CJWB 130

Criminology

This course provides an overall introduction to the principles and theories in criminology. The course is organized around two central questions: 1) Why are certain behaviors categorized and treated as criminal, and 2) why do people engage in criminal behavior? The course is designed to provide a general understanding of classical, biological, psychological, sociological roots of crime as they impact race, gender, and socioeconomic factors. Since no single theoretical position can adequately account for the incidence of criminality, this course focuses on diverse explanations, comparing and contrasting theoretical approaches and assessing their strengths and limitations

Units: 3.0