| PLEASE READ CAREFULLY! YOU ONLY HAVE TO COMPLETE ONE OF THESE OPTIONS FOR THIS WEEK, NOT ALL! YOU WILL ALSO COMPLETE THE DISCUSSION BOARD QUESTION. |
| For this week's chapter assignment, I decided to do something a bit different. You will have three assignment options this week. Each are explained below. |
| Assignment is due Sunday April 17th |
| Option 1: Traditional Recap Assignment |
| Instructions: |
| After reviewing the material for the chapter, you are to answer the following questions in 5 to 7 sentence responses per question set (group of questions, #1, #2, etc.) . Please remember to consider all questions being asked and to use material from the chapter to support your responses. |
| Your responses should demonstrate a clear engagement and understanding of the course material, critical application of the sociological concepts/theory and should include clear grammar and sentence structure. Please review the assignment rubric under 'Course Resources' for clearer indication of grading distribution and let me know if you have any questions/concerns. |
| Questions: |
| 1. | How would a conflict theorists explain the reasons why some populations are allowed to be more deviant and criminal than others? (think about race, ethnicity, gender, sex, etc.) How would a conflict theorist critique the fact that certain populations of color are over-represented in the US prison system? How could you apply this logic to the recent ‘Anti-Social Distancing’ ‘protest’ that have occurred around the US in recent days? |
| 2. | Marijuana use represents a type of contested deviant behavior. Some people feel that using marijuana is no more deviant than smoking cigarettes, while others feel it should be criminalized. The debate surrounding marijuana exemplifies how what is considered deviant can change over time and also how deviance varies based on the context. Create two lists, one with reasons why marijuana use should not be considered deviant and another listing reasons why marijuana should remain a largely criminalized form of deviance (list should include at least 5 reasons for and against). How many of the points you listed relate to ethical, moral, or religious convictions? What about economic or social concerns? Given the opportunity, which side of the debate would you choose to argue and on what basis? (Find one source for support and cite your source using APA Format) |
| 3. | Read the following scenario and answer the questions below. Your entire response for this question should be about 7 to 10 sentences in length (minimum) not per question. |
| 1. | As usual, 24-year-old Carla left her apartment around 10:00 p.m. to jog to her boyfriend Casey's apartment two miles away. She planned to spend the night with him and jog back home the next morning. Carla lived in a fairly safe neighborhood in Centerdale, but Casey lived in a dilapidated apartment complex that was mostly hidden off the main road, between a bar called Bikers-R-Us and a two-story county office complex used by probation officers and drug rehab counselors. Carla usually arrived between 10:15 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., but when she failed to reach his place by 11:00 p.m., Casey got worried. He started calling Carla on her cell phone, but the calls kept going to her voice mail. He called and informed the police. Before calling the police, however, he hid the methamphetamine that he had already prepared for a couple of Carla's clients who were supposed to arrive at midnight. He also hid the marijuana that he was planning to smoke with Carla. The police found Carla's body within ten minutes in an area covered with trees, between the main road and the apartment complex where Casey lived. An investigation showed that Carla had been sexually assaulted. She had died of strangulation. Task: What theories of victimology relate to Carla's case of victimization? Use at least 2 different theories in critically analyzing Carla’s experience. According to you, which victimization theory is most relevant to this case and why? Do you feel that Carla precipitated or was partially to blame for the crime? Give reasons for your answer. How might a structural functionalist analyze Carla’s experience? (Use one structural functionalist theory in your answer) |
| Option 2: Spotlight on Police Brutality |
| For this option, you will do a short research project on the social/political implications of the police brutality. You should find some evidence of the impact of police brutality on particular communities and groups. Find at least two cases of police brutality within the last 5 years (please include a reference page with your source information). You can respond in the written form (minimum of 1.5 pages double spaced and include an APA formatted reference page, this should serve as practice for your essay), you can respond in a minimum 5 to 7 minute oral essay in which you answer the questions (you can record yourself via video/audio and upload your recording and you should still upload a reference page) or you could create a short 5 to 7 minute PowerPoint presentation in which you include the answers to the questions and provide some more insight. Your short presentation should include at least 8 slides of information and you should record your presentation and submit your file here. |
| 1. | Describe what happened in each incident: |
| 1. | Who were the people involved ? |
| 2. | Why did the encounter happen? |
| 3. | What was the outcome? |
| 2. | What types of power dynamics were involved in the incidents? |
| 1. | What law was broken? |
| 2. | Why were the policed called? |
| 3. | What race where the people involved? |
| 4. | Were there other ways these incidents could have been handled? |
| 3. | What does this incident say about the social construction of deviance/crime? |
| 1. | Who gets to label what is deviant and what isn't? |
| 2. | How do these constructions relate to racialization/racial formation? |
| 4. | What evidence can you find that racial profiling is a part of contemporary policing? |
| 1. | Was racial profiling used in the events that you highlighted? |
| 5. | Please use at least one of the sociological theories discussed in this chapter an apply it to the incidents you highlighted. |
| Option 3: Public School to Prison Pipeline |
| For this option, you will do a short research project on the social/political implications of the police brutality. You should find some evidence of the impact of police brutality on particular communities and groups. Find at least two cases of police brutality within the last 5 years (please include a reference page with your source information). You can respond in the written form (minimum of 1.5 pages double spaced and include an APA formatted reference page, this should serve as practice for your essay), you can respond in a minimum 5 to 7 minute oral essay in which you answer the questions (you can record yourself via video/audio and upload your recording and you should still upload a reference page) or you could create a short 5 to 7 minute PowerPoint presentation in which you include the answers to the questions and provide some more insight. Your short presentation should include at least 8 slides of information and you should record your presentation and submit your file here. |
| 1. | Describe what happened in each incident: |
| 1. | Who were the people involved ? |
| 2. | Why did the encounter happen? |
| 3. | What was the outcome? |
| 2. | What types of power dynamics were involved in the incidents? |
| 1. | What rule was broken? |
| 2. | Who called the school police? |
| 3. | What race where the people involved? |
| 4. | Were there other ways these incidents could have been handled? |
| 3. | What are some of the reasons/justifications behind this form of policing in schools? |
| 1. | Who benefits from it? |
| 2. | Are there any groups who benefit from policing? |
| 3. | What groups (think racial, ethnic, age or gender) are most impacted by the presence of school police? |
| 4. | What correlations can you find between mental/physical 'disabilities' and school policing/punishment? |
| 1. | Think about intersectionality and the availability of resources. |
| 2. | Please use at least one of the sociological theories discussed in this chapter an apply it to the incidents you highlighted. |
April 14th, 2022 
Posted in 