<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"CCJS670: Race, Crime, and Criminal Justice
Spring 2005
Professor
Brian D. Johnson, Ph.D.
2220K LeFrak Hall
Phone: (301) 405-4709
E-mail:
Office Hours
Wednesday 4-7 pm
By Appointment
Meeting Times
Wednesday 7:00 – 9:45 Tydings 2111
Course Description
This course provides an overview of three interrelated topical areas surrounding the intersection of race and crime: 1) racial and ethnic relations in society 2) racial and ethnic differences in crime and criminality and 3) racial and ethnic disparities across stages of the criminal justice system. The course will begin by presenting information about the social construction of race and ethnicity in society before turning to specific differences among racial and ethnic groups in criminal behavior and subsequent criminal justice processing. A variety of topics will be addressed, including sociological theories of racial and ethnic antagonism, racial and ethnic differences in violent crime and offending, racial disparities in punishments such as the death penalty, and correctional problems surrounding the overrepresentation of minorities in the criminal justice system.
Course Expectations
The course will rely heavily on student participation and student lead discussions of the material. Students will be expected to gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental role that race and ethnicity play in the social organization of society as well as their specific implications for the study of crime and criminal justice. In particular, students should be able to identify racial and ethnic differences in offending patterns and be able to account for them using relevant theoretical perspectives. Students will also gain familiarity with racial and ethnic disparities at a variety of stages of the criminal justice system and should be able to account for these disparities with current theoretical perspectives on criminal justice decision making. The ultimate goal of the course is to provide the student with background knowledge on the relationship between race/ethnicity, crime, and criminal justice, and to encourage them to think critically about the myriad ways that race/ethnicity, crime, and criminal justice are intertwined in modern society.
Course Readings:
Reading requirements for this course include several texts as well as a variety of academic articles published in scholarly journals. You are responsible for obtaining copies of the required texts. Journal articles will be made accessible for you to copy, but those denoted with an (*) are obtainable online.
Required Texts:
Kotlowitz, Alex (1992). There Are No Children Here. Anchor Publishing.
Mauer, Marc (1999). Race to Incarcerate. The Sentencing Project.
Walker, Spohn, & Delone (2003). The Color of Justice: Race, Ethnicity and Crime in America.
(TCJ) Wadsworth Publishing, 2003 3rd Edition.
Tonry, M. (1995). Malign Neglect. New York: Oxford University Press.
Kennedy, Randall (1998). Race, Crime & the Law. Vintage Publishing.
Suggested Readings and Excerpts:
Kennedy, Randall (1998). Race, Crime & the Law. Vintage Publishing.
Mann and Zatz (1998). Images of Color, Images of Crime. Roxbury Publishing.
Russell, Katheryn (1999). The Color of Crime. New York University Press.
Hawkins, Darnell (1995). Ethnicity, Race, and Crime. New York University Press.
Wilson, W.J. (1996) When Work Disappears. Vintage Books, New York.
Kinder and Sanders (1997). Divided by Color. University of Chicago Press.
Newman, K. (1999). No Shame in My Game. New York: Russell Sage
Tonry, M. (1995). Malign Neglect. New York: Oxford University Press.
Wilbanks. W. (1986). The Myth of a Racist Criminal Justice System. Wadsworth.
Russell, Katheryn (2004). Underground Codes. New York University Press.
Kozol, Jonathon. (1992). Savage Inequalities. Basic Books.
Bell, Derrick. (1993). Faces at the Bottom of the Well. Basic Books.
Sniderman & Piazza (1993). The Scar of Race. Harvard University Press.
Course Grading
Grades for this course will be determined by class participation in conjunction with several short writing assignments and one final paper which the student will present to the rest of the class. Students will be expected to write weekly précis summarizing the main points of the readings for that week. These will be emailed to the instructor (and discussion leader) prior to class. Students will also be responsible for leading class discussion at various times throughout the semester. Final grades will follow this cale:
Weekly Précis: 15% A 93 or higher (95)
Class Discussion: 10% A- 90-92 (91)
Writing Assignments: 25% B+ 87-89 (88)
Term Paper: 30% B 83-86 (85)
Class Presentations: 20% B- 80-82 (81)
C 70-79 (75)
Weekly Précis and Class Discussion
You will be expected to write short synopses summarizing the most important points of the readings for each week. Your weekly précis will also include two to three discussion questions that we will rely on as a class to guide our discussion of the material. The précis should be concise and to the point and should highlight what you consider to be the main point(s) of the 3 readings you found most interesting. The discussion questions can be either questions that you yourself had while doing the reading, or they can be questions that you believe will stimulate interesting conversation and debate. You will be evaluated on your ability to identify the key points of the readings as well as your ability to construct and intelligently discuss interesting questions from the readings.
