Course CRJU 4800 Gender and Crime (3 credits) Fall 2011 W 1:00-3:50- T100 Dr. Anastasia Tosouni Office Location: T 120 Office Hours: MW: 11-12 and 4-5pm And F: 11-1pm Office Phone: 678-466-4866 Email: [email protected] Course Description This course explores the intersection between gender and crime by focusing on the experiences of women as crime victims, criminal offenders, and criminal justice professionals, experiences which are very often interrelated and overlapping. Such experiences can only be fully understood through careful examination of gender constructionism, women's historically disadvantaged status in a patriarchal society, and the multiple ways through which law, and the criminal justice system in particular, help maintain modern systems of patriarchy. To meet this objective, we will be discussing several topics that include gender inequality, social and cultural constructions of gender, women's sexualization and objectification, masculinities, gender differences in offending, and several specific to crime issues such as rape, domestic violence, female pathways to crime and delinquency, and incarcerated females. Finally, we will discuss ideas and suggestions that can be put in place to end gender based inequality and crime, and to promote social justice. TEXTBOOKS 1. Belknap, Joanne (2007) The Invisible Woman: Gender, Crime, and Justice 2. MacKinnon, Catharine (2005) Women’s Lives, Men’s Laws 3. Occasional handouts and journal articles (copies may be posted on Blackboard) CATALOG DESCRIPTION An exploration of contemporary topics and issues in the field of criminal justice. This course may be repeated for credit when the topic varies. . v COURSE PREREQUISITES CRJU 1150. COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES Upon completion of this course, students should acknowledge and understand the following concepts, processes, and institutions: 1. The social construction of gender 2. The ways in which the status and role expectations of women in society relate to crime, and criminal processing 3. The types, context, and causes of female offending 4. Feminist theory, methods, and practice 5. Female victimization and gender-based violence 6. Paternalism and sexism in law making, law enforcement, judicial, and correctional institutions 7. The position of women as practitioners in the justice system 8. Sexism of law and society as mutually constituting COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS You are required to have ready access throughout the semester to a notebook computer that meets faculty-approved hardware and software requirements for your academic program. For further information on CSU's Official Notebook Computer Policy, please go to http://itpchoice.clayton.edu/policy.htm. Students are expected to be able to use Microsoft Word, to attach and retrieve attached files via email, and to use a web browser. It is also very important that students know to retrieve and submit assignments via Georgia View (formerly WebCT). Students are expected to visit the course’s Georgia View Blackboard at least once per day, to receive updates and other course related information. COURSE ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING Assignment Midterm examination Final examination Project –proposal Project Presentation in class Discussion Question Discussion Question Class Participation Points 25 35 Weight 25% 35% 20 5 5 10 20% 5% 5% 10% Course grades will be based on the following grading scale: A =90-100% B =80-89.49% C =70-79.49% D =60-69.45% F =below 59.49% vi Due Dates 03/02 05/04-10 03/02 Your Choice Your Choice N/A Midterm and Final Exams (60%): These tests will include multiple choice and true/false questions and a few (36) short answer items. Midterm and final exams will constitute 25% and 35% respectively of your final total grade. You will be allowed to have your notes (print out, NOT electronic copy) open, but not your books, or other course handouts. There will be NO make-up exams, unless extreme circumstances (e.g. illness) arise, and ONLY after your instructor’s permission. We will have an in-class review before the exam, but make sure to come prepared (having studied) for it, because I will NOT lecture again on issues we have already covered. Participation (10%): It is crucial that you contribute meaningfully to class discussion and activities. This is a 3hour class, and I do not intent to lecture for the whole time. Meaningful participation will demonstrate that you have studied the material, you are interested in the topics, and you are able to assess, evaluate, question, and ultimately comprehend what is presented to you. Generally speaking, I will base your grade on this on the consistency, quality (not quantity) of your engagement. In addition to that, being able to associate course material with your personal, social, and cultural experiences will give you an extra bonus (that is, the + on the “A”) in this assignment. Random and unsubstantiated comments, will not necessarily get you in trouble (I do appreciate free speech) but will also not count towards your participation grade. Note: You are welcome and encouraged to react to others’ (mine included) views and statements, but make sure you do that in a respectful and professional manner. If you have an objection, object your objection