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 29, 2007
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu

CRMJ/SOCA 385 Media, Crime, Criminal Justice

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 1, 2007

Topic: The Media and Juvenile Delinquency

Preparatory Readings:



• juvenile delinquency related handouts to be distributed in class
• Rafter. Shots in the Mirror. Chapter -- .
• Surette. Media, Crime and Criminal Justice . Chapter --.
• Potter and Kappeler. Constructing Crime . Chapters 6, 11, and 15.
• Movie: "Better Luck Tomorrow" (to be shown in class).
  
  

Lecture related links:



• Ray Surette's website
• W.I. Thomas "Definition of the Situation
• Metaphor and Theory. The Blind Men and the Elephant fable.
• Join the Yahoo Discussion Group with CSUDH students
  
  




Concepts to be covered:



• juvenile delinquent
• differences between the juvenile justice system and the adult criminal justice system
• status offense
• juveniles waived into adult court
• gangs
• youth violence
• delinquency intervention & prevention
• D.A.R.E.



Discussion Questions:

Note: Be sure to incorporate the movie, "Better Luck Tomorrow" in your answers.


1. After viewing "Better Luck Tomorrow," what does this movie tell us about the lives and lifestyle of today's Asian American youth? In your opinion, what was the director's purpose in making this movie? How does this movie compare to other media images of Asian Americans? Why.

2. What are some media images of today's youth? Are these media images more positive or more negative? Why.

3. Does the public's perception of youth crime match the official data? Why? Explain the role of the media and politics in shaping juvenile justice policy. [M&B:156].

4. What elements are needed to create successful programs? What role can politicians play in this process? Can the media also become involved? How? [M&B:156]

5. Why has juvenile justice become such a "hot button" issue? What effect has its predominance had on our policy initiatives? How do you foresee its position in the future? [M&B:156]



Dates and Deadlines




Friday, April 20th - The Final Absolute Deadline.

Friday, May 4th - The Last Day of Class.




Suggested Creative Measures:




Note: Your creative measure/visual presentation: 1) must relate to "media, crime, and the criminal justice system." 2) must be approved via email BEFORE starting. 3) cannot be something that you are doing or have done for another course. 4) research cannot be 100% online (i.e., google, askjeeves). Must conduct a review of the scholarly literature in the library, (not the popular press -- Time Magazine, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated). Go beyond the required readings in this course. YOU MUST CITE YOUR SOURCES that backup your visual presentations. No term papers! 5) Allow time to dialogue and present your creative measure in class (preferably before the deadline).



• Some reference sources that you might find helpful:

  Evaluating Authority
  Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. An excellent resource for juvenile justice related issues.
  National Criminal Justice Resource Service. Administered by the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.
  
  

• Make an "explosion box/card" that focuses on this week's topic, "Juvenile Delinquency/Juvenile Justice."
• Watch a recent movie on youth gangs. Next, watch a movie on youth gangs that was made over 10-20 years ago. Have the images of youth gangs changed over time? Why or why not.
• Examine one of the widely publicized delinquency prevention programs (i.e., DARE, GREAT). Does the program work? Why.
• Visit the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention website above. What are some recent initiatives that they are publicizing the most? Why.



Recommended Readings:



• Anthony Platt. Child Savers.
• Anne Campbell. Girls in Gangs.
• Will Hobbs. Downriver and the sequel, River Thunder.
• Louis Sachar. Holes and the sequel, Small Steps.
• Walter Myers. Monster.
• Geoffrey Canada. Fist Stick Knife Gun.
• Carl Hiassen, Hoot.
• Christopher Paul Curtis. Bud, Not Buddy.
• Susan Patron. The Higher Power of Lucky.
  
  
• Gaye Tuchman. Making News: A Study in the Construction of Reality.
• Bernard Goldberg. Arrogance: Rescuing America from the Media Elite.
• Bernard Goldberg. Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distorts the News.
• Steven Levy. The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture and Coolness.
• Lawrence Lessig. Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity. Lawrence Lessig, a law professor at Stanford University, has made his book free online.
• Internet Movie Database