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California State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Soka University Japan - Transcend Art and Peace
Created: July 27, 2003
Latest Update: April 3, 2009
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu

CRMJ/SOCA 352 Law and Social Change

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 12: Week of April 5, 2009

Monday, April 6th -- Sign up for your second meeting. Deadline to sign up for the RCI site visit (scheduled for Monday, April 13th at 2:30 p.m) .

Friday, April 10th -- Deadline to sign up for the Ellsworth site visit (scheduled for Friday, April 17th at 1:30 p.m.).

April 20-24 - Second meetings

Monday, May 4th at the beginning of class -- Final Visual Project due (including bibliography & self-assessment)

Topic: Constitutive Criminology/Latino & Latina Americans

Preparatory Readings

• Arrigo. Social Justice/Criminal Justice. Chapter 8.
• Mann, Zatz & Rodriguez. Images of Color, Images of Crime. Chapters 13 & 18.
• Constitutive Criminology at Work
  
• Documentary: "hablas ingles?" (to be shown in class)
  
  
• Curran and Takata. Sociology of Law Handbook
  -- Introduction
  -- Chapter 1, part 1
  -- Chapter 1, part 2
  -- Chapter 2

Lecture related links:



• National Criminal Justice Reference Service. Administered by the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.
  
• Metaphor and Theory links to "The Blind Men and the Elephant" which applies to several concepts discussed in both classes. Eric K. mentioned this metaphor during one of our class discussions in "Law and Society."
• "My Role in Social Change" Poem by LaTricia White (Spring 2004)
  
• "They Ain't Us: Identity as an Anti-Norm"
  
• Those Infamous Grades and Letters of Recommendation
• "The Case Against Gold Stars" by Alfie Kohn.
  
  

Concepts to be covered:



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



Discussion Questions:

Note: In order to answer these discussion questions, you will need to view "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 English should be the official language of the United States? Why. (from MZR)

5. Based on the images discussed this week, can Latinos/Latinas 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? (MZR)
   
   



Self-Assessment Questions for Visual Projects:





Final Visual Projects will be due at the beginning of class on Monday, May 4th (include your bibliography and self-assessment)



1. List the names of the individuals in your group. What did you do exactly for this visual project? (If in a group, explain the division of labor and your individual contribution to this visual project). What small item did you create to "give away" to those visiting your visual project?
2. Explain in depth, how your visual project specifically relates to the course (i.e., the readings, the documentaries, class discussions, major concepts). Demonstrate how your visual project relates to "theory, policy, practice". What did you learn?
3. Assess how the 6Cs apply to your visual project, with special attention on competence and creativity. What is your visual project self-assessment (provide a letter grade) ___ ? Explain why this particular grade.
   
   
   

   Suggested Visual Projects:

   
   

   Note: Start thinking about ideas for your creative measures. Must relate to "law and social change." 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!
   
   

   • 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/a gangs, 3) bilingual education.
   • Relate a current political campaign to some of the issues mentioned in this week's readings.
   • Beyond examples discussed in class, examine how the mass media portrays Latinos/Latina Americans.
   • Read one of the recommended books listed below on Latinos/Latina Americans. Visually present a book review.
   • Examine the stereotypes and the stereotyping of Latinos/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 Latinos/Latina Americans from past to present.
   • Research one of the following Latinos/Latinas: 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 Latinos/Latina Americans (i.e., boycotting, strikes).
   
   

   Recommended Readings:
   
   

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

   • Rudolfo Acuna. Occupied America: A History of the Chicanos. [has not been released yet]

   • 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 . The Chicano Manifesto .
     
     

     --- 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/SOCA 352 "Law and Social Change"

takata@uwp.edu