to the view not to the person. Discussion Questions (10%): Because this class will be based on discussion, you will be required to submit discussion questions via e-mail to me (see e-mail address on the first page of the syllabus). How do you do this? Simply submit a question regarding the readings that you would like to discuss in class no later than 5:00 PM the day before the class period. These questions will then be used to guide in-class discussion. Questions will be evaluated based on their intellectual rigor. You must do this twice (that is for two of the assigned readings) during the semester (your choice). I strongly suggest you do not leave this for last week of class! Project/Presentation (20%): This assignment involves some research, some writing, some presentation, and a lot of in-depth analysis and critical thinking. It may also involve collaboration with other students, as you may do this by yourself, or together with one other classmate -you decide. You also decide which option to select for your project (please see instructions below). You will be graded on perception, clarity, and organization, and on your ability to connect your findings with course material (persuasiveness), in a way that demonstrates clear understanding of, and engagement with the topics and theories discussed in class. You are required to connect your arguments to a minimum of 3 sources from the required readings (state the reading-list sources you used in the text of your presentation). Failure to do so will result in a deduction of 1-5 points (max points for the assignment: 20) Option 1- Interview, report, present: Select a FEMALE you know, and who fits one of the categories of females described in the text (offenders, victims or practitioners). First, discuss some of the relevant to the course and readings issues. Then, write a report of your experience (summarize the discussion and its relevance to issues, theories, and empirical findings discussed in the readings). Last, briefly present your report your findings to the class. The written report (3-4 pages typed and double-spaced) and a copy of the questions you asked must be submitted to your professor (Questions only - NOT questions and answers). Also, I will need the name and phone number of the party with whom you spoke, along with the date, place and time of the meeting. This information will be kept confidential, and is for verification purposes only. Your discussions with the offender, victim, or professional are expected to relate directly to the assigned readings, and questions should be designed with the issues contained in the readings in mind. vii Option 2- Find examples of the depiction of women in pop culture (you'll find these examples in media outlets such as TV shows and adds, magazines, music videos, movies, etc). Sythesize these images in one file (I suggest power point but you can select alternative methods) and present it in class. Your presentation should tell a story that delineates women's social status today, especially in terms of discrimination, victimization, and offending. Make sure to support your arguments and interpretations with material from the course readings. NOTE: Regardless of which option you select, I must approve your project before hand. A project proposal must be submitted to me by March 2nd. The proposal will provide a brief but specific description (1-2 paragraphs long) of what you are planning to do and whether you are planning to collaborate with another student. Keep in mind that in the case of collaboration, the presentation must be joint, and that the grade will be the same for both students (regardless of how much each student contributed towards the final product). ALL projects must be presented in class, at ANY time after March 2nd, (indicate date of presentation in your proposal) but definitely BEFORE the last week of class. General Policy Students must abide by policies in the Clayton State University Student Handbook, and the Basic Undergraduate Student Responsibilities. University Attendance Policy Students are expected to log in and participate as part of their learning in the course. Instructors establish specific policies relating to absences in their courses and communicate these policies to the students through the course syllabi. Individual instructors, based upon the nature of the course, determine what effect excused and unexcused absences have in determining grades and upon students’ ability to remain enrolled in their courses. The university reserves the right to determine that excessive absences, whether justified or not, are sufficient cause for institutional withdrawals or failing grades. Course Attendance Policy Students are expected to access the online course materials and participate in the required discussions, activities and assignments. Course tracking can be used to assess the amount of “attendance” in an online course. Any student who fails to attend the orientation session or complete a scheduled assignment during the first week of class will be reported to as a “No Show”. Missed Work Without excuse, a grade of zero points will be assigned for the missed work. If you have a conflict, you are expected to discuss it with me prior to the due date for the assignment so other arrangements might be