Sociology 259: Sociology of Crime and Delinquency

A sociological examination of the patterns, causes, and consequences of criminal and delinquent behavior in modern society. Specific topics to be studied in this course include: 1) the origins of and purposes behind criminal law; 2) the various theories of crime and delinquency; and 3) the relationships between the public’s perception of and concern about the various forms of criminal deviance and the true impact of these behaviors upon society. This course is open to all students, but previous coursework in sociology would be very helpful.