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SOCI 388: CRIME

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 11:05 AM-01:25 PM: Burnside Hall 1B45
Instructor: Jos Ignacio Nazif Munoz
Office: Peterson Hall 328
Email: jose.nazifmunoz@mail.mcgill.ca
Telephone: 514-398-6842
Office Hours: Mondays 3-4pm (and by appointment)

Once, if I remember rightly, my life was a feast where all hearts opened, and all wines flowed.
One evening I sat Beauty on my knees And I found her bitter And I reviled her.
I armed myself against Justice.
I fled. O sorceresses, O misery, O hatred, it was to you my treasure was entrusted!
I managed to erase all human hope from my mind. I made the wild beasts silent leap to strangle every joy.
I summoned executioners to bite their gun-butts as I died. I summoned plagues, to stifle myself with sand
and blood. Misfortune was my god. I stretched out in the mud. I dried myself in the breezes of crime. And I
played some fine tricks on madness (Rimbaud, Une Saison en Enfer)


COURSE DESCRIPTION

Criminology is wide-reaching: [it] extends, for example, from an examination of the smallest
detail of street encounters between adolescents and the police to comparative analysis of very
large movements in nations aggregate rates of crime over century (), and it is sometimes
difficult to determine where the boundaries should be drawn (Rock 2012:43)(My emphasis).
1

Since we face the elusive challenge of determining boundaries, this course will provide students
with both a solid understanding of, and tools to map and navigate, criminology.

i. In the first part, you will learn about origins of criminology as well as the foundations
of contemporary criminology.

ii. In the second part of the course, we will review key contemporary theoretical
approaches that have explained criminal and deviant behavior. In this part we will
also include feminist theories, theories of white-collar crime, and the latest attempts
of building integrated theories of crime. This part constitutes the core of our course.

iii. Part three provides an overview of micro and macro consequences of crime. We will
learn about how criminals communicate and organize themselves as well as the
consequences of the institutional responses which have dealt with crime in both
developed and developing countries.

Throughout each of these parts, we will pay attention to issues of race/ethnicity, gender, sexual
orientation, and other identities. At the end of the course students should be able to navigate a
map of criminological theories (see the map at the end of the syllabus) in order to understand the
most salient problems associated to both causes and consequences of crime.

1
Rock Paul (2012) Sociological theories of crime. In M. Maguire, R. Morgan and R. Reiner (Eds).The Oxford
Handbook of Criminology (pp. 39-90). Oxford University Press.
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COURSE ORGANIZATION

Class time will combine lectures, structured class discussions, and two films.

REQUIRED TEXTS

This is a reading-intensive course. All students are expected to complete daily readings so as to
have a better grasp of the subject matter and to participate in class discussions.

Books
runeau, homas ., uca ammert, and liabeth kinner. 2011. Maras: gang violence and
security in Central America. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.
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Cullen, Francis T., Robert Agnew, and Pamela Wilcox. 2014. Criminological theory: Past to
present : essential readings. New York: Oxford University Press.

Gambetta, Diego. 2009. Codes of the underworld: how criminals communicate. Princeton:
Princeton University Press.

Western, Bruce. 2006. Punishment and inequality in America. New York: Russell Sage.
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Articles or chapters
4

Agnew, Robert. "Foundation for a general strain theory of crime and delinquency." Criminology
30.1 (1992): 47-88.

Bearman, Peter S. "The social structure of suicide." Sociological Forum. Vol. 6. No. 3. Kluwer
Academic Publishers-Plenum Publishers (1991):501-524.

Blau, Judith R., and Peter M. Blau. "The cost of inequality: Metropolitan structure and violent
crime." American Sociological Review 47 (1982): 114-129.

Durkheim . "The forms of social solidarity. " In Durkheim, E., & Giddens, A. Selected writings.
Cambridge: University Press. (1972a):123-140.

Durkheim . "The division of labour and social differentiation". In Durkheim, E., & Giddens,
A. Selected writings. Cambridge: University Press. (1972b):141-154.

