? What are the differences? What are the popular explanations and how well do they fit the cases.
Special lecture about my current research: How the stigmatization of sexual identities create shame and anger that in turn lead to sexual violent behavior. Impact of sex education (or the lack thereof): Schneider, Andreas. "Shame as a Source for Sexual Violence." Youth Education & Responsible Sexuality Y.E.A.R.S. A Conference for our Children’s Welfare. Lubbock TX, March 1, 2003.
Dec 2 Exam #4
Human Rights Watch World Report 2003: United States
YouTube: adult reeducation? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o (enjoy)
Read Chapter 16
Dec 4 #361 "I would like to discuss juvenile probation. I will cover four main topics of juvenile probation: • What is juvenile probation and when was it established • The different types of probation • Who administers probation and how • Positive and negative effects of probation."
Dec 4 #823 "Many juvenile offenders are sent to a juvenile detention facility in their city or county. The actuality of many juvenile detention centers is that many are in for status offenses and/or drug related and are crowding the facilities." Search for actual statists that support (or reject) your argument: contact or research different detention facilities and show us the offences for which the kids are committed to these institutions.
Alternative Treatments
· Punishment in Schools
· Discretionary Deviance
Dec 7 #339 "I would like to research whether children who are seen as delinquents and are put through the process of court and maybe even jail time, are more or less likely to become adult repeat offenders and why? Do they really want to continue to go through that process?" How valid is the statement that the harsher the punishment of juveniles the greater is their chance of become adult offenders?
Dec 7 #112 "This section discusses
boot camps, wilderness programs,
and individual treatment techniques. I
would like to further investigate these programs and different techniques to
find their effectiveness among juveniles. I would also like to explore the
recidivism rate among these treatment programs." Just focus on wilderness
programs.
Dec 7 #744 "Prevention of Delinquency in the Teenage Years: In today’s age control is no longer the solution of avoiding youth misbehavior, but rather by providing programs and opportunities to let the children to express and become free from control in a productive way. Programs similar to mentoring and community service allow both youth to be express their opinions and give them a good way to let out stress." Introduce some of these programs and critically evaluate their effectiveness.
Chapter 14
Dec 9 #969 "I would like to do a presentation on the officer bias and whether or not it affects their decision on how to act. According to the readings, police act "formally with Blacks" and "discretion with whites". This is in the benefit to whites. I have friends that are officers and would like to compare their experiences to the standard or the facts stated in research."
Dec 9 #180 Investigate a) which police agencies in Lubbock are specialized in Juvenile delinquency, b) what is the special training of these officers, and c) what are their tasks and how do they fulfill them (please do not focus on police in schools since this is an extra topic).
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course students should be able to
Assessment of Learning Outcomes
Multiple choice exams are used to test the knowledge of theories, methods and problems in juvenile delinquency. Some of these questions will be geared to assess the ability of the student to compare methodological and theoretical approaches and their application to problems in sociology. The presentation investigates the engagement of the student, his/her critical thinking, the ability to work independently, and his or her communication skills.
Your grade in this class will be based on your performance on the requirements listed below.
Three Pop Exams 5% each (no time scheduled)
Presentation Proposal 5% Sept 4
Presentation 15% at the time the topic is covered
First Exam 15 % Wednesday September 16th
Second Exam 15% Friday October 9th
Third Exam 15% Monday November 9th
Fourth Exam (comprehensive) 20 % Wednesday, December 2nd
If the student stands "between" grades, outstanding constructive class participation might be used for further rounding in the conversion to the final grade. Grades will be posted using the university's grade distribution system for which you need your personal Pin number.
Grading key to convert number grades in letter grades: 0-59 F, 60-62 D-, 63-66 D, 67-68 D+, 69-72 C-, 73-76 C, 77-78 C+, 79-82 B-, 83-86 B, 87-88 B+, 89-92 A-, 93-96 A, 97-100 A+
If you are interested, here the key to convert the letter grades into number grades: A+ 100, A 93, A- 90, B+ 88, B 83, B -80, C+ 78, C 73, C- 70, D+ 68, D 63, D-60, F 60.
With all respect, there are more efficient ways for me to serve students than conveying their current standing on the attendance list. For that reason I will stay with the strict policy not to reply to any requests of information about your attendance standing. My assistant will count the attendances at the end of the course. You are completely responsible for signing up the attendance sheet. If you wish, you can keep your own attendance statistics. My assistant will only accept written excuses, signed by a third official party. Missing exams or pop exams will not count against your participation.