Writing Assignments
Throughout the semester you will be asked to complete short writing assignments on a variety of topics. These assignments should not exceed 5 pages in length and should rely on the readings from the semester to construct a cogent essay. Tentative topics for the writing assignments are provided in the weekly schedule below, but these topics are subject to change and will be partially dictated by class discussion and student interest. Each student is granted three exemptions from the weekly writing assignments. Simply turn in a paper with your name and “exemption” written on it in place of your assignment for that week.
Term Paper and Class Presentation
In addition to the short writing assignments, you will also be expected to write a final term paper on a substantive topic of your choice. This final paper should be between 15 and 25 pages and should be an in-depth treatment of an issue touched upon in class that is personally interesting to you. The goal of the term paper is to take a concept or idea that we discuss and expand it beyond the scope of what is covered in class. This will require you to do independent research on your topic so start early! Topical areas may cover a diverse range of possibilities from sociological theories on the origins of race to empirical studies of disparities in the system. Students will then be expected to present the main points of their research papers in short 15 to 20 minute presentations at the end of the semester. You will receive an overall grade for your written paper as well as a grade for your class presentation.
Academic Integrity
Be certain to properly cite the work of other scholars when writing weekly assignments and especially in the construction of your final research paper. Failure to properly credit other works is akin to plagiarism and will be dealt with in accordance to the official printed policy of the University of Maryland.
Students with Disabilities
If you have a documented disability, please contact Professor Johnson by January 31, 2005.
Weekly Readings and Assignments:
Note: This is a tentative schedule. Additional Readings/Assignments may be given during the semester.
Section 1: Racial and Ethnic Relations in Society
Week 1: Jan. 26
Course Overview
Description of the Course
Syllabus/Grading/Expectations
Selection of Discussion and Snack Leaders
Implicit Assumptions Test at www.understandingprejudice.org Test Yourself for Hidden Bias
Week 2: Feb. 2
Racial Stratification and Group Conflict in Society
”Is the notion of race ‘real’ -- or is it mythology? We make certain assumptions about people based on skin color. Is this some mass delusion we’re all participating in? -- David Henry Hwang
The Socio-Historical Construction of Race
Rodriguez, C. (2000). “The Idea of Race.” In Changing Race. New York University Press.
Mann and Zatz (2002). “The Power of Images.” Pgs. 1-7. In Images of Color, Images of Crime.
Walker et al. (2003). The Color of Justice. Pgs 5-13.
*Fredrickson, George (2003). “The Historical Construction of Race and Citizenship in the United
States.” Paper presented to UNRISD. 465-80. (www.unrisd.org)
Theories of Racial Group Interaction
“The problem of the 20th Century is the problem of the colour line – the relation of the darker to the lighter races of men…” -- W.E.B. Du Bois
Racial Group Threat Theory
Blumer, H. (1958). “Race prejudice as a sense of group position.” Pacific Sociological Review. 1:3-7.
Bobo, L. (1999). “Prejudice as group position: Microfoundations of a sociological approach to
racism and race relations.” Journal of Social Issues 55(3): 445-472.
*Bobo and Hutchings (1996). “Perceptions of Racial Group Competition…” ASR. 61: 951-972
*Bonilla-Silva (1997). “Rethinking Racism: Toward a Structural Interpretation.” ASR. 62(3) (optional)
The Psychology of Prejudice
Sniderman and Piazza (1993). The Scar of Race. Pgs 35-65.
Brewer, Marylin (1999). The Psychology of Prejudice: Ingroup Love or Outgroup Hate?
Journal of Social Issues 55(3):429-444.
Writing Assignment 1: Are racial stratification and racial group conflict inevitable aspects of a multiracial society? Defend your answer with reference to the biological and social elements of racial identity.
Week 3: Feb. 9
African American Social Status in Society
“Racism is [not] as powerful a force today as what it’s left in its wake – the cycle of cultural poverty that gets perpetuated.” -- Shelby Steele
Racial and Ethnic Social Problems in Society
Walker et al. (2003). The Color of Justice. Pgs 65-79.
Wilson, W.J. “Jobless Poverty: A New Form of Social Dislocation in the Inner City Ghetto.” In Social Stratification: Class, Race, and Gender in Sociological Perspective. Westview.
*Feagin, J. (1991). “The Continuing Significance of Race: Antiblack Discrimination in Public Places.” American Sociological Review. 56(1): 101-116.
Furstenberg, F. (2001). “The Fading Dream: Prospects for Marriage in the Inner City.”
In Anderson and Massey (Eds.) Problem of the Century. New York: Russell Sage.
