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California State University, Dominguez Hills
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Created: July 27, 2003
Latest Update: January 29, 2009
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu

CRMJ 490 Special Topics: Careers in Criminal Justice
(aka The Criminal Justice Profession)

You will be held accountable for the readings and discussion questions listed here. There will be no "testing." That means that you will not have to live in anxious anticipation of what we will ask and how much you will have to know. Instead, we will provide weekly discussion questions, lectures, essays, and concepts we feel that you should know as a result of having taken this course. You will assure us of that learning and receive your grade for the questions and concepts about which you choose to write and talk with us. In addition you will find detailed explanations and examples on our grading policies in the first week's reading.

* * * * *

Week 3: Week of February 1, 2009

Friday, February 6th -- Class will meet at the Career Center.

Start working on your career portfolio, (i.e., resume, biographical essay).

Topic: The Evolution and Historical Development of the Criminal Justice Profession

Preparatory Readings

• Spencer Johnson. Who Moved My Cheese? --- read entire book.
• Mark Jones. Criminal Justice Pioneers in U.S. History. Parts 1 & 2 .
• Susan Takata and Jeanne Curran. Theory, Policy, Practice of a Career. [online] --- Chapters 2 & 3.
  
• J. Scott Harrs & Karen Hess. Careers in Criminal Justice and Other Related Fields bundled with free access to the Cengage Learning's Career in Criminal Justice website.
• Randy Pausch. The Last Lecture. (optional)
• Richard Bolles. What Color is Your Parachute 2009? (optional)

Lecture related links:



• W.I. Thomas "Definition of the Situation
  
  
• Those Infamous Grades and Letters of Recommendation
• "The Case Against Gold Stars" by Alfie Kohn.
• Cooperative Learning
• Preface
• "Who's Habermas? Why Habermas?"
  
  

Concepts to be covered:



• illocutionary discourse
• "theory, policy, practice"
• archival research
• field observation
• participant observation
• interviewing
• survey research
• the research process
• the ethics and politics of research
• demographic forecasts
• occupational norms
• The Occupational Outlook Handbook
• job market trends



Discussion Questions:

Note: In order to answer these discussion questions, you will need to do all the assigned readings and attend the Career Center site visit.

1. In Parts 1 & 2 of Criminal Justice Pioneers..., which individual did you find the most interesting/fascinating? Why.

2. In the Criminal Justice Pioneers... readings, which individual has had the greatest impact on the criminal justice profession? Why. What does this tell us about the "theory, policy, practice" of a career?

3. Which social scientific research methodology would be the best approach to obtain accurate information about your career goal? Why.

4. Where would you find out the career outlook (or forecast) for your chosen field? What is the future outlook relating to your selected career goal? Are you surprised? Why or why not. (Be sure to cite or attach the source).

5. What did you find the most interested about our visit to the university's Career Center? Why. the least interesting? Why. Finally, what services/resosurces would you like to see our Career Center offer? Why.



Suggestions for your Career Portfolio:




Note: Start thinking about ideas for your creative measures. Must relate to "the criminal justice profession." Must be approved before starting your creative measure. Cannot be something that you are doing or have done for another course. Research cannot be 100% online (i.e., google, askjeeves). Must conduct library research using scholarly works, (not the popular press -- Time Magazine, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated). You will need to submit a bibliography with each project. No term papers! Allow time to dialogue and present your creative measure in class. Email me your ideas ASAP!



• Go to the latest edition of The Occupational Outlook Handbook, and look up your career goal. What does it say about your future career? Based on the OOH, what didn't you know about your career goal? Why.
• Trace the historical changes and developments in your selected profession?
• Read a biography or autobiography about a prominent CRMJ professional.
• What is your career goal? Why did you select this profession? What do you know about this profession?
• Juggling: How does one juggle career, family and other demands?



Recommended Readings:

• James Q. Wilson. Thinking about Crime.
• Judith Pinkerton Josephson. Allan Pinkerton: The Original Private Eye.
• Joseph Bucklin Bishop. Charles Joseph Bonaparte: His Life and Public Services.
• S.N. Lake. Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshall.
• Woodworth Clum. Apache Agent: The Story of John P. Clum .
• Gene Caesar. Incredible Detective: The Biography of William J. Burns.
• Gloria E. Myers. A Municipal Mother: Portland's Lola Greene Baldwin, America's First Police-Woman.
• Alfred E. Parker. Crime Fighter, August Vollmer.
• Curt Gentry. J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and His Secrets.
• John C. McWilliams. The Protectors: Harry J. Anslinger and the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 1930-1962.
• William J. Bopp. O.W. Wilson and the Search for a Police Profession.
• Paul Heimel. Eliot Ness: The Real Story.
• Daryl Gates and Diane K. Shah. Chief: MY LIfe in the LAPD.
• Peter Maas. Serpico.
• W.R. Morris. Buford: The True Story of the "Walking Tall" Sheriff.
• Penny Harrington. Triumph of Spirit: An Autobiography of Penny Harrington.
  
• Richard Bolles. What Color is Your Parachute?
• Malcolm Gladwell. Outliers: The Story of Success.
• Dennis W. Bakke. Joy at Work.
• Megan Hustad. How to be Useful.
  

• Jurgen Habermas. Between Facts and Norms.
  
• Martha Minow. Making All the Difference: Exclusion, Inclusion and American Law. Check out this link Martha Minow on the Dear Habermas site.
  
  
  

Course Syllabus for CRMJ 490 "Special "Topics: Careers in Criminal Justice"

takata@uwp.edu