At the start of this course, it is important for you to familiarize yourself with your classmates, the course competencies, and the course environment. This will help you build a plan and a support system to successfully complete your assignments.
At the start of this course, it is important for you to familiarize yourself with your classmates, the course competencies, and the course environment. This will help you build a plan and a support system to successfully complete your assignments.
For this discussion, first review the course syllabus (in the Start Here area) and the guidelines for your Module One activities. Then create a post that addresses the following:
Briefly introduce yourself to your peers and instructor. Explain why you are interested in this field, and talk about any relevant experience you may have.
After reviewing the syllabus and the Module One assignments, what resources will you need to be successful in this course? How can your instructor and classmates help you reach the outcomes of the course?
Respond to at least two of your peers. In your responses, consider these questions:
What additional resources can you share that will help you and your classmates be successful?
What do you have in common with your classmates?
What opportunities can you explore for collaboration and peer support?
CJ120 Cultural Awareness
Module 3 Discussion
Bail Reform
In the Courts resource section, you identified the reason for having bail, the pros and cons of the current bail system, and its impact on diverse populations.
Representative Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts stated “One of my priorities is criminal justice reform, and there is certainly bipartisan support for that” (Oakes & Fleming, 2018).
Take a position: What would a just (fair) pretrial bail system include (or exclude). Include three to five ideas, and a rationale to support your post.
In your responses to peers, extend the ideas in their original posts to include nonmonetary release options by proposing alternatives, suggesting changes, or supporting the ideas presented.
Reference
Oakes, B., & Fleming, W. (2018). Pressley says voters have a choice: Status quo or changing Washington. Retrieved from https://www.wbur.org/news/2018/08/29/status-quo-or-change-ayanna-pressley
CJ120 Cultural Awareness
Module 6 Discussion
Bridging the Gap with the Community
I am in favor of community policing because it builds better working relationships with the communities.
—Vincent Frank, former chief of police
For this discussion, you will need to find one current article or video (from the last three years) about how criminal justice professionals are bridging the gap with their community. You can start your search by exploring the Discover Policing website for an article or video. You may also want to explore the “In the News” section of the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice website to choose a topic interesting to you. Make sure to include an appropriate APA citation at the end of your initial post.
Take a position. Do you agree or disagree that the technique described in your article will bridge the gap between the police and community? Why or why not?
For your initial post, summarize the article and explain how the gap is being bridged.
In your responses to two of your peers, consider how the action described in their article might be perceived by the community. Write your response from the viewpoint of the community and include the following:
Do you think this action might help break down stereotypes about criminal justice professionals?
Do you think this action might move toward bridging the gap?
CJ120 Cultural Awareness
Module 7 Discussion
Modifying Standards
In this discussion, you will discuss the pros and cons of modifying hiring standards for professionals in the criminal justice profession. First, make sure you’ve read the following two resources provided in the Criminal Justice Recruitment resource section:
Texas PD Hires First Deaf Female Officer
Police Loosen Standards for Accepting Recruits
Take a position. Do you think that any standards should be modified?
First, in your initial post, title your post either “Standards SHOULD be modified” or “Standards should NOT be modified.”
Then, using the resources, include a rationale to back up your position. Why do you think standards should be modified (or why not)? If you do think they should be modified, for whom and in what circumstances do you think they should be modified?Identify two posts by your peers that you might disagree with and respond to them. For each of your two peer responses, be sure to:
Include an explanation of why you disagree with their initial post. Use respectful language to politely disagree.
Include at least three questions about your peer’s initial post to further their thinking on the topic.
CJ120 Cultural Awareness
Module 8 Discussion
Societal Re-entry
According to Couloute (2018), “Before formerly incarcerated people can address health problems, find stable jobs, or learn new skills, they need a place to live.” Is it the responsibility of the criminal justice system to help them do these things? Take a position. Do you believe the criminal justice system (including its laws) has a responsibility to help formerly incarcerated people?
First, in your initial post, title your post “The criminal justice system DOES have a responsibility” or “The criminal justice system DOES NOT have a responsibility.”
