Sociology of crime and rule breaking

The aim of the course is to provide students with general knowledge of main sociologicat theories that explain human deviant behaviors. Students will interpret some social problems, like crimes, violence, prostitution, suicide etc. using control theories, symbolic interactionism, functionalism and theories of anomie.

During Sociology of crime and rule breaking course students obtain theoretical knowledge that enable them to understand the reasons of human deviant behaviors. They will study selected sociological theories of deviance, i.e.: theories of anomie, control theories, symbolic interactionism, functionalism. During the course some general thesis of each theory will be analyzed.The course is also focused on practical implications of discused theories. Students are supposed to be able to interpret social problems and social deviance, like crime, violence, prostitution, suicide etc. using theoretical background. Students will be competent to analyse relations between different social problems and indicate reasons of social rule breaking.

D. Downes, P. Rock, Understanding Deviance. A Guide to the Sociology of Crime and Rule Breaking, Uxford University Press, Oxford-New York 1998.

The Oxford Handbook of Criminology. M. Maguire, R. Morgan, R. Reiner (eds.), Oxford-New York 2007.

E. Durkheim, The Rules of Sociological Method, The Free Pres, New York - London - Toronto - Sydney 1982.

R. A. Jones, Emile Durkheim: An Introduction to Four Major Works, CA: Sage Publications Inc., Beverly Hills 1986.

R. K. Merton, Social Structure and Anomie, American Sociological Review, Volume 3, Issue 5 (Oct, 1938), pp. 672-682.

Emile Durkheim: An Introduction to Four Major Works

N. J. Davis, Becoming a Prostitute, in: Down to Earth Sociology. Introductory Readings, J. M. Henslin (ed.), New York 1985, