Mirror Sites:
CSUDH - Habermas - UWP - Archives

California State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Soka University Japan - Transcend Art and Peace
Created: July 27, 2003
Latest Update: March 24, 2005
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu

CRMJ/SOCA 352: Law and Social Change

You will be held accountable for purposes of grading for the readings and exercises 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 11: Week of March 27, 2005

Topic: Constitutive Criminology and Latino/Latina Americans

Special Announcements:



• March 21- April 8 - Fall 2005 Academic Advising. See your advisor now!
• April 11th -- Fall 2005 registration begins.
• April 22nd, beginning of class -- ABSOLUTE FINAL DEADLINE
• May 6th - Last Day of Class
  

  Preparatory Readings:

• Arrigo. Social Justice/Criminal Justice, Chapter 8.
• Mann and Zatz. Images of Color, Images of Crime, Chapters 14 and 19 .
• Video: "hablas ingles?" (to be shown in class).
• Constitutive Criminology at Work
  
  

  Lecture related links:
  
  

• W.I. Thomas "Definition of the Situation
• Martha Minow. Making All the Difference: Exclusion, Inclusion and American Law. Check out this link Martha Minow on the Dear Habermas site.
  
  

  Concepts to be covered:
  

• postmodern
• politics of difference
• integrative-constitutive theory
• U.S. English Only movement
• "Proposition 187
• Latino gangs
  

  Discussion Questions:

  Note: In order to answer these discussion questions, you must view the documentary, "hablas ingles?" to be shown in class.

  1. Why is it important to understand socially constructed differences when considering social justice in a postmodern society? Provide examples of how these differences build toward inequalities. (from Arrigo, p. 173, Q. 5)

  2. What social and criminal justice policy implications follow from an integrative-constitutive theory of crime and social justice? Why does social justice require more than fixing the criminal justice system? (Arrigo, p. 173, Q.6).

  3. How does the documentary, "hablas ingles?" relate to constitutive criminology? Why.

  4. Do you think Proposition 187 and the English Only movement are examples of immigrant bashing? Why. (from M&Z)

  5. Do you think English should be the official language of the United States? Why. (from M&Z).

  6. Based on the images discussed in this chapter, can Latinos and other minorities ever receive equal justice? Also, how can you, as a possible future employee within the criminal justice system, help deal with these images? (M&Z)

  
  

  Suggested Creative Measures:

  
  
  • new Examine the U.S. English Only movement. Should the official language in the United States be English? Why or why not. Critique the arguments on both sides of the issue.
  • new Explore one of the following issues: 1) Proposition 187, 2) Latino gangs, 3) bilingual education.
  • Beyond examples discussed in class, examine how the mass media portrays Latinos/Latinas as discussed in the Arrigo chapter on semiotics.
  • Read one of the recommended books listed below on Latino/Latina Americans. Email me a brief book review.
  • Examine the stereotypes and the stereotyping of Latino/Latina Americans. Select on stereotype and trace how and why this stereotype has changed from the past to present day?
  • Trace either prime time television or movie images of Latino/Latina Americans from past to present.
  • Research one of the following Latino/Latina Americans: Reies Tijerina, Cesar Chavez or other prominent Latino/Latina American figures.
  • Trace the historical and contemporary origins of the Brown Beret.
  • Explore some of the political and economic strategies used by Latino/Latina Americans (i.e., boycotting, strikes).
  • Draft a list of the most important contributions of Latino/Latina Americans. Draft a list of the most famous Latino/Latina Americans. How do these two lists compare?
  • Examine the concept of "chicanismo."
    
    
  • Note: All creative measures: 1) Must relate to "law and social change." 2) Must be pre-approved. 3) Cannot be something that you are doing for another course. 4) 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).
  
  

  Recommended Readings:

  
  

  • new Sandra Cisneros. House on Mango Street.

  • new Sandra Cisneros. Woman Hollering Creek: And Other Stories.

  • Luis Rodriguez. Always Running: La Vida Loco, Gang Days in L.A..

  • Rudolfo Acuna. Occupied America: A History of the Chicanos.

  • Susan Berk-Seligson. Bilingual Courtroom.

  • Richard Rodriguez. Hunger of Memory.

  • Joan Moore. Going Down to the Barrio: Homeboys and Homegirls in Change.

  • Joan Moore. Homeboys: Gangs, Drugs, and Prison in the Barrios of Los Angeles.

  • Armando Rendon. (i think) The Chicano Manifesto .
    
    

  • Jurgen Habermas. Between Facts and Norms.
  • Martha Minow. Making All the Difference: Inclusion, Exclusion and American Law.

• Course Syllabus
  
  
• Links to the Sociology of Law Handbook readings
  -- Introduction
  -- Chapter 1, part 1
  -- Chapter 1, part 2
  -- Chapter 2

takata@uwp.edu