Then, using the resources in this module, discuss whether you think the criminal justice system has a responsibility to help formerly incarcerated people become successful members of society. If not, whose responsibility is it? If so, whose specific responsibility is it in the criminal justice system? Include a rationale to support your explanation.
Identify two posts by your peers that you might disagree with and respond to them. For each of your two peer responses, be sure to:
Include an explanation of why you disagree with their initial post (Use respectful language to politely disagree.)
Include at least three questions to get more information about your peer’s initial post and further their thinking on the topic
Reference
Couloute, L. (2018). Nowhere to go: Homelessness among formerly incarcerated people. Prison Policy Initiative. Retrieved from https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/housing.html
CJ120 Cultural Awareness
Module 1 Journal
Overview
Loden’s Wheel, also called the Diversity Wheel, is considered an important theory in considering factors of diversity. Used in diversity trainings across the nation, the wheel provides a foundation for thinking about potential conflicts and identifying our blind spots. There are numerous versions and adaptations of Loden’s Wheel; the one selected for use in this course is the most extensive, so that we can analyze the complexities of the topic.
We’ve all witnesses discrimination in some form or another. Often, we focus on how we might react to that discrimination; however, in this assignment, you will identify which of the factors in Loden’s Wheel are most related to the central issue that caused the discrimination.
Prompt
For this journal assignment, think about a time when you witnessed or heard about discrimination. This can be a time when you, a close friend or family member, or a stranger witnessed discrimination, or even something you’ve seen in the media.
To begin this journal assignment, briefly describe the incident. Include a reflection on three to five factors on Loden’s Wheel that are most related to the incident you described. Include two to three possible historic factors (from the outer level of Loden’s Wheel) that may be related.
Specifically, the following rubric criteria must be addressed:
Describe the incident of discrimination.
Explain how factors on Loden’s Wheel may have created the conflict noted in incident.
Guidelines for Submission
This assignment must be 200–350 words in length and include references cited in APA format. Consult the Shapiro Library APA Style Guide for more information on citations.
CJ120 Cultural Awareness
Module 2 Practice Activity Personal Assessment
Overview
Loden’s Wheel is considered an important tool in considering factors of diversity. Used in diversity trainings across the nation, the wheel provides a foundation for thinking about potential conflicts we may be blind to. There are numerous versions and adaptations of Loden’s Wheel; the one used in this assignment is the most extensive one for analyzing the complexity of the topic. You will be using Loden’s Wheel to identify factors in yourself from the various levels of the wheel.
Prompt
Using the provided Module Two Practice Activity Template, you will use the factors on Loden’s Wheel to help define aspects of yourself. You will first identify factors from the different sections of Loden’s Wheel: internal factors, external factors, organizational factors, and era factors. You will then select the most influential factors from each section of the wheel (a minimum of three from each section) and provide an explanation as to why you chose those factors. How do those factors impact who you are? How do they directly or indirectly shape your personality?
Keep the following in mind as you are identifying factors and providing rationale:
Be sure to discern between often-confused factors, such as race and ethnicity.
The factors may vary in level of depth and broadness. For example, experiences may be broad, whereas age is specific.
In the outermost circle, era is used to provide a broader view of how things shape individuals. For instance, 9/11 or the O. J. Simpson trial may impact your locale or a group you identify with, or they may shape your parents or community at large. Consider war and conflict, politics, social movements, movies and albums released, and so on.
You do not need to describe all factors. Only include what you are comfortable sharing.
Specifically, the following rubric criteria must be addressed:
Identify internal factors of self (a minimum of three).
Provide rationale as to why selected internal factors are most influential on your personality.
Identify external factors of self (a minimum of three).
Provide rationale as to why selected external factors are most influential on your personality.
Identify organizational factors of self (a minimum of three).
Provide rationale as to why selected organizational factors are most influential on your personality.
Identify era factors of self (a minimum of three).
Provide rationale as to why selected era factors are most influential on your personality.
CJ120 Cultural Awareness
Module 2 Assignment
Overview
In this assignment, you will explain the roles of culture and bias in interpreting and conveying information.
