Syllabus
CJS 201: Crime and Behavior
CJS 102
Instructor: Dr. Jeffrey A. Walsh
Office: Schroeder Hall Rm. 412
Phone: 309-438-3221
Office Hours: T/Th 12:30-1:30 and by appt. I am available online daily during the week and can plan for online chat, Zoom, email or telephone communication.
Email: jawalsh@ilstu.edu - use this email address to communicate with me NOT the Reggienet in-course email. I do not check the Reggienet email enough and I can not reply to it from a mobile device.
Welcome to the CJS 102 - Individuals, Society, and Justice.
This is an overview survey course designed to explore and examine diverse issues related to justice and civic life including an eclectic variety of both historical and contemporary topics of inquiry. The course seeks to increase student awareness of social issues related to justice, injustice, inequality, civic engagement, power differentials in society, and social responsibility. The rule of law as it relates to justice and injustice will be examined and how this has impacted society. We will explore several historical examples and some that are more contemporary in an effort to explore some interesting, informative, and formative social events in society. Students will be exposed to and examine in-depth a wide range of topics to include civil society, poverty, economics and social structure, eugenics, genocide, slavery, criminal justice/criminology, drug policy, incarceration, and health disparities & disease epidemiology. Controversy and human consequence surrounds many of the topics we will be discussing and students will need to hone their critical thinking skills and apply these skills to each issue throughout the course. Reradings will supplemnent the lectures but students should also do their own inquiry utilizing reliable and reputable resources avaiable to via the internet and Milner Library. In sum, my hope is to inform you about some significant events that have deeply impacted society and our conception of justice and, maybe more importantly, injustice.
I am pleased you have signed up for this course and I am very excited about offering this course to you. This course has quickly become one of my very favorite classes to teach. I am obtimistic that you will enjoy the material and find the topics thought provoking. As with most things in life, you get out of this course what you put into it - I encourage you to do the supplemental readings, review the supplemental material, and do some investigation on your own. Remember, knowledge is power so and education is the path to knowledge. The internet is an incredible tool to acquire additional information on the topics we talk about - be discerning but use it and explore areas and interests that you have!
Technical Requirements: You must have access to a computer, a reliable internet connection, and a video player. Also, you will have access to the powerpoint decks that I lecture from (after the lectures) so you will want to be able to open those on your computer. If you have technology issues please contact the ISU Help desk as soon as possible to get some help resolving that. Most things are pretty easy to resolve but you've got to seek the solution. Much of the reading material for this course is run through Reggienet so you will also need to familiarize yourself with Reggienet if you have not done so in other courses. If you have not had any experience with Reggienet please locate the online resources at the university - there are sme great tutorial and get started guides. You will want to knw how the system works for most of your courses on campus. I will take you through the basics on the first day of class related to our specific course webpage so you know where things are located.
Instruction Format: This is a large lecture course with approx. 300 people registered in the course. If you are taking the course in-person please be on-time to the classroom to make sure you have a spot to sit where you want and to minimize disruptions of other students in the course. I will do my best to create opportunities for anyone who wants to contribute to the discussion to be able to do so. I can commit to you that I will bring my own enthusiasm for the topics we cover and will introdue you to some events and ideas that you will find interesting and thought provoking. There will be supplemental readings available in the Resources tab of the Reggienet course page. This information is used to help convey important information to you and contextualize events beyond the classroom experience.
Here is a link to a variety of ReggieNet tutorials and information sheets to help you get started.
Required Textbook:
1. Bales, K. Blood and Earth. Spiegel & Grau: Random House. (This is not a textbook and can be purchased online or through Amazon etc. - you will have two quizzes over material in this book). I do not lecture from this book and while the material overlaps with parts of what we directly cover this book is to be read independently. You will be surprised and appalled by what you learn.
2. There will be a number of readings posted on the course webpage which will correspond to each week's topic of discussion. These readings are supplemental to the lecture material but you are strongly encouraged to read some of these to round out your knowldge on the topics. I will also make additional respources as needed available to you. It does not really matter to me whether you read them prior to class to be familiar wth the topic we will be talking about, or if you read them after class to round out what was just discussed. Do what works best for you in terms of acquiring the knowledge and the social contexts for the events we are discussing so that you can retain the information.
Much of what is presented throughout the course is a compilation of materials I have gathered from my own research and readings in these areas. It is important that you listen to the lecture material, watch the videos, participate in the discussion boards, and hear the stories. Class lectures where the vast mojority of exam material will come from. Quizzes will also be largely drawn from class material and required readings from the book required for the course.