Fynbo, Lars, and Margaretha Jarvinen. "'The Best Drivers in the World': Drink-Driving and
Risk Assessment." The British Journal of Criminology 51(5): (2011) 773-88.

Kaminski, Marek M. "Games Prisoners Play Allocation of Social Roles in a Total
Institution." Rationality and Society 15.2 (2003): 188-217.


2
This is an e-book. It can be found at MyCourses ;)
3
This is also an e-book. It can also be found at MyCourses ;)
4
Every article and chapter can be found at MyCourses. ;)
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Marx, Karl. "The fetishism of commodities and the secret thereof." In Capital: A Critique of
Political Economy 1 (1867): 71-83.

Marx, Karl. The Usefulness of Crime In Greenberg, David F. Crime and capitalism : readings
in Marxist criminology. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. (1993): 52-53

Shelden, Randall. Convict Leasing: An Application of the RuscheKirchheimer Thesis to Penal
Changes in Tennessee, 1830-1915 In Greenberg, David F. 1993. Crime and capitalism :
readings in Marxist criminology. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. (1993): 612-19

Pescosolido, Bernice A., and Beth A. Rubin. "The web of group affiliations revisited: Social life,
postmodernism, and sociology." American Sociological Review (2000): 52-76.

Tittle, Charles R., and Ekaterina V. Botchkovar. "Selfcontrol, criminal motivation and
deterrence: An investigation using Russian respondents." Criminology 43.2 (2005): 307-354.

Weber Max. The concept of social action In W.G Ruciman Weber Selections in translation
Cambridge University Press (1978):25-32.

Weber, M.). The types of legitimate domination. Economy and society: An outline of
interpretive sociology. New York: Bedminster Press (1968):212-216

FILMS

A prophet directed by Jacques Audiard (2009)
Nine Queens directed by Fabin Bielinsky (2000)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

i. One in-class test (35% of the grade.): This test can consist of multiple-choice, true-
false, and may contain short-answer questions: the exam will cover all the material
discussed at the point it is scheduled.

ii. Class Participation (15% of the grade.): Students are responsible for all
announcements made in class. In addition, students are expected to be fully prepared (i.e.
completed readings) for each class. Participation marks can consist of either in-class
written assignments, short quizzes, or a short take home assignment to be turned in the
following class period. In other words, you must attend class to maximize your chances
of getting credit for the in-class or take-home assignments.

iii. One in-class test with a short essays part (50% of the grade.): This test can consist of
multiple-choice, true-false, and may contain short-answer questions: the exam will cover
all the material discussed at the point it is scheduled. This test will ALSO contain two
essay questions in which students need to discuss three of the required books: i) Codes of
the underworld: how criminals communicate by Gambetta, ii) Punishment and inequality
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in America by Western, and iii) Maras: gang violence and security in Central America
by Bruneau et al. Students would have two options for the essay questions:

iii.i For the first option, students are expected to pick ONE of the three books and
critically examine the strengths and weakness of the theory(ies) behind each work by
using as evidence one of the two films.

OR

iii.ii For the second paper option, students should critically contrast TWO of the three
books and identify and develop a sharp understanding of how the cause-consequence
tension of crime was played out by the authors.

IMPORTANT: STUDENTS NEED TO START READINGS THESE THREE BOOKS IN
ADVANCE, THAT IS, NOT LATER THAN THE SECOND WEEK OF CLASS.