Prompt
In Module One, you learned some common terminology used to explain different aspects of cultural diversity and how these terms may influence decision making. You also completed your own personal diversity assessment using Loden’s Diversity Wheel. These activities will assist you as you begin to construct a cultural diversity education and training for Project One.
In this activity, you will examine the history of Chinese immigration to the United States in order to gain a better understanding of the relationship between cultural bias, stereotyping, and communication issues among a specific group, the police, and the criminal justice system. This will also assist you as you consider the specific factors from Loden’s Diversity Wheel that impact criminal-justice interactions in Project Two, which you will complete in Module Five.
First, review the History of San Francisco’s Chinatown resource, On Police Treatment, Asian-Americans Show Ethnic, Generational Splits, and The Social History of Crime and Punishments in America: An Encyclopedia -Chinese Americans. Then, in a slide presentation, complete the following essential elements:
Cultural Stereotype
Slide 1
Provide a 50- to 100-word summary of cultural stereotypes related to Chinese immigrants.
Include any additional notes as speaker notes.
Decision Making
Slides 2 and 3
Provide at least two examples of poor decision making in the criminal justice system or its professionals that are the direct result of cultural stereotyping.
Include each example on its own slide.
History
Slide 4
Provide a summary of the history of Chinese immigration to the United States.
Slide 5
Connect this history with cultural biases and stereotypes.
Communication
Slide 6
Identify speaking and listening communication issues that may arise due to bias or stereotyping related to the history of Chinese immigrants to the United States.
Specifically, the following rubric criteria must be addressed:
Identify cultural stereotypes of Chinese immigrants.
Provide examples of poor decision making as a result of cultural stereotyping.
Explore the connection between the history of Chinese immigration to the United States and cultural bias and stereotypes.
Identify communication issues that may arise due to bias or stereotyping.
CJ120 Cultural Awareness
Module 4 Journal
Overview
There are many tools to evaluate implicit biases, such as surveys and tests. The most popular is the Implicit Association Test, or IAT, which measures association between concepts and evaluations or stereotypes. This test, which was created by Anthony Greenwald and his colleagues, is an online test that is available to the public through Harvard University and has several adaptations, including a Gender-Career IAT, Disability IAT, Age IAT, and others. Although you are not required to complete the IAT for this assignment, feel free to explore the tests and their descriptions.
For this assignment, you will be completing a “Comfort in Social Situations” survey and reflecting on your results. The results of this survey may help identify any implicit biases you may have and how they may impact your communication in the criminal justice field.
Prompt
For this journal assignment, visit the Breaking the Prejudice Habit website and click on “Comfort in Social Situations (College Student Version)” at the bottom of the page. Complete the worksheet. You do not need to share your results or hand in this worksheet; this is for your personal reflection only.
Once you receive your results, reflect on them. Were you surprised at the results, or were they what you had expected? What factors or experiences may have contributed to how you responded to the scenarios? Compare your results to your journal response from Module One. Do your results align with the personal factors from Loden’s Wheel that you identified in that journal assignment? Next, identify any implicit biases that you may have, based on your survey results, and any known explicit biases. Lastly, explain how your results, along with any implicit and explicit biases you may have, may impact your communication in the criminal justice field.
Specifically, the following rubric criteria must be addressed:
Reflect on your “Comfort in Social Situations” survey results.
Compare those results to the personal factors from Loden’s Wheel.
Identify any implicit or explicit biases.
Explain how the survey results and your biases may impact communication in the criminal justice field.
Guidelines for Submission
This assignment must be 200–350 words in length. Any references should be cited in APA format. Consult the Shapiro Library APA Style Guide for more information on citations.
CJ120 Cultural Awareness
Module 4 Project
Competency
In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competency:
Describe the roles of culture and bias in interpreting and conveying information
Scenario
You are working in one of the following civilian roles located in your hometown or work area, or in a nearby metropolitan area. You have recently been asked to gather a group of community members and certain sworn officials to offer a diversity training to. The training presentation will include common terminology and stereotypes, and the community members will have to identify their implicit biases.
