Deviance is a varied and fascinating phenomenon. This course will encourage rigorous thought about the various forms of deviance and the various theoretical approaches to understanding these forms. Some of the theoretical perspectives considered in the course will include:

• Control theory: Deviant behavior occurs when external controls on behavior are weak. According to control theory, we are inclined to engage in deviant behavior and will do so unless we are controlled by external forces.

• Differential association: Deviant behavior is learned through the process of associating with other deviants.

• Strain theory: Deviant behavior occurs when a person does not have the means to achieve a goal through legitimate channels and attempts to do so illegitimately.

• Critical theory: Deviant behavior is caused by inequalities in society. According to critical theories, deviance such as crime is a consequence of living in a state of relative disadvantage. Some critical theories also suggest that the criminal justice system is biased against powerless groups.

• Disorganization theory: Deviant behaviors are more likely to emerge when society is undergoing a period of rapid change. Such rapid change is disruptive to the whole of society and can trigger many forms of deviant/criminal behavior.

The course will encourage thought about the phenomenon of deviance, including both non-criminal and criminal forms of behavior. The course will also expose students to several theoretical perspectives applicable to the phenomenon of deviance.

A number of instructional techniques will be employed throughout this class. While a substantial amount of the course material will be conveyed through traditional classroom lectures, students will also learn about deviance through other means. There will be in-class activities, and guest speakers have been scheduled. Students will be asked to conduct fieldwork and to study deviance outside of class, as well.

TEXTBOOKS:

Additional reading material may be provided by the instructor via classroom handouts and/or postings on a course-dedicated internet page. Items posted on this home page can be read online, or alternatively, students can print hard copies out. Additional information will be provided about the home page in the first classroom meeting.

50 POINTS Short think papers (x2). Pass/fail grading, covering some form of deviance of interest to the student.

50 POINTS Fieldnotes. Can be used as part of written report.

100 POINTS Closed-book midterm exam, consisting of any combination of these question types: short answer, essay, multiple-choice, true-false, fill-in-the-blank.

200 POINTS Substantial written report covering some form of deviance of interest to the student.

200 POINTS Open book final exam, consisting of four essay questions.

GRADING SCALE:

General introduction to the course.

Pop quiz (tests, pencils, and scantrons provided).

Discussion of mores and norms.

The foundations of deviance.

Please have read:

• Downes & Rock, Chapter One
• Reader: "The normal and the pathological" (Durkheim)
• Reader: "Class conflict and law" (Marx)

Deviance: Is it good for society?

Please have read:

• Downes & Rock, Chapter Two
• Reader: "Outsiders" (Becker)
• Reader: "Notes on the sociology of deviance" (Erikson)

Discussion of results from pop quiz.

A whirlwind history of deviance.

Overview of various schools of thought in the study of deviance.

Please have read:

• Downes & Rock, Chapter Thirteen

Relevance of conceptual perspectives to research methods.

Please have read:

• Reader: Selections from Experimental Psychology (Kantowitz, Roediger, Elmes)
• Reader: "Up the Anthropologist: Perspectives gained from studying up" (Nader)
• Reader: "Ethics and the limits of scientific freedom" (Singer)

Labor Day: No classes.

Film: One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, part one.

Please have read:

• Reader: "On being sane in insane places" (Rosenhan)

Film: One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, part two.

Madness: Szasz, Laing, and the DSM-IV.

Please have read:

• Reader: "About inventing ‘mental disorders’" (CCHR)
• Reader: Selections from The Crack-Up (Fitzgerald)
• Reader: Selections from Touched with Fire (Jamison)

Psychopathy, sociopathy, and anti-social personalities.

Please have read:

• Reader: Selections from DSM-IV
• Reader: Selections from Psychology and Crime (Hollin)

Alcohol use and alcoholism.

Please have read:

• Reader: Selection from the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book
• Reader: Frequently asked questions on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Marijuana use.

Please have read:

• Reader: "Becoming a marijuana user" (Becker)
• Reader: Selections from Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts (Zimmer and Morgan)

The war on drugs.

Please have read:

• Reader: Selection from Trainspotting (Welsh)
• Reader: "America’s altered states: Analysis and history of drug use" (Shenk)
• Reader: Selection from Drug Crazy (Gray)

The genius as deviant: Changing conceptions of genius.

Please have read:

• Reader: "The evolution of the concept of genius" (Oleson)
• Reader: "The outsiders" (Towers)

Shamanism, visionquests, hallucinogen use.

Please have read:

• Reader: "Hallucinogenic use in traditional societies" (Davis)
• Reader: "Deautomatization and the mystic experience" (Deikman)

Religion, magic, and cults. Voodoo. Santaria.

