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Suggested Text: Locke, L. (et al).
2000. Proposals That Work: A Guide for Planning Dissertations and Grant
Proposals. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
You can order all of these from the FSU
Bookstore and they will be shipped as one order.
2. To understand social, historical, and political background as related to the emergence, popularity, and rejection of theories. Students will be expected to analyze theories in light of these factors. 3. To understand in what ways contemporary theories are being employed within the criminal justice system. The class will focus on the implications of various theories for policy? 4. To understand that criminological theory has included both
competing perspectives and integrated models. Students will assess the utility
of each approach.
The primary purpose of this course is to provide students with a deeper understanding of criminological theory. It will be presumed that students have had an introduction to biological, psychological and sociological explanations of criminal and delinquent behavior. The general pattern we will follow with each theory/model will be to examine its original derivation within its social context, how the model has been altered as new research has emerged, and the theory's current popularity (or lack thereof). The reading of original works will be emphasized, as well as summaries or commentaries. Analytical comparisons of basic components of all theories will provide a guide for understanding theory construction. Among the perspectives to be covered are: religious and demonological
explanations, the classical and neo-classical school, biological explanations,
the various psychological theories, subcultural theory, social disorganization,
anomie theory, economic models, labeling theory, learning theory, and critical
theories.
This class is taught via distance learning, so attendance is not an issue. However, participation in class group activities such as chat sessions is required. There will be no exams in this course. Student performance will be evaluated based upon the 2 major course writing assignments, plus class participation in discussion forums within Campus. Each will be worth a percentage of the student's final grade. No extra credit work will be available. As part of class discussion, students will respond to discussion questions on the readings and on-line lectures. Students should respond to the questions within one week of their assignment. It is important that you follow the course calendar closely as there are many projects to complete. Discussion questions for some of the texts ( Katz, Pfohl, and Messerschmidt) have been posted for preview.
1. Theorist Paper: Your project will focus on a particular theorist. The paper must include the following four subtopics:
For examples of papers from previous classes click here. For complete details on this project, go to the theorist project page.2. Theory Construction Project: The final writing assignment will be the development of your own theoretical perspective. Your theory can be multi-causal or eclectic, but does not have to be. The model can be drawn upon either Western or non-Western philosophical traditions, and include ideas from biology, psychology, sociology, religious thought, etc. At least ten references are needed. Your model must include the following core components:
For complete details on this project, go to the Theory Construction Project page Required Citation Format: The APA system of citation and referencing must be followed for all written work. Any other questions concerning style or format should be referred to Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (4th. edition, 1994). Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Writing Hint:
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Required
Texts: 
