Criminal Justice

For this assignment, you will need to apply your knowledge of 3 criminological theories to some type of contemporary cultural artifact.
Application papers should be 10 pages in length and should include the following:

A brief description of the artifact you have selected [~1 page]

Which type of medium did you select? Who is the author/publisher? When was it published/released?

What type of crime is portrayed? What details are given about the crime?

What details are given about the perpetrator?

What details are given about the target or victim?

A detailed description of how each theory (or theorist) would explain the crime [2-3 pages per theory]

What does the theory/theorist suggest is the CAUSE of crime?

What additional factors (if any) does it consider?

Be sure to name & define the key concepts of each theory in your explanation [Never assume that we will know what you mean]
Which components of the theory are clearly evident in the artifact? [Draw upon specific text, quotes, or scenes to demonstrate each point]

Which components of the theory (if any) are missing from the artifact? [If nothing is missing, you need to directly state that you believe this to be the case]
A comparison of the three theories [~2 pages]
Which theory does the best job at explaining the crime depicted in your artifact? [You MUST pick one – no ties here]
Which aspects of the crime or criminal does each theory do a good job of accounting for?
Which aspects of the crime or criminal does each theory fail to account for?
In-text citations and a reference section (using APA or ASA style guidelines) for all sources used to complete this assignment [~1 page]

Draft papers are due at 11:59pm, Sunday, July 7th and should use 12pt font and grammatically correct, complete sentences.
Selecting an Artifact:
Artifacts may include any of the following:
podcast episode
poem or short story
song or music video
movie or tv episode

work of art
Regardless of which medium you choose, the artifact that you select must reference some type of activity that is illegal and that took place (or was first discovered or described) within the past 10 years.
Selecting the Theories:

When selecting which theories to write about, you should choose from the following:
Cohen & Felson’s Routine Activities Theory

Durkheim’s Theory of Modernization & Crime
Sampson’s Theory of Collective Efficacy

Aker’s Differential Reinforcement Theory

Athen’s Theory of Violentization

Agnew’s General Strain Theory

Hirschi’s Social Control Theory

Gottfredson and Hirschi’s General Theory of Crime

Lemert’s Labeling Theory
Snipes, Bernard, and Gerould’s Unified Conflict Theory of Crime

Please note: The theories you select do not all need to “fit” the crime. It is okay (perhaps even expected) that at least one theory will not work. What I will be looking for is whether you can explain why it does not fit.

Preparing Your Draft:
Because we still have several more theories to discuss in class and the art of theory application is likely a skill that you have rarely (if ever) had the opportunity to practice, I recommend that you focus on explaining and applying just 1 or 2 theories in this first paper. Do not try to write the entire paper from start to finish. Pick an artifact and explain it. Then, pick a theory, explain it, and discuss whether there is any evidence in the artifact to support said explanation. Pay particular attention to whether there are any components of the theory that do not align with the crime identified within the artifact and whether there are any aspects of the crime that the theory cannot explain.
Also, if you are unfamiliar with how to cite your sources, please take this draft assignment as an opportunity to practice. I want to be able to provide you with the feedback that you need to improve before submitting your assignment. So, think of this draft as an opportunity to assess your ability to communicate your understanding of at least one theory, apply a theory to a real (or fictional) crime, and properly cite your sources.
Sample Drafts:
Excellent (A) Paper
Developing (C) Paper

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