Please have read:

• Reader: "Terror in Cuba as voodoo returns" (Walker)
• Reader: "NPR: Morning edition" (Edwards & Totenberg)
• Reader: "My religion is being suppressed today" (Urquhart)

New age religion.

Please have read:

• Reader: "Should we treat New Age beliefs with respect?" (York & Grayling)
• Reader: "Discussion on the mass suicide" (Rook & LaMotte)
• Reader: "Cults look to internet as credible way to connect" (Swett)

Gangs. The changing face of gang culture.

Please have read:

• Reader: "What is a gang?" (Thrasher)
• Reader: "East side story" (Engardio)

Militias: The intersection of race and ideology.

Please have read:

• Reader: Selections from The Militia Movement in the United States (104th Congress)

Homosexuality: The effect of zeitgeist on conceptions of deviance.

Please have read:

• Reader: Selections from Crimes Without Victims (Schur)
• Reader: "Societal reaction to deviant behavior: Problems of theory and method" (Kitsuse)

Midterm examination.

Fetishism and sadomasochism.

Please have read:

• Reader: "Dungeoness’ crib: Adventures in the skin trade with Mistress Cathryn" (Smith)
• Reader: "Probing limits of pleasure and pain" (Tuller)

Pornography: The legal sex industry.

Please have read:

• Reader: "Not a moral issue" (MacKinnon)
• Reader: Pornography’s link to rape, crime and child molestation" (NCCF)
• Reader: Selections from Defending Pornography (Strossen)
• Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15 (1973)

Prostitution: The illegal sex industry.

Please have read:

• Reader: "Female prostitution: Current research and changing interpretations" (Bullough and Bullough)
• Reader: "Evaluating prostitution as a human service occupation" (Ford)

Fieldwork day: Class does not meet.

Fieldwork day: Class does not meet.

Crime statistics.

Please have read:

• Reader: "A note on the use of official statistics" (Kitsuse and Cicourel)
• Reader: Selections from Criminal Victimization in the United States: 1973-90 Trends (US DOJ)

Theft.

Please have read:

• Reader: "Criminal victimization 1994" (US DOJ)
• Reader: Selections from promotions for The Complete Shoplifting Guide (Sinclair)

Violence in America. Assault.

Please have read:

• Reader: "Firearm facts" (VPC)
• Reader: "Facts about violence among youth and violence in schools" (CDC)

Hate crimes.

Please have read:

• Reader: 1999 Hate Crimes Law (ADL)

Domestic abuse. Spousal abuse. Child abuse.

Please have read:

• Reader: "The problem" (NCADV)
• Reader: "An unaddressed problem" (Holzman)
• Reader: "What is child maltreatment?" (NCCANI)
• Reader: "Frequently asked questions on child abuse and neglect" (NCCANI)

Rape.

Please have read:

• Reader: "Addressing acquaintance rape: The new direction of the rape law reform movement" (Cairney)

Child sexual abuse.

Please have read:

• Reader: "Teaching sexuality" (Rule)
• Reader: "Check it out" (SACPD)
• Reader: "Child victimizers: Violent offenders and their victims" (US DOJ)

Suicide. Euthanasia.

Please have read:

• Reader: "Suicide" (Durkheim)
• Reader: "Death becomes him" (Lessenberry)

White Collar Crime.

Please have read:

• Coleman, chapter one

Governmental and organizational crime

Please have read:

• Coleman, chapter two

Murder 101: Homicide and serial murder.

Please have read:

• Reader: "Victim-precipitated criminal homicide" (Wolfgang)
• Reader: Selections from Serial Killers (Norris)

Offender profiling.

Please have read:

• Reader: Selections from Whoever Fights Monsters (Ressler)
• Reader: "Criminal profiling from crime scene analysis" (Douglas, Ressler, Burgess, Hartman)
• Reader: "Psychological profiling: Does it actually work?" (Oleson)

Prisons and punishment.

Please have read:

• Reader: "A study of prisoners and guards in a simulated prison" (Haney, Banks, and Zimbardo)
• Reader: "California’s Prison Industry Authority" (Wisely)
• Reader: Selections from Discipline and Punish (Foucault)
• Reader: Selections from The Crime of Imprisonment (Shaw)

The death penalty.

Please have read:

• Reader: "Capital punishment" (Amsterdam)
• Reader: "In defense of the death penalty: A practical and moral analysis" (Van Den Haag)

Thanksgiving recess: No classes.

Film: In Cold Blood, part one

Film: In Cold Blood, part two

Exam review.

Thursday, December 16, 1999: 12:30 - 3:30 pm. Location: TBA

ATTENDANCE:

Attendance really matters. Often, there will be material presented in class that simply will not be available in your text, and it is therefore sensible to be in class whenever possible. Of course, from time to time, illness, work, or school activities may prevent you from attending class. A reasonable number (less than 3) of absences for these reasons are acceptable and will probably not influence your grade, as long as missed work is completed. Excessive absences may, however, influence your grade. As an added incentive to promote attendance, those students who miss no more than one class will be rewarded with 25 extra points at the end of the semester. If you miss more than one class, for any reason, you are not eligible for the extra credit.

