Assignment 2 - Crime
Due: A week after the assignment is announced in class
Considerations:
You are encouraged to talk about this topic with your classmates outside of class or on the study hall forum. You can even read each other’s papers. However, simply copying and editing another person’s paper is considered plagiarism and you will, at a minimum, get a zero on this assignment. Canvas is very good at catching plagiarizers. Please do not attempt.
How to turn in: Turn in a copy to Canvas. The instructions for logging on to Canvas can be found here. YOU MUST TURN IN YOUR ASSIGNMENT THROUGH CANVAS, NOT DIRECTLY TO TURNITIN.COM. Canvas will link you to Turnitin.com.
Point value: This activity is worth 20 points.
Resubmission policy: Any paper that receives a score of 18 or less can be revised and resubmitted. However, the resubmit option can only be used once. And the maximum score possible for a paper that is resubmitted is 19. There is a section on Canvas where you can turn in a resubmission. You will have until the next exam to resubmit. No late resubmissions will be accepted.
Assignment:
Read the section in the textbook on theories of crime (Chapter 6). Read the lecture notes on crime (Crime, Part 2: Understanding Crime).
Describe a crime that you have knowledge of—either from the media or from accounts that you have personally heard about. It has to be a specific crime, for example, the the assassination of Abraham Lincoln or a friend you know who was arrested for selling meth. It cannot be simply a type of crime, for example, murder or auto theft.
Apply differential association theory, control theory, labeling theory, Merton's anomie (strain) theory, and conflict theory to your particular crime. Which theory do you think best explains the crime you described? Which theories do not explain the crime that you described? Explain.
Grading rubric:
20 -- Provides a summary of a particular crime (not just type of crime) that they have knowledge of. Provides an excellent and detailed summary of differential association theory, control theory, labeling theory, Merton's anomie (strain) theory, and conflict theory. Provides an excellent discussion of why or why not each of the five theories help to explain the particular crime. Is at least two pages double-spaced (at least 600 words, usually substantially more). Is unusually insightful.
19 -- Provides a summary of a particular crime (not just type of crime) that they have knowledge of. Provides an excellent and detailed summary of differential association theory, control theory, labeling theory, Merton's anomie (strain) theory, and conflict theory. Provides an excellent discussion of why or why not each of the five theories help to explain the particular crime. Is at least two pages double-spaced (at least 600 words, usually substantially more).
18 -- Provides a summary of a particular crime (not just type of crime) that they have knowledge of. Provides a very good summary of differential association theory, control theory, labeling theory, Merton's anomie (strain) theory, and conflict theory. Provides a very good discussion of why or why not each of the five theories help to explain the particular crime. Is at least two pages double-spaced (at least 600 words).
17 -- Provides a summary of a particular crime (not just type of crime) that they have knowledge of. Provides a good summary of differential association theory, control theory, labeling theory, Merton's anomie (strain) theory, and conflict theory. Provides a good discussion of why or why not each of the five theories help to explain the particular crime. Is at least two pages double-spaced (at least 600 words).
16 and below -- Provides a summary of a particular crime (not just type of crime) that they have knowledge of. Provides an average or inadequate summary of differential association theory, control theory, labeling theory, Merton's anomie (strain) theory, and conflict theory. Provides an average or inadequate discussion of why or why not each of the five theories help to explain the particular crime. Is two pages double-spaced or less.
Frequently made comments from previous semesters:
Good job. However, the assignment required that you focus on a particular crime that you have knowledge of.
You could have talked more about how this theory helps or does not help to explain the crime.
Carefully consider why or why not each of the five theories help to explain your crime.
You could have discussed the theories in a little more detail.
You needed to discuss the crime from the theoretical perspectives mentioned in the assignment.
Your application of control theory needs more development.
You could have discussed conflict theory a bit more.
Your application of labeling theory needs more development.
Your discussion of Merton’s strain (anomie) theory needs to be developed a bit more.
Merton's anomie theory argues that people commit crime because legitimate opportunities to succeed are blocked for them.
Control theory argues that those that do not commit crime have strong attachments, commitments, involvements, and beliefs that deter them from committing crime.
Differential association theory -- crime is learned by interaction with criminals. What is learned is not only the techniques, but also the motives.
Labeling theory argues that criminals are labeled as criminals by others who have the power to label them as such. The second part of labeling theory is that career criminals have internalized the label of criminal and therefore are more likely to engage in criminal activity since it fits their perception of who they are.
Conflict theory argues that laws are written to favor the powerful. Also, the criminal justice system favors the powerful.
How to read my comments after your paper has been graded
Here are instructions on how to see my comments provided by a student:
The best way to view it is to return to the page where the assignment was submitted through TurnItIn, NOT through the Grades link.
So from the main left sidebar I clicked: Assignments -> [name of assignment] -> at bottom of page click box that says 'Load [name of assignment] in new window' , which then opens the TurnItIn submission page. From TurnItIn you can click on the document submitted and the blue boxes will appear. Once you click on the blue box it expands and shows all of the professor's comments.
My comments: If you do not see the blue boxes, click on the blue quickmarks checkbox on the right side at the top. The blue box or boxes embedded in your paper are usually right at the top.