CJ 480/580SpTp: The Real War on Crime

Section 101

Fall 2011

Thursdays 4:00-6:20, Smith Hall 416

Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology

Marshall University

Dr. Dru Bora

Smith Hall 733

Phone: 304-696-3087

Fax: 304-696-3085

Email:

Web Page:

Office Hours: Monday 11:00-2:30; Tuesday 2:00-3:00; Thursday 12:30-4:00

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

Barkan, S., & Bryjak, G. (2009). Myths and Realities of Crime and Justice: What Every American Should Know. Boston: Jones & Bartlett Publishing. ISBN# 978-0-7637-5574-4

Additional readings may be required throughout the semester, but they will be provided by the instructor.

“Whoever controls the media--the images--controls the culture.” -Allen Ginsberg

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The ‘War on Crime’ dominates America’s communication media, yet the image it conveys is not wholly accurate. Arguably, the media may be considered the dominant mythmaker when it comes to criminal justice and criminology. This course will analyze images of crime and justice as portrayed and presented by the mass media. More specifically, it will focus on how the media represents mankind’s battle against crime and criminals. A major theme is whether media interpretations of crime, which are acknowledged by the public to be accurate, complicate society’s true understanding of crime.

“If I use the media, even with tricks, to publicize a black youth being shot in the back in Teaneck, New Jersey . . . then I should be praised for it, and it’s more of a comment on them than me that it would take tricks to make them cover the loss of life.”

-Rev. Al Sharpton

CREDIT HOURS & PREREQUISITES

3 credits; none

COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS

A student must have a computer or access to one, as well as access to the Internet to send and receive email messages. If you are using an email account other than your Marshall email account, you must set your Marshall email account to forward to your other account.

DESIRED LEARNER OUTCOMES/OBJECTIVES

The course objectives will be centered on answering the following three questions (as adapted from Dr. Cecil Greek, 1996):

  1. What types of criminal behavior and criminal offenders does the media focus upon?
  2. How does the media portray the police, the courts and the administration of criminal law, and the American correctional system?
  3. Is media coverage of crime, in itself, a cause of criminal behavior?

At the completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Identify the ways in which the mass media present crime as a social problem.
  • Critically examine the link between the media and crime.
  • Develop the analytical skills required to critically evaluate how various forms of media influence the public opinion about deviant behavior and policy responses.
  • Articulate the controversies surrounding the influence of the mass media on society.

EVALUATION OF LEARNER OBJECTIVES

  • Examinations (60%)*: There will be a midterm exam and a final exam during the course of the semester. Each exam will be worth 30% of the final grade. The exams will consist of a combination of multiple choice, true/false, completion, short answer and essay questions. The final exam is partly comprehensive. The dates for these exams are as follows:

Midterm Exam – October13

Final Exam – December 8

*The weighting for graduate students will vary slightly to account for a presentation requirement (see below). Thus, for graduate students, examinations will be worth 20% each for a total of 40%.

  • Assignments & Activities (25%): There will be a number of activities and assignments (e.g., mini-papers, essays, debates, reflections, quizzes, etc.) throughout the semester.With the exception of pop quizzes, detailed directions for each will be handed out in class accordingly.
  • (Graduate Students only) There will be a formal classroom presentation due at the end of the semester, which will constitute 20% of your final grade. Specific details regarding the project will be provided during the second week of the course.
  • Class Participation/Attendance (15%): This class will be conducted as a seminar, which means that everyone is expected to come fully prepared to discuss the readings. We will, as a group, discuss the various readings and related issues. It is absolutely imperative that each person become actively involved in the discussions, as this is the best way for all of us to get an education. As discussion is such an integral and important part of this class, 15% of your final grade will be assigned for class participation/attendance. To earn these points is actually quite simple; come to each class having read the assignments, having given some thought to the issues, and prepared to share your thoughts, opinions, etc. Class participation involves not only asking/answering questions and participation in discussions but attentiveness, not being chronically late for class, and most importantly attendance (you can’t participate if you’re not here!).

“Unfortunately, the media have trouble distinguishing between real science and propaganda cross-dressed as science.” -Linda Bowles

PAPER GUIDELINES

Brief assignments will be givento strengthen the understanding of concepts covered in class. Guidelines for these assignments will be handed out in class. There are no major papers for this course.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

Reading assignments can be found on the tentative course schedule at the end of this syllabus. These readings are meant to reinforce the class lectures/discussions, and it is expected that the readings be completed prior to class. Pop quizzes on the readings will be given, so you will be responsible for all readings assigned- no excuses!

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Attendance will be recorded daily. Poor attendance will have an adverse effect on your class participation because you can’t participate if you’re not here! Because this class only meets once per week, fifteen points will be taken off for each unexcused absence. These points will be deducted from a total possible 100 points. Unexcused absences are those that do not fall into the list of excused categories identified in the university catalog: (1) university sponsored activities; (2) absences as a result of personal illness or a death in the family; and (3) absences resulting from major religious holidays. For a more detailed explanation of these categories, please see the undergraduate catalog under the heading of “Class Attendance.” All excused absences must be presented to the professor with proper documentation. No excuses will be accepted after the class period immediately following the class that was missed.

If you miss an exam with no legitimate documented excuse, a zero will be given for that test with no make-up test. If you are ill or know in advance that you will miss an exam for a legitimate excuse, you (or your representative) must notify me BEFORE the scheduled exam time (if I am not notified before the exam, you will be given a zero regardless of the excuse). For those students who do contact me and have a legitimate excuse (as defined in the preceding paragraph), an alternative time to take the exam will be determined. The format of the make-up exam will be left to my discretion. In addition, students who are late on exam day will not be permitted to take the exam if another student(s) has already completed the exam and has left the classroom; the exam in this case has been compromised. In other words, you will NOT be able to take the exam or take a make-up exam.