MAKE-UP EXAMS/LATE OR MISSED ASSIGNMENTS:

Exams should be taken on the scheduled examination date. In case of illness requiring medical care or school activities (fraternity, sorority, or residence hall activities are not included) students will be allowed to take a make-up on the scheduled make-up dates (TBA) provided they meet all additional criteria. Documentation must be provided and signed by a university official or medical doctor, and documentation must include that official's telephone number. To be eligible for a make-up exam, you should notify me in advance and explain why you are not able to take the exam. Late assignments will not be accepted and in class activities cannot be made up. If you are unable to attend class when an assignment is due, hand it in early, send it with a friend, mail it, or have it mailed. Assignments received by mail with a postmark dated on or before the due date will be accepted.

STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS:

If you have special needs such as a chronic medical condition or learning disability, please let me know at the beginning of the semester. Any special needs will be accommodated, but you must inform me ahead of time. Any information you provide will be kept confidential.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

Plagarism and cheating are serious problems, and will not be tolerated. University policies regarding academic dishonesty will be strictly followed in this course.

THINK PAPERS:

Students are required to submit two think papers. Each think paper is worth 25 points and grading is pass/fail for these assignments. The think paper is designed to give you an opportunity to reflect on some aspect of deviance that interests you. It is not a research assignment, but a chance for you to write about your thoughts, your impressions, or your questions about some aspect of deviance. Think papers should be typed, double spaced, and should be about 3-4 pages long.

FIELDWORK REQUIREMENTS:

As previously noted, students will be required to conduct some real-world fieldwork. For this reason, class will not meet on Wednesday or Friday during week nine. It is expected that students will spend a minimum of three hours observing a deviance-related situation. Note this well: It is not necessary -- or recommended -- to put yourself into a risky situation when doing your fieldwork. There are many opportunities to observe deviant acts that do not pose a danger to one’s physical safety, and I encourage students to be sensible about their fieldwork observation. I encourage students to link their fieldwork observation and their research paper, but this is not required. If students want to do a library-based research paper, or if they want to observe a different situation than to they write their research papers on, this is fine. But the field notes are a good opportunity to use one assignment to count toward another assignment. If a student does not have other ideas for fieldwork, I encourage students to spend at least three hours observing a felony trial in a courthouse. Any country courthouse will work, although for most UC students, the Alameda County courthouse (at 1225 Fallon Street, Oakland) -- or, for some -- the Hall of Justice in San Francisco (at 850 Bryan Street) will be the most convenient.

The field notes must be typed and submitted at the beginning of the twelfth week. The notes should contain a brief description of the situation being described, descriptions of the participants in the situation, as well as a description of observed actions and impressions. If, for example, a student took field notes at the courthouse, her notes should include a description of the nature of the trial, descriptions of the social and demographic characteristics of the defendant, the defense and prosecuting attorneys, the baliffs, witnesses, courtroom officials, and judge. Her notes should include observations recorded in the courtroom and should also include notes recorded in the corridors, hallways, and outside the building. You don’t need to write a great deal (4-6 pages, typed, and double-spaced is about right) but you should think carefully about your observations and write about what you observed.

PAPER REQUIREMENTS:

LENGTH: The body of each research essay should be 15-20 pages. In addition, each paper should have a title page and bibliography that do not count toward the length of the paper. Illustrations or tables should be placed in an appendix at the end of the paper and will not be counted toward the page total.

FORMAT: Format of the paper should be consistent with any accepted format (e.g., MLA, APA, or ASA). Below are some guidelines you should follow for your research paper. A more detailed guide to the research paper will be distributed later in the course, but the following general guidelines may be helpful:

• Each paper should be typed and double spaced. Students should use a twelve-point Times New Roman font or its equivalent in terms of clarity and size.
• Top, bottom, left and right margins should be between 1 inch and 1.5 inches.
• When citing your sources, use parenthetical citations. These occur within the text.
• Every citation in the text should be accompanied by an entry in the bibliography (reference list) at the end of the paper.

TOPIC: For your topic you should choose a form of deviant behavior that you would like to learn a little more about. The possibilities are numerous. It is important to choose a topic you like. If you like the topic you will be more motivated to do a good job on the paper. Once the topic has been selected you should do the appropriate research. Books, journal articles, popular periodicals and internet sites may be used as sources of information. Sources of your information must be recognized as experts in the particular field you are investigating (so please be careful when using internet sites). The final paper is a report of what you have learned about your topic from the expert sources you examined.