Readings Split Among the Class
Wilson, W.J. When Work Disappears. Chpts. 1-3, 5
Massey and Denton. American Apartheid. Chpts. 1, 4-6
Conley, D. (1999). Being Black, Living in the Red. Chpts. 1-4
Newman, K. (1999). No Shame in My Game. Pgs. 32-38, Chpts. 2, 4, 7.
Wilson, W.J. (1987). The Truly Disadvantaged. Pgs 1-125.
Anderson, Elijah. (2001). Code of the Street. Pgs 32-141.
Kozol, Jonathon. (1992). Savage Inequalities. Pgs. 1-133.
Class Presentation 1: 20 Min. Presentations on Assigned Readings
Week 4: Feb. 16
Racial Politics in America
“Running through much popular commentary on race and politics in America today is a kind of weariness and pessimism, a reflection, perhaps, of the complexity and enormity of the problems facing the country” -- Donald Kinder
The Politics of Racial Opinions
Bell, Derrick (1992). “The Space Traders,” in Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The
Permanence of Racism. Basic Books. Pgs. 158-194.
Kinder and Sanders. Divided by Color. Pgs. 12-34, 163-74, 192-198, 229-258.
Culverson, D. “The Welfare Queen and Willie Horton.” In Images of Color, Images of Crime
*Krysan, M. 2000. “Prejudice, Politics, and Public Opinion: Understanding the Sources of Racial
Policy Attitudes.” Annual Review of Sociology 26:135-68.
Tonry, M. 1994 “Racial politics, racial disparities, and the war on crime: Reagan and Bush administrations.” Crime and Delinquency. 40: 475-94.
Kennedy, R. (1997) Race, Crime, and the Law. Chapter 1. Politics of Respectability
Mauer, Marc. (2003). Race to Incarcerate. Chpt. 10. (optional)
Chiricos and Eschholz (2002). “The Racial and Ethnic Typification of Crime and the Criminal
Typification of Race and Ethnicity in Local Television News” JRCD 39(4): 400-420.
Beyond the Black/White Dichotomy
“This world is white no longer, and it will never be white again.” -- James Baldwin
Asian Americans
Hurh and Kim (1989) “The Success Image of Asian Americans:” In Ethnic and Racial Studies 12(4): 512-538.
Hispanics (Cubans vs. Puerto Ricans)
Leman (1991). “The Other Underclass” Atlantic Monthly
Perez-Stable and Uriarte (1993) “Cubans and the Changing Economy of Miami” Latinos in
A Changing US Economy 133-159.
Native Americans
Jaimes (1992). “Federal Indian Identification Policy.” In The State of Native America.
Pgs. 123-138.
Russel, Katheryn. 2004. “American Indians and Crime” Chpt 2. Underground Codes. NYU Press.
Writing Assignment 2: Why is American public opinion split along racial/ethnic lines? What role do politics play in shaping racial policies and what role do racial policies play in shaping public opinion?
Section 2: Racial and Ethnic Differences in Crime and Criminality
There is nothing more painful to me than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery, then to look around and see someone white and feel relieved.
-- Reverend Jesse Jackson, 1993
Week 5: Feb. 23
Racial Differences in Offending and Victimization
Statistics? You can prove anything with statistics – 14% of people know that!
-- Homer J. Simpson
The statistics of crime and criminals are known as the most unreliable and difficult of all statistics.
-- Edwin Sutherland, 1949
Self-Reports and Official Data
Walker et al. (2003). The Color of Justice. Chapter 2.
Hawkins, Laub, Lauritsen. 1998. Race, Ethnicity and Serious Juvenile Offending
*Hindelang, Michael. (1978). Race and involvement in common law personal crimes. American Sociological Review 43:93-109.
*Hindelang, Hirschi, and Weis (1979). “Correlates of Delinquency: The Illusion of Discrepency
between Self-Report and Official Measures” ASR
*Elliott, D. and S. Ageton (1980). “Reconciling Race and Class Differences in Self-Reported and Official Estimates of Delinquency.” American Sociological Review 45: 95-110.
Huizinga and Elliot (1987). Juvenile Offenders: Prevalence, Offender Incidence, and Arrest
Rates by Race” Crime and Delinquency. 33: 206-23.
*Braithwaite John (1981). The Myth of Social Class and Criminality Reconsidered. ASR
Thornberry and Krohn (2000). The self report method for measuring delinquency and crime NIJ
Mosher, Miethe, and Phillips (2002). The Mismeasure of Crime. Sage Publications. Excerpts.
Blumstein, A. (1982). “On the Racial Disproportionality of U.S. Prison Populations.” Journal of