SOC 3625 - Race, Crime, and Justice

• Students will be able to explain the sources of data and methodology used to study race, crime, and justice and identify empirical patterns of race and crime in the United States.
• Students will be able to explain racial and ethnic stratification in the United States and discuss how it intersects with crime and disparities in policing, prosecution, and sentencing based on race and ethnicity.
• Students will be able to identify and evaluate the impact of cultural stereotypes and media representations on perceptions of race and crime.
• Students will be able to identify their own cultural biases and assumptions, and discuss how they shape perceptions of race and crime in society.
• Students will be able to discuss the complexity of elements relating to crime and justice that are important to members of different racial and ethnic groups.
• Students will be able to interpret intercultural experiences and perspectives from their own and others’ worldviews and to act in a supportive manner that recognizes the experiences and feelings of members of different racial and ethnic groups.
• Students will be able to identify cultural differences in communication styles and apply this understanding to negotiate shared meanings, including cultural variations in legal language, courtroom behavior, and police-citizen interactions.
• Students will be able to pose complex questions and apply multiple perspectives to understand and analyze issues related to race, crime, and justice in the United States.
• Students will be able to initiate and develop meaningful interactions with members of different racial and ethnic groups while recognizing and suspending biases and stereotypes, and valuing the diverse experiences and perspectives of different groups.
• Students will be able to explain and assess the effectiveness of various criminal justice policies, reforms, and alternatives aimed at addressing racial disparities in the criminal justice process.