There are no make-ups for pop quizzes or in-class assignments with or without an excuse; however, if a valid documented excuse is presented [and accepted by the professor] the score will be waived, but it is the student’s responsibility to notify the professor regarding a missed quiz (i.e., “I will not hunt you down”). Also, as stated previously, no excuses will be accepted after the class period immediately following the class that was missed.

GRADES

Criteria / Weight (Undergraduate) / Weight (Graduate) / Scale
Midterm Exam / 30% / 20% / 90-100% = A
Final Exam / 30% / 20% / 80-89% = B
Assignments/Activities/Quizzes / 25% / 25% / 70-79% = C
Class Participation/Attendance / 15% / 15% / 60-69% = D
Presentations (grads only) / not applicable / 20% / Below 60% = F
TOTAL / 100% / 100%

BORA’S “TEN COMMANDMENTS”

  1. As a general rule, I don’t allow my lectures to be tape-recorded. Exceptions are made for students with disabilities; however, prior permission must be obtained from me.

Policy for Students with Disabilities:Marshall University is committed to equal opportunity in education for all students, including those with physical, learning and psychological disabilities. University policy states that it is the responsibility of students with disabilities to contact the Office of Disabled Student Services (DSS) in Prichard Hall 117, phone 304 696-2271 to provide documentation of their disability. Following this, the DSS Coordinator will send a letter to each of the student’s instructors outlining the academic accommodation he/she will need to ensure equality in classroom experiences, outside assignment, testing and grading. The instructor and student will meet to discuss how the accommodation(s) requested will be provided. For more information, please visit or contact Disabled Student Services Office at Prichard Hall 11, phone 304-696-2271

  1. All cell phones must be turned off and put away (out of view) at the commencement of class, with the exception of emergency service personnel. Cell phones are disruptive not only to me, but your fellow students, so please be courteous. You will receive only one warning if your cell phone goes off in class, or if I catch you playing with it during class (e.g., texting).
  1. You may NOT eat during class. This means food of any kind (chips, sandwiches, candy, etc.). However, drinks are permitted (non-alcoholic of course). Also, you should not be working on anything not related to this class once class commences (this includes reading, copying other’s notes, knitting, playing games on your cell phone, etc.).
  1. Do NOT leave the classroom once class has started, unless it is an absolute emergency or you have notified me before class that you will be leaving. You should use the restroom, get a drink of water, make a phone call, etc. before class starts.
  1. Don’t cheat or plagiarize! Academic dishonesty is something I take very seriously and will not tolerate. Anyone caught cheating or plagiarizing will automatically receive a failing grade for the course and will be referred to the dean for appropriate disciplinary action. Plagiarism from the internet has become a very serious problem and professors now have access to various software programs to identify this behavior, so at this point in your academic career, don’t risk it! For a detailed explanation of academic dishonesty, please see the undergraduate catalog.
  1. Don’t hesitate to ask questions, the dumbest question is the one not asked! If you ask a question I can’t answer, I’ll find out the answer and get back to you. Please remember that as a teacher, I am merely your guide through the field, I am not the field itself!
  1. During discussions please respect different viewpoints; there is always more than one side. Treat others’ views as you would want your own to be treated, with an open mind. Personal attacks on others will not be tolerated!
  1. I like to run my classes as an open forum where we can all learn from each other, so I encourage intelligent discussions, questions, and comments, but at the same time we have to remember that we are at a university setting and must act accordingly.
  1. I encourage all my students to make use of my office hours, they are there for you. If you can’t make it at the scheduled times, let me know and we can arrange to meet at another time. However, this invitation is only for those students who come to class on a regular basis and put forth a genuine effort to learn. Also, please keep in mind that I have a life too and while my office hours are mandatory, my other time is not, so my flexibility can only extend so far.
  1. Enjoy! Have fun! Learn! Some students feel that each of these endeavors are independent of each other, they are not. You can enjoy and have fun while learning. I hope to make it as comfortable as I can for you, but it will take some work on your part as well.

“I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers.” - Mahatma Gandhi

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

Week 1 / Aug 25
The Mythmakers; Media v. Reality
(Read Chapter 1)
Week 2 / Sep1
What Makes Crime News? ; Images of Crime & Criminals
(Read Chapters 2-3)
Week 3 / Sep 8
Varieties of Media Crime- From Satan to Serial Killers
(Read Chapter 4)
Week 4 / Sep 15
Varieties of Media Crime- From Satan to Serial Killers(cont.)
(Read Chapter 5)
Week 5 / Sep 22
No Class- SCJA Conference
Week 6 / Sep 29
Behind the Drug War
(Read Chapters 6-7)
Week 7 / Oct 6
Juvenile Deviance- The New Super Predator
(Read Chapter 8)
Week 8 / Oct 13
MIDTERM EXAM
Week 9 / Oct 20
Student Debate # 1; Organized Crime- The Myth Behind La Cosa Nostra
Week 10 / Oct 27
Student Debate #2; The Police- Reel Cops v. Real Cops
(Read Chapter 9)
Week 11 / Nov3
Student Debate # 3; The Courts- Trials Without Truth
(Read Chapters 10-11)
Week 12 / Nov 10
Punishment & Prisons- Behind the Fortress
(Read Chapter 12-13)
Week 13 / Nov 17
The Media as a Cause ‘or’ Cure for Crime
Week 14 / Nov. 24
Thanksgiving Break- Classes Dismissed
Week 15 / Dec 1
Graduate Student Presentations; What Every American Should Know
(Read Chapter 14)
Week 16 / Dec 8
FINAL EXAM

1