SCHEDULE
First week (May 1
st
)

Introduction
Presenting the map of theories and authors

Part I Tackling the origins and classical thought
1. Beccaria
2. Lombroso
Readings:
Part I, Cullen et al (2014) (Introduction and Chapters 1 and 2)

Second week (May 5
th
- 8
th
)
Part I Building the foundations
1. Durkheim
2. Marx
3. Weber
4. Simmel
Readings:
Durkheim (1972a) (1972a)
Marx (1867) (1993)
Pescosolido, Bernice A., and Beth A. Rubin (2000)
Shelden (1993)
Weber (1968) (1978)

Part II Key contemporary theoretical approaches
1. The Chicago school
2. Learning theories
3. Anomie
Readings:
Parts III-V Cullen et al (2014) (Introduction of each part and Chapters 7, 10, 12, 13 and
16)
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Blau and Blau (1982)
Agnew (1992)

********************Film 1 (May 8
th
)******************************

Third week (May 12th 15th)
Part II Key contemporary theoretical approaches
4. Control theories
5. Labeling
6. Critical
7. Feminist
8. White-Collar crime
9. Between rational choice and deterrence
Readings:
Parts VI-X Cullen et al (2014) (Introduction of each part and Chapters 17, 19, 20, 21, 23,
27, 28 and 30)
Fynbo, Lars, and Margaretha Jarvinen (2011)

***************************** First test (May 20
th
)*******************************

Fourth week (May 19th 22nd)
Part II Key contemporary theoretical approaches
10. Routine activity
11. Crime and life course
12. Theoretical integration
Readings:
Parts XI-XII and XV Cullen et al (2014) (Introduction of each part and Chapters 33, 36,
37 and 46)
Tittle and Botchkovar (2005)

*******************************Film 2 (May 22
nd
)*************************

Fifth week (May 26th - 29th)
Part III Micro and macro consequences of crime
1. Codes of the underworld
2. Punishment and Inequality
3. Maras in Central America
4. Conclusions
Readings
Gambetta (2009)
Kaminski, Marek M. (2003)
Western (2006)
Bruneau, et al (2011)

*****************************Second test (May 29
th
)*****************************

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STUDENTS RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Attendance and participation in class discussions.
You are responsible for all announcements made in class and on MyCourses, as well as for all
course materials given out in class. You should also check for new announcements or material on
MyCourses at least weekly.

Policy Concerning the Rights of Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability please contact the instructor to arrange a time to discuss your situation.
It would be helpful if you contact the Office for Students with Disabilities at 398-6009 before
you do this.

Remise des travaux en franais
Les tudiants de ce cours peuvent rdiger tous leurs travaux (incluant les examens) en franais,
mais doivent pour ce faire obtenir la permission pralable de la professeure. Aucune
permission rtroactive ne sera accorde.

Review of a mark
You have the right to ask for a regrading if you feel that your work was not accurately graded.
However, in order to request a regrade, you must write a one page paper indicating the
reasons why your work should be regraded and hand it in to the professor within a week of
receiving the grade.

In addition, during the regrading process, the work is analyzed much more critically. The first
time around, we tend to give students the benefit of the doubt. Please also note that will
regrade the whole material (not just an individual question), and that we have the right to
lower your grade in this process.

You may prefer to meet with us and talk about how you may have improved your work and your
learning.

Policy for the Accommodation of Religious Holy Days
1 tudents are not to be penalied if they cannot write examinations or be otherwise evaluated
on their religious holy days where such activities conflict with their religious observances. ()
2 Students who because of religious commitment cannot meet academic obligations, other than
final examinations, on certain holy days are responsible for informing their instructor, with
two weeks notice of each conflict. ()
3 When the requested accommodation concerns a final examination, students are responsible
for advising their faculty office as soon as possible and not later than the deadline for
reporting conflicts. Additional documentation confirming their religious affiliation may be
requested. (Approved by enate - November 20, 1996 - Minute 92)

Statement on academic integrity at McGill
McGill University values academic integrity. Therefore all students must understand the
meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences under the Code
of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures (see www.mcgill.ca/integrity for more
information).
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'universit McGill attache une haute importance lhonntet acadmique. Il incombe par
consquent tous les tudiants de comprendre ce que l'on entend par tricherie, plagiat et autres
infractions acadmiques, ainsi que les consquences que peuvent avoir de telles actions, selon le
Code de conduite de l'tudiant et des procdures disciplinaires (pour de plus amples
renseignements, veuillez consulter le site www.mcgill.ca/integrity).

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