Class Tolerance Policy: I expect that everyone will be tolerant in their views and respectful in their comments and opinions both. It is important that everyone be cordial and respectful.. I know sometimes people have strong opinions about topics of discussion but part of being an adult and a professional is finding the right way to make your opinions heard and not to overtly offend others with your views.
Attendance & Participation: It is expected that all students enrolled in the course will stay current with course material and participate in discussion, activities, exercises, quizzes, and exams at their designated times. I also encourage you to get to know some classmates so that you can have others to bounce ideas off of and share notes and exam preparations, etc.
Exams: There will be four (3) exams throughout the semester typically on Thursdays of the weeks they are scheduled. They will not be comprehensive exams and each block of material is independent from the other class material we will cover. Each exam is worth 100 points. You will know well in advance when exams will be given. I suspect/anticipate that exams will be given around the 6th, 12th, and 17th (Final Exam) weeks of class. As you can see the bulk of your points are established by the points you earn on these 3 exams. It is very important that you prepare well for these and this includes readings, listening to lectures and taking notes on the material, and participating in discussions. I will tell you more about the type of exam, length, etc. at a later date. Please plan accordingly and do not miss an exam. Given the size of the lass I do not have procedures in place to accommodate missed exams or quizzes. Please plan to take all exams and quizzes at their scheduled times or risk getting a 0. The only accepted excuses are Dr's. notes and ISU Dean of Students approved absences.
Quizzes: There will be two quizzes during the semester around the 9th, and 16th weeks of class. Each quiz will be worth 25 points, totaling 50 points of your final grade. Quizzes will reflect the lecture material and the Bales book you are assigned to read in this class. Quizzes will be administered in an online format during the scheduled class time. Again, you must plan acordingly to be available to take the quiz on the date and at the time scheduled. Discussion Boards/Forums: There will be 11 sets of discussion/forum questions that you must respond to corresponding to the material covered in the course. Some weeks have one questions and some weeks have multiple. You must respond to all questions asked. These are typically not right or wrong types of questions/answers and will not be graded as such. These are opportunities for you to express your views or ideas and insights on topics of class relevance. Each set of questions is woth 2 points and these are the easiest points to earn in the class, totaling 22 points of your final grade. Just provide a meaningful contribution to the discussion and you will earn the points. Discussion board posts are due on Sundays by 11:55pm to be counted for that week. Late posts will not be counted or assigned points. As you are reviewing the weekly outline for the course in this syllabus you will notice that the discussion question weeks are denoted in the assignment section for the week.
Here is how I anticipate the points working out for the course. I do reserve the right to change this a bit depending on how the course is unfolding and the final determination of the assignments. I will be certain to give you adequate notice of any point changes along the way.
Exam #1 .................................100 pts.
Exam #2 .................................100 pts.
Exam #3 .................................100 pts.
Discussion Posts ................22 pts.
Quiz 1 .....................................25 pts.
Quiz 2 .....................................25 pts.
Total Points ..........................372 pts.
I trust you know how to check your grade in the class. You take the total number of points you have earned up to that point in time and divide that by the total number of points that have been available to that point in time in the course. Reggienet Gradebook will track this for you automatically and will be operational during this course. You will be able to see how you are doing in the class by reviewing the Gradebook.
Academic Dishonesty: Any student found guilty of academic dishonesty will be subject to disciplinary actions as described in the Student Code of Conduct. Any incidence of cheating, plagiarizing, or assisting a student in committing an act of cheating will result in the student receiving a failing grade for the semester. In addition, further action may be taken at the discretion of the instructor.
Upon completing this course students should be able to:
1. Think critically about the our role as individuals in society and how we shape conceptions of justice.
2. Be able to think critically about social problems (past and present) with an eye towards mitigating adverse impacts and solutions oriented thinking.
3. Understand the role of human behavior and diversity in relation to justice and the pursuit of justice.
4. Understrand the role and importance of civic engagement to a democratic society - how can you make a difference and why should you?
This course is intended to:
5. Assist students in developing an understanding of what is meant by the terms justice and injustice as the terms apply to different social circumstances and events.
6. Assist students in broadening their knowledge of historical and contemporary social issues and injustices.
7. Assists students in developing their critical thinking skills when considering controversial issues.
8. Fundamental Principles: Students will understand the major fundamental principles and theoretical perspectives of criminology/criminal justice. They will be able to apply these to practical problems and identify relevant policy implications.
