SOC 240 - Criminology

Credit(s) 3.00
Lecture Hours: 3.00
This course provides an in-depth exploration of human behavior in relation to crime and the development of the correctional system. Drawing from sociological, psychological, and cultural frameworks, students will examine the causes of crime, the career criminal, and the processes involved in criminal behavior and rehabilitation. Emphasis is placed on understanding the origins of delinquency, including the influence of early family dynamics, socialization, and adverse environmental factors. The course also explores the role of correctional institutions and therapeutic interventions in modifying delinquent behavior, with a focus on individual personality development, antisocial tendencies, and aggressive behaviors. Through this study, students will gain insight into the complex interaction between personal, familial, and societal factors that contribute to criminal behavior and its potential modification. This course is cross listed as CRJ 200.

SLOs:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Understand social science methods used in analyzing social phenomena in the diversity of human perspectives.
Use basic criminology terms and concepts appropriately.
Demonstrate a basic understanding of historical development of criminology as a field of study.
Explain the major theoretical positions of the different schools of criminology.
Debate the techniques used to collect crime data.
Distinguish between biological, psychological, and sociological theories of crime.
Recognize the different crime typologies that exist.