First, select one association-sworn official from the Criminal Justice Professional Associations document. Next, select one of the following civilian roles:
Paralegal
Court Clerk
Victim Advocate
Nonprofit Administrator
Eligibility Specialist
Directions
Training
After you have chosen your civilian role and your audience of specific sets of sworn officials, follow the directions below to complete your assignment:
Describe how culture impacts communications from criminal justice professionals, using appropriate terminology. You may include any videos or supplemental theories you think may be relevant.
Include key terminology related to cultural awareness, including:
Terms related to classifications of cultures (e.g., contraculture)
The difference between race and ethnicity
The difference between discrimination and prejudice
Provide at least one example of each type—speaking and listening—when there is miscommunication.
Explain how cultural stereotypes can negatively influence decision making in criminal justice settings. Include the following:
Three examples of stereotypes common to these defined groups and how they can be harmful when generalized and lead to poor decision making:
Race
Ethnicity
Language ability
Citizenship
Religion
Explain how diversity stereotypes can negatively influence decision making in criminal justice settings. Include the following:
Five examples of stereotypes common to these defined groups and how they can be harmful when generalized and lead to poor decision making:
Socioeconomic status (SES)
Gender
LGBTQ+ status
Age
Disability (including mental disabilities)
A brief explanation of the history behind stereotyping one of these five diverse communities in the United States
Explain how personal bias may influence speaking and listening.
Explain the relationship between ethnocentrism and communication issues among criminal justice professionals and the public.
Distinguish implicit from explicit bias.
Include an example from your (or another’s) examination of implicit biases.
What to Submit
To complete this project, you must submit the following:
Training Presentation
Use the Project One Template for your training presentation for sworn officers and community members. Your project can be presented in a variety of presentation formats, but must include visual representation in addition to talking points. Make sure to utilize the speaker notes function in the presentation if you do not include a video or voiceover.
Supporting Materials
The following resource(s) may help support your work on the project:
CJ120 Cultural Awareness
Module 5 Assignment 1
Overview
In this assignment, you will look at Loden’s Wheel of Diversity factors and identify the pertinent information that frequently impacts interactions throughout the criminal justice system, specifically in relation to policing, courts, and corrections.
Prompt
In Modules Three and Four, you examined Loden’s Wheel of Diversity, which portrays the lens through which people process information and the assumptions it can lead to about others. These assumptions drive our own behaviors and can ultimately have a negative (or sometimes positive) impact on others. The wheel consists of five “Diversity Dimensions”: Personality, Internal, External, Organizational, and Era. Each dimension contains its own set of attributes or factors. While some factors are out of our control (e.g., internal dimension), others may change over time and are the basis for our decision making. Being able to identify these unique characteristics along with the specific dimension can help you gain a better understanding of the factors that influence our behaviors as well as the impact they have on interactions within the criminal justice system. This will also assist you as you consider individual biases in Project Two, which you will complete in Module Seven.
In this assignment, include the following:
Prevalent Factors
First, review Loden’s Wheel of Diversity.
Identify at least five factors you think would be most prevalent in influencing interactions within the criminal justice system.
Take careful note of which dimension each factor belongs to in order to determine whether or not it is within our control.
Identify Quotes: Sharanda Jones Case
Now that you have predicted which factors you think would be the most prevalent, you will need to identify quotes that provide evidence of each factor.
First, read the Sharanda Jones case and the supporting materials/resources associated with this case.
Reading: New Reforms Bypass Dallas Inmate Sentenced to Life for First Drug Arrest
This article explains details of the Sharanda Jones case.
Reading: From a First Arrest to a Life Sentence
This article explains details of the Sharanda Jones case.
Next, using the Milestone Two Table Template document provided, identify at least three quotes (or specific information) from the case that connect to your identified Loden’s Wheel factors.
Additional Factors
Look over Loden’s Wheel again. What additional factors might influence interactions within the criminal justice system?
Identify at least three additional factors. Do not use the same factors you already identified.
Identify Quotes: Sharanda Jones/Other
Identify quotes from the Sharanda Jones case or other course resources that connect to each of the Loden’s Wheel factors you identified.
Note: You should have at least one quote (or specific information) to support each prevalent and additional factor you identified.