9. Systems and Context: Students will understand important influences—of the criminal justice system on society, and of society on the criminal justice system. They will understand the relevance of race, ethnicity, or minoritized status in this interactive system. Likewise, they will recognize the relevance of political and economic power in policy making, criminal activity, and justice.
**This course is part of the General Education Requirements at Illinois State University. The course is identified in the Individuals and Civic Life category where students learn about functioning responsibly in their civic environment. Students develop an understanding of the complex interrelationships among people, political structures, and other dimensions of society, including the natural, social, business, and legal. The course helps students understand how in the past and in the present individual freedoms and social and political environments interact. The course should actively stimulate students to ponder the socially responsible choices that educated citizens who participate in shared governance make.
In Social Sciences courses, students focus on the various ways of knowing how to appropriately investigate and interpret problems in the social sciences, understood as those disciplines that systematically study humans and human interactions with institutions.
Courses in the Social Sciences category of General Education address the following program objectives:
I. knowledge of diverse human cultures and the physical and natural world, allowing students to
b. explain how the combination of the humanities, fine arts, natural and social sciences, and technology contribute to the quality of life for individuals and communities
c. experience and reflect on global issues
II. intellectual and practical skills, allowing students to
a. make informed judgments
b. analyze data to examine research questions and test hypotheses
c. report information effectively and responsibly
d. write in a variety of genres, contexts, and disciplines
e. deliver purposeful presentations that inform attitudes or behaviors
III. personal and social responsibility, allowing students to
b. interact competently in a variety of cultural contexts
c. demonstrate ethical decision making
d. demonstrate the ability to think reflectively
IV. integrative and applied learning, allowing students to
a. identify and solve problems
b. transfer learning to novel situations
c. work effectively in teams
Primary outcomes are indicated in plain text and secondary outcomes are indicated in italics.
Any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability should contact Student Access and Accommodation Services at 350 Fell Hall, (309) 438-5853, or visit the website at StudentAccess.IllinoisState.edu.
Students are expected to engage in the material presented in the course. Below is the outline for how the course content will be covered and addressed. Each of the following weeks corresponds to topics we will plan to cover during the semester. These are influential events, perioods of time, and happenings in both historical and contemporary times. These events have served to shape our society and how we as individuals view the world around us and how we form our understanding of justice and injustice. In some instances great outcomes have resulted and in others horrible human suffering and tragedy have been heavy prices to pay for lessons learned. Throughout each discussion we will address the role of individuals, the the impact on society these events have had, the role of society to address issues, and the notion of justice, or in many instances injustice, that are associated with these events and periods of time. This is a survey course in that we will be tackling quite a few topics covering turning points in history. I will also bring you a few topics that are contemporarty concerns in society impacting us today.
Beginning of the Semester:
I will provide you with associated supplemental reading material for each of the following topics. For each of these subject areas I will provide a folder/file of content on the course webpage in the Resources tab on Regienet with all sorts of corresponding reading material and supplements. We will cover each of these topics, time permitting this semester. I often set out a more ambitious plan than we actually have time for so please anticipate some adjustments to the schedule below. I am a firm believer in providing the opportunity for depth of the material and am less concerned with squeezing everything in. Please come prepared with some background understanding of the topic so that the class lecture is rooted in context for you.
Please be aware - the outline below is often fluid and I often do not get to cover every topic that I would like to cover so, it is likely we will stray from this blueprint a bit - I will do my best to keep you posted as we work our way through the material. As noted above, I prefer to cover topics in depth as the class allows and is interested. I prefer quality over quantity.
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Please notice that sections of material cross-over weeks and there are folders in our course organized by topic. I will be adding information to these folders and this is where you will find the associated powerpoint slides.
Introduction and course overview: a discussion of what we will be doing this semester and what I want you to learn and experience in this course. I will share some of my background with you so that you know a bit about the experiences that have shaped my views on the topics we will be discussing.
What is Justice?
We will discuss several different perspectives on justice and how we determine what is "just". We will include ideas of injustice. This is a foundational lecture establishing our current understanding of justice by addressing some of the influential thinkers from the past and their contributions to the idea of justice.
Readings: *See folder in the Resources tab for additional readings
Assignments: Make sure you are familiar with the syllabus, the course layout in Reggienet, where the supplemental readings are located, and what book is required.