All exams will be multiple choice. Make sure to bring your "bubble sheet" (not necessary for pop exams). The pop exam provides students with an opportunity to see how their real exams will look like. Only the fourth exam will be cumulative.
This will be a 15 minute presentation on a topic covered in a class session listed in the syllabus.
How to get a presentation: Presentation Proposal
How to prepare the presentation?
How do I grade?
Presentations on theories
Presentations on methods (crime reports, experiments etc.)
Presentations on issues (gender, drugs etc.)
When do you present?
Exams: Students who are absent will receive "0" points. Make up exams will be scheduled for students who have an authoritative excuse for missing the exams.
Late presentation will be marked down by one of five points in the following session, after that it will be counted as a missed assignment (0 points).
Authoritative excuses I accepted in the past were: physician's statements, copies of invitations for job interviews or funerals, and trophies. Concerning an absence due to officially approved trips – in accordance with the Texas Tech University Catalog (p.48), the person responsible for a student missing class (e.g. coach) due to a trip should notify the instructors of the departure and return schedule in advance of the trip. The student may not be penalized and is responsible for the material missed. The Texas Tech University Catalog also states that a student who is absent from classes for the observance of a religious holy day will be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence. (p.49) ( prior notification to the instructor is appreciated)
A clarifying reminder of our Dean: "Please make sure that the student knows that it is her/his responsibility to withdraw from the class in person in the Office of the Registrar. Often, students, as well as some instructors, are under the impression that the instructor of the course can withdraw the student from the class by assigning a grade of “W” on the final grade report. A “W” cannot be assigned to a student unless the student has officially withdrawn from the class by the withdrawal deadline".
Operation Policy: "The grade of W is given for a course officially dropped during the first six weeks of a term. A student should continue to attend a class until authorized by the academic dean to drop a course. The grade of WF is given when the student drops a course after the first 30 days of a term (12 days in summer) if the student is not passing the course at the time of the drop. A grade of WF will be given when the student is required by the dean to drop a course for failure to attend the class or for other reasons." P.77 UNDERGRADUATE CATALOG 2002 - 2003.
My standpoint: Grades are earned. I cannot and will not give grades according to perceived needs of my students but according achievements and university guidelines. According to these guidelines poor performance by no means warrant the assignment of a "W." If you succeed with registration to drop the course for medical excuses, this is of course fine with me. VERY IMPORTANT: I cannot assign you a “W” without registration giving me the option.
Disabilities Accommodation: Any student who because of a disability may require special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible to make necessary accommodations. Students should present appropriate verification from AccessTECH in the Student Counseling Center. No requirement exists that accommodations be made prior to the completion of this approved university process.
Academic Integrity: Keep in mind that I have to enforce the strict rules of academic behavior. Any student found cheating on the exam will receive an "F" for the exam and may receive an "F" for the entire course. “It is the aim of the faculty of Texas Tech University to foster a spirit of complete honesty and high standard of integrity. The attempt of students to present as their own any work not honestly performed is regarded by the faculty and administration as a most serious offense and renders the offenders liable to serious consequences, possibly suspension. a. Dishonesty of any kind on examinations and quizzes or on written assignments, illegal possession of examinations, the use of unauthorized notes during an examination or quiz, obtaining information during an examination from the examination paper or otherwise from another student, assisting others to cheat, alteration of grade records, illegal entry or unauthorized presence in an office are instances of cheating. b. Complete honesty is required of students in the presentation of any and all phases of course work as their own. This applies to quizzes of whatever length as well as to final examinations, daily reports, and term papers. c. Plagiarism is offering the work of another as one's own without proper acknowledgement; therefore, any student who fails to give credit for quotations or essentially identical expressions of material taken from books, encyclopedias, magazines, internet sources, and other reference works, or from the themes, reports, or other writings of a fellow student, is guilty of plagiarism.(TTU OP 34.12)”
Civility in the Classroom: Please be referred to the University's policy posted at http://www.studentaffairs.ttu.edu/vpsa/publications/civility2002.pdf. While I have no problem with you eating in the classroom (see description), I ask you to shut off your cellular phones.
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