Reflect
Finally, consider the factors you chose and the quotes (or specific information) you found to support each factor. In one to two paragraphs, consider the following:
How easily did the quotes (or information) you found align to the factors you initially predicted?
Was it more difficult to find examples for certain factors? Why or why not?
Did you find multiple examples for any factors (even if you didn’t include those examples in your table)?
Why do you think it might have been easier to find examples for certain factors?
Specifically, the following rubric criteria must be addressed:
Identify factors most prevalent in influencing interactions within the criminal justice system.
Identify additional factors that might influence interactions within the criminal justice system.
Identify quotes or specific information that connect to all Loden’s Wheel factors you identified.
Reflect on the connection between the factors and the quotes or information you found.
CJ120 Cultural Awareness
Module 5 Assignment 2
Overview
In this assignment, you will be able to describe different cultures’ views on criminal justice professionals and identify incidents of misunderstandings. You will also be able to explain the current professional practices as well as the best practices that can help create cultural sensitivity in criminal justice professionals.
Prompt
At the beginning of the term, you discussed Culture in Communication and the ways in which individual implicit bias and stereotyping can lead to negative interactions between law enforcement professionals and members of the community. You then developed your own diversity training to assist sworn officers in reducing these incidents. Understanding the need for cultural awareness and sensitivity in law enforcement can help bridge the gap as well as build trust between sworn professionals and the community. This will also assist you in completed Module Five Assignment One in this module.
In Project One, you chose a civilian role. In Project Three, your success in the first project has been recognized, and you will be asked to provide a report to the “Office of Accountability,” which would like to hear your thoughts on other relevant issues.
To help prepare you for this report, in this assignment you will focus on one culture or subculture and how its views of and past misunderstandings with criminal justice professionals might impact interactions between the groups. Choose a culture or subculture group other than your own that you would like to examine further, or select the group provided in this article from The Atlantic. For each section below, provide the following:
Views
Summarize, in 150–300 words, an example of each of the following:
Viewpoints your chosen culture or subculture group might have about criminal justice professionals
An explanation of why this group might hold those views
Misunderstandings
Provide an example of a misunderstanding this culture or subculture group has had with criminal justice professionals. You may wish to consider one of the following areas. (Hint: You will need to provide an example of each of these areas in Project Three, so you may want to choose one of them now.)
Language
Religion/Beliefs
Deafness
Illiteracy
Professional Practices
Next, explore each of the professional practices listed below. For each practice, in 50–100 words, describe the practice and then bullet point some of the possible outcomes of instituting it. This will help prepare you to explore each of these practices and make recommendations to the “Office of Accountability” in Project Three. Refer to the Professional Practices Example document for expectations and formatting guidelines.
Understanding the public
Diversity training
Procedural justice
Police legitimacy
Diverse hiring practices
Specifically, the following rubric criteria must be addressed:
Explore the viewpoints of a culture or subculture group and why that group might hold those views.
Provide an example of a misunderstanding between a culture or subculture group and criminal justice professionals.
Describe professional practices and possible outcomes.
CJ120 Cultural Awareness
Module 7 Project
Competency
In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competency:
Explain how cultural differences and diversity influence professional practice in criminal justice
Scenario
The American Bar Association (ABA) has sent an email to your organization looking for a presentation that pitches ideas for a “360-degree view” installation at the new museum in Chicago. This installation will focus on the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s, with a specific focus on how diversity can influence professional practices—both individual and systemic—in criminal justice. Your immediate supervisor is interested in pitching an idea for your team, and she has asked you to create a presentation that highlights the theme of diverse people struggling both with and within the criminal justice system.
Directions
Installation Ideas
You will present your pitch research in a presentation format of your choosing. Numerous issues listed below are encompassed in the Sharanda Jones case. For the issues not related to the case, consider how they will fit into an installation; consider using a “What if . . . ?” slide that explores how it might have been different if she had been white, mentally ill, or otherwise different for each factor you’ve been asked to include.