made. Disabilities Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations need to register with Disability Services in order to obtain their accommodations. You can contact them at 678-466-5445 or [email protected]. If you are already registered with Disability Services and are seeking accommodations for this course, please make an appointment with me to discuss your specific accommodation needs and give me your accommodations letter. Academic Dishonesty Any type of activity that is considered dishonest by reasonable standards may constitute academic misconduct. The most common forms of academic misconduct are cheating and plagiarism. All instances of academic dishonesty will result in a grade of zero for the work involved. All instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Office of Student Life/Judicial Affairs. Judicial procedures are described at viii http://adminservices.clayton.edu/judicial/. What constitutes academic dishonesty: Plagiarism is defined as the act of using the ideas or work of another person or persons as if they were ones own, without giving credit to the source. Such an act is not plagiarism if it is ascertained that the ideas were arrived at through independent reasoning or logic or where the thought or idea is common knowledge. Acknowledgment of an original author or source must be made through appropriate references, i.e., quotation marks, footnotes, or commentary. Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, the following: the submission of a work, either in part or in whole, completed by another; failure to give credit for ideas, statements, facts or conclusions which rightfully belong to another; in written work, failure to use quotation marks when quoting directly from another, whether it be a paragraph, a sentence, or even a part thereof; or close and lengthy paraphrasing of another’s writing or programming. A student who is in doubt about the extent of acceptable paraphrasing should consult the instructor. Students are required to follow APA citation guidelines in all written assignments. A helpful guide to APA style is posted on the course website, and individual help will also be provided by your instructor if needed. Cheating is defined as the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain or aiding another to obtain academic credit for work by the use of any dishonest, deceptive or fraudulent means. Examples of cheating during an examination include, but are not limited to the following: copying, either in part or in whole, from another’s test or examination; discussion of answers or ideas relating to the answers on an examination or test unless such discussion is specifically authorized by the instructor; giving or receiving copies of an examination without the permission of the instructor; using or displaying notes, “cheat sheets,” or other information or devices inappropriate to the prescribed test conditions, as when the test of competence includes a test of unassisted recall of information, skill, or procedure; or allowing someone other than the officially enrolled student to represent the same. Also included in plagiarism is altering or interfering with grading procedures. It is often appropriate for students to study together or to work in teams on projects. However, such students should be careful to avoid the use of unauthorized assistance, and to avoid any implication of cheating, by such means as sitting apart from one another in examinations, presenting the work in a manner that clearly indicates the effort of each individual, or such other method as is appropriate to the particular course Student Code of Conduct Behavior that disrupts the teaching–learning process during class activities will not be tolerated. While a variety of behaviors can be disruptive in a classroom setting, more serious examples include belligerent, abusive, profane, and/or threatening behavior. A student who fails to respond to reasonable faculty direction regarding online behavior and/or behavior while participating in online course activities may be dismissed from class. A more detailed description the Student Code of Conduct can be found at http://adminservices.clayton.edu/studentconduct/SCC-text%20version%202009-10.pdf. For more information on the disciplinary policy please go to http://adminservices.clayton.edu/studentconduct/DP--text%20version%202009-10.pdf. ix TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE Please study respective readings BEFORE coming to class (PB=Ph. Bourgois book) Week Topic Readings 1 and 2 Introduction Belknap(1) and C. MacKinnon (1, 3, and 6) 3 Crime Theories B (2) and CM (2, 8) Assignment Due 4 5 6 Female Offending Female Offending Female Victimization JB (3, 4) JB (5) and CM (13 and 21) JB (6, 8) and CM (17, 18) Discuss Scalia on the 14th Amendment TBA TBA TBA 7 Female Victimization Sexual Victimization JB (7) and CM (15, 16, and 27) TBA 8 MIDTERM REVIEW AND EXAM! (02/28) Project Proposal Study your …heart off!!! BREAK 9 10 CJ professionals CJ Professionals JB (9, 10, 11) and CM (23) JB (9, 10, 11) and CM (23) TBA TBA 11 Pornography CM (24, 25, 26) TBA 12 10. Social Change JB (12) and CM (10, 27, 28, 29) TBA 13 Social Change JB (12) and CM (10, 27, 28, 29) TBA 14 15 FINALS WEEK Presentations Final Review All course materials Get Ready for Exam GOOD LUCK! HAVE A GREAT SUMMER! x