Teaching
My teaching interests include criminology, law and society, political sociology, and social scientific methods.
SOCY 101 - Basic Concepts in Sociology
(undergraduate) An introduction to the concepts used in all advanced sociology courses: basic elements of social structure including primary groups and organizations, culture and society, socialization, social stratification, and social change.
Course Objectives
Students develop general education in social science and culture by
Using their “sociological imagination” to understand how sociological theory, empirical data, and social scientific methods help us learn about human behavior and the social world; and by
“Taking the role of the other” to understand how culture, social arrangements and inequality, institutions, and social processes shape the experiences of people from diverse backgrounds.
Students develop general education functional competencies in
Oral and written communication; and in
Critical analysis and reasoning.
SOCY 370 - Sociology of Law
(undergraduate) This course investigates the role of law in society. We review key sociological theories and concepts about the origins, purpose, organization, and consequences of law. We also review social scientific research on the law and legal system.
Course Objectives
Students understand how sociological theory and methods help us learn about the social world as it relates to law;
Students understand how law is situated in broader society;
Students identify conditions under which law achieves or fails to achieve social change;
Students develop general education functional competencies in oral and written communication; and
Students develop general education functional competencies in critical analysis and reasoning.
SOCY 371 - Criminology and Penology
(undergraduate) This course investigates the study of crime, the criminal justice system, and crime-related public policy from a sociological perspective. We review key theoretical concepts; the measurement of crime and victimization, and its distribution in society; the criminal justice system; and crime control strategies and policies.
Course Objectives
Students understand how sociological theory and methods help us learn about the social world as it relates to crime and punishment;
Students understand how crime and punishment are situated in broader society;
Students identify causes and consequences of criminal justice policies and practices;
Students identify conditions under which penal policy reflects or influences social inequality;
Students develop general education functional competencies in oral and written communication; and
Students develop general education functional competencies in critical analysis and reasoning.
SOCY 698 - Politics of Crime and Punishment
(graduate) In this course students will develop an understanding of the theoretically and empirically relevant aspects of the literature on crime control and punishment administered by the state. We will integrate insights from criminology with the literature on political sociology, the sociology of law, and stratification to better understand theoretical perspectives that facilitate research on crime policy and the punishment of criminal offenders.
Course Objectives
Students understand how social scientific theory and methods help us learn about the social world as it relates to crime and punishment.
Students understand how crime and punishment are situated in broader society especially as they relate to power relations.
Students retrieve and use written information analytically and effectively.
Students demonstrate critical thinking through written and oral expression