This midterm will be both emailed to you and placed on WebBoard.
It is due, typed, at the start of class on Tuesday, July 9. EACH
question should be about 500 words.
Select ANY TWO (but ONLY two) from the following.
Your answers MUST reflect text, lecture, and other sources.
Feel free to do additional research.
1. Select any three theories we have discussed in class and
compare and contrast them (it's helpful to make a chart to
study from). Answer should include:
1) Summary of the theory
2) Locus of study (the individual? culture? society?)
3) Definition of crime (legal? normative?)
4) A few key representatives
5) At least three key points of the theory
6) Weaknesses of the theory
7) Policy implications
a) For law/police
b) For sentencing/social response
c) For reducing crime in society
2. We have argued that theories emerge from HISTORICAL circumstances.
Fully describe how social factors have influenced the growth and
development of criminological theory from 1750 through the present.
3. Do current crime policies reflect any particular theory? (answer fully)
4. What is an ideology and why is it a crucial concept for corrections?
Answer should include:
a) Definition of ideology
b) Identification and description of
ONE SPECIFIC ideology as an example
c) Discussion of how THIS ideology shapes how we
handle prisoners or influence criminal justice issues (eg,
definitions of crime, how we process offenders, etc)
d) Which ideology is closest to YOUR perspective, and WHY?
e) Compare and contrast the ideologies of you, our Governor,
and our President
5. Here is a crime from CURRENT EVENTS. Select any three of
following theories to explain the crime:
1) Classical theory
2) Marx
3) Biological/genetic theories
4) Chicago School
5) Anomie
6) Culture conflict
7) Differential Association
8) Differential Opportunity
9) Drift
10) Conflict Theory
6. Do the media distort crime? Draw from lecture, text, and
the FOLLOWING STORY as your guide.
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TIP FOR ESSAYS:
1) You *MUST* Present your argument using facts, and you must present
them in a coherent manner. Unsubstantiated opinions WILL BE GIVEN A ZERO.
2) REMEMBER: Your essays are your chance to show what you've learned in
this course. Questions allow you to INTEGRATE material from current events,
lecture, and text.
In addition to lecture and handouts, answers must
reflect supplmental readings, assignments, and ADDITIONAL RESEARCH
on your own.
The exam will cover CHAPTERS 1 THROUGH 8
**** An "A" answer will be expected to reflect far more than
simply the text and lectures. ****
Essays MUST integrate course material and be high on facts and logic.
Unsubstantiated opinions are unacceptable.