The ESSAY portion of the SOCI 488 midterm is worth 70 points.
You may answer whichever questions you want, but they MUST
total NO MORE THAN 70 points (The multiple choice questions
were worth 30 points). (DUE NO LATER THAN THURSDAY, March 9, Midnight)
If you DID NOT yet answer the multiple choice questions do so now.
None of the questions can be answered simply be repeating back
the text or your notes--answers must reflect text, lecture, the
Net, current events, and other relevant sources.
DUE: NO LATER THAN Thursay, March 9 at midnight, either by email
or in my office mailbox on the 8th floor of Zulauf).
50 POINT QUESTIONS:
1. Select any THREE of the following theories and compare and
contrast completely and thoroughly (answer MUST include summary
of the theory, the major premises, the policy applications, and
strengths and weaknesses):
PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES
BIOLOGICAL THEORIES
ANOMIE THEORY
SOCIAL DISORGANIZATION
CLASSICAL/NEO-CLASSICAL THEORIES
NEUTRALIZATION THEORY
"CRITICAL" THEORIES
LABELING THEORY
2. Select any two theories from the above list and FULLY EXPLAIN
their social and historical roots.
3. Select any three theories from the above list and apply them
to explain the incident in which the six year old on Mount Morris shot
a classmate (Remember--the goal is to demonstrate how well you know
and can apply the theories).
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20 POINT QUESTIONS
4. Which theory is the most politically radical we have
discussed? Which the most conservative?
5. The instructor and text have argued that how we define
crime/delinquency shapes how we construct theories about it.
Select ANY THREE theories we have discussed and fully explain
how the definition of "crime" shapes or influences these theories.
(Note--this is a bit more complex a question than it seems).
6. Drawing from lecture and text: 1) List five factors
underlying (or "causing") delinquency. Then, describe how
these factors relate to how we define or react to delinquency;
Then, explain what we can do to combat delinquency.
7. Write a STRONG question of your own and answer it. Answer will
be graded on the degree to which it reflects ALL course material.
8. Select any two theories we have discussed this term and
a) fully list and discuss the strengths
b) fully list and discuss the weaknesses
c) Name the major theorist(s) associated with the theories
d) Take each of your theories and apply it to any major current
events crime (preferably delinquency)
e) What are the policy/practical implications of the theory?
9. Some theories say that community or social structures produce
delinquency. What does this mean and what are the implications for
anti-crime policies?
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10 POINTS
10. What is the difference, if any, between the old and new testemant
of "minor" and "delinquency in the (Christian) Bible? Are these
versions consistent with contemporary Christian views of those
who advocate a return to "Christian values?"
11. Drawing from the text and other sources, compare and contrast
the UCR reports with the National Crime Victimization Surveys.
What are the differences in:
--how data are gathered
--the reliability of each
--the validity of each
Next, compare the findings of each, using actual data from both
UCR and NCVS sources and explain:
--how much difference there is between types of crimes (eg,
homicide, property crime, and some others)
--How you would account for these differences
What are we to make of these differences? Should we throw out both
sources, or are each (and/or both) still useful?
12. It's been asked: "Is juvenile delinquency REALLY a problem?"
Drawing from goverment statistics (see links at our homepage
for starters) try calculating statistics that could make the case
one way or the other. (Hint: Look at things like types of crime,
juvenile crime rates over the past few decades, age of juvenile
offenders, the difference between number of juvenile crime and
RATES of juvenile crime, and any other statistical evidence you
can muster.
13. What is the difference, if any, between the old and new testament
of "minor" and "delinquency in the (Christian) Bible? Are these
versions consistent with contemporary Christian views of those
who advocate a return to "Christian values?"
14. Summarize Merton's Strain Theory and explain how it helps us
understand delinquency. Then, select any juvenile crime reported
in the news in the last month and apply Strain Theory that crime.
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