Discussion board post # 1 - see the Forums tab in Reggienet - post by this Sunday night at 11:55
Start reading the Bales book: ch. 1
What is Justice? - contd'
*See folder in the Resources tab for additional supplemental readings
Assignment: Discussion board post # 2 - see the Forums tab in Reggienet - post by Sunday night at 11:55
Read Bales book ch 2
What is Justice? - contd'
Civic Engagement: what is it and why is it important? Where has it been and where is it headed?
Intro to Poverty, Economics, Social Structure and Social Stratification
*See folder in the Resources tab for additional readings
Assignment: Discussion board post # 3 - see the Forums tab in Reggienet - post by Sunday night at 11:55
Bales book: ch. 3
Poverty, Economics, Social Structure and Social Stratification - contd'
*See folder in the Resources tab for additional readings
Poverty, Economics, Social Structure and Social Stratification - contd'
Intro to Eugenics
*See folder in the Resources tab for additional readings
Assignment: Discussion board post # 4 - see the Forums tab in Reggienet - post by Sunday night at 11:55
Read Bales book: ch. 4
*See folder in the Resources tab for additional readings
Eugenics contd' (yes, we had to split the material which I don't like to do but the way the calendar works it was necessary)
*See folder in the Resources tab for additional readings
Assignment: Discussion board post # 5 - see the Forums tab in Reggienet - post by Sunday night at 11:55
Read Bales book: ch. 5
Intro to Genocide
*See folder in the Resources tab for additional readings
Assignment:
Bales book: ch. 6
Genocide contd'
*See folder in the Resources tab for additional readings
Take Quiz #1 - over ch. 1, 2, 3 of the Bales book and a few questions on class lecture material
Assignment: Discussion board post # 6 - see the Forums tab in Reggienet - post by Sunday night at 11:55
Read Bales book: ch. 7
Intro to Crime and Justice and Criminology
*See folder in the Resources tab for additional readings
Assignment: Discussion board post # 7 - see the Forums tab in Reggienet - post by Sunday night at 11:55
continue Criminal Justice, Drugs and Incarceration - legalize, criminalize, decriminalize and victimless crimes
*See folder in the Resources tab for additional readings
Read Bales book: ch. 8
Incarceration and the impacts of mass incarceration and reentry
*See folder in the Resources tab for additional readings
Assignment: Discussion board post # 8 - see the Forums tab in Reggienet - post by Sunday night at 11:55
Bales book: ch. 9
Drugs and Incarceration to Reentry
Incarceration and the impacts of mass incarceration and reentry
Disease Transmission and Epidemiology
*See folder in the Resources tab for additional readings
Assignment: Discussion board post # 9 - see the Forums tab in Reggienet - post by Sunday night at 11:55
THANKSGIVING - no class
Wrap-up CJ related material and intro Sex Slavery / Human Trafficking
*See folder in the Resources tab for additional readings
Assignment: Discussion board post # 10 - see the Forums tab in Reggienet - post by Sunday night at 11:55
Read Bales book: Ch 10
Sex slavery and Human Trafficking
Take Quiz 2 over course material and ch. 4,5,6, of Bales book.
*See folder in the Resources tab for additional readings
Assignment: Discussion board post # 11 - see the Forums tab in Reggienet - post by Sunday night at 11:55
Exam #3 - Final Exam is scheduled by ISU. I will update in an announcement when I know the date.
On all assigned readings, lecture material, etc. from weeks 13-16, and Bales book*See folder in the Resources tab for additional readings
Final Exam is during finals week at the regularly scheduled time:
Accomodations:
Any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability and/or medical/mental health condition should contact Student Access and Accommodation Services at 350 Fell Hall, (309) 438-5853,
Mental Health
Life at college can get complicated. If you're feeling stressed, overwhelmed, lost, anxious, depressed or are struggling with personal issues, do not hesitate to call or visit Student Counseling Services (SCS). These services are free and completely confidential. SCS is located at 320 Student Services Building, (309) 438-3655.
If you are worried about a friend and don't know how to help, you can call SCS and ask to speak to a counselor. The Kognito simulation, available through SCS's webpage, can also help you learn how to assist your friend in connecting to services.
Disclaimer: The information on this syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor and it is the student's responsibility to keep up with all changes as they are announced.
Cheating, plagiarism, academic dishonesty, etc. will not be tolerated and can result in a failing grade for the class and further proceedings initiated by the University including expulsion.