Describe how policing is affected by a lack of cultural competence in both systemic and individual biases. Include commentary on the following issues in relation to cultural bias:
“Overpolicing” certain races or ethnicities
Militarization of police
Field decisions
Other issues of diversity:
Mental illness
LGBTQ+
Describe how courts are affected by a lack of cultural competence in both systemic and individual biases. Include commentary on the following issues in relation to cultural bias:
Discrepancies related to drug crime sentencing
Bail
Discrepancies related to socioeconomic status
Discrepancies related to death-penalty sentencing
Other issues of diversity:
Mental illness
LGBTQ+
Describe how corrections is affected by a lack of cultural competence in both systemic and individual biases. Include commentary on the following issues in relation to cultural bias:
Geography and female prisons
Medical issues (e.g., Sharanda Jones’s mother)
Lack of oversight in private prisons
Placement of transgendered people
Male corrections officers in female prisons
Treatment of mentally ill, disabled, pregnant, etc.
Explain the need for diversity in the recruitment of criminal justice professionals. Include commentary on the following issues in relation to cultural bias:
Current demographic information related to diversity
Gender equity
The importance of mirroring society
What to Submit
To complete this project, you must submit the following:
Installation Ideas
Your installation ideas can be presented through whatever medium best suits your needs, including a portfolio of text and pictures, a video presentation in which you explain your ideas as if you were in a face-to-face meeting, or a presentation with speaker notes or voice over.
CJ120 Cultural Awareness
Module 8 Project
Competency
In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competency:
Describe how differences in culture impact society’s interactions with criminal justice professionals
Scenario
You are in the same role you chose for Project One: Because you did such fantastic work with the training you held for community members and sworn officers, the Civilian Office of Accountability, a local advisory board, has invited you back to report back with specific potential ideas for the location you chose for Project One. The board would like to hear your thoughts on relevant issues, such as how other cultures view criminal justice professionals, and typical types of misunderstandings between such professionals and civilians.
Directions
Suggestions Report
For your report, feel free to take information from any of the module resources, or use outside resources.
Describe different cultures’ or subcultures’ views of criminal justice professionals.
Include at least three of the following (different from your own background) that are relevant to your community:
Native Americans
Asian communities
Hispanic communities
Refugees
People of color
Undocumented people
Explain the general views that are culturally based.
Describe the reasoning (often historical) behind those views.
Describe incidents of cultural misunderstanding between criminal justice professionals and civilians. Address the following in your assessment:
Language
Religion / beliefs
Illiteracy
Deafness
Describe professional practices that may create cultural sensitivity in criminal justice professionals. Address the following in your assessment:
Understanding the public
Diversity training
Procedural justice
Police legitimacy
Diverse hiring practices
Assess best practices to build trust within cultural communities. Address the following in your assessment:
Creating an understanding of the community
Transparency
Accountability
Positive community interactions
Visibility
What to Submit
To complete this project, you must submit the following:
Suggestions Email with Attachment
Your suggestions for the board in your hometown area will be sent in a formal business email with an attachment. The email should be introductory—describing you and your task, and including a brief summary of the attachment—and the attachment should include the formal information they’ve requested.
CJ120 Cultural Awareness
Module 8 Practice Activity Research Questions
Overview
In your final course in the criminal justice program, you will have to create a research question that you will then investigate further. To assist you in this task, we will provide a list of current research topics covered in each course and ask you to submit at least one research question based on a topic covered in that course for instructor feedback. Using the topics listed below (or others covered in this course), create one to three research questions and submit them to your instructor.
This research question assignment is graded based on completion, and instructor feedback should help you strengthen your questions for future use. After you have submitted the questions to your instructor, upload them (and the list of potential topics below, if you wish) to your ePortfolio.
For more information on creating research questions, refer to this research resource from the Shapiro Library. This page also has a helpful FAQ section on research-question creation and expectations that you may want to explore further.
Topics:
Reducing recidivism
Re-entering society after corrections
Bail reform (pretrial systems, nonmonetary release options)
Implicit bias (IAT)
Professional training for criminal justice professionals
Agency recruitment and retention of minority candidates
Bridging the gap between criminal justice professionals and the community
Public perceptions of criminal justice professionals
Specifically, the following rubric criteria must be addressed:
Submit one to three research questions based on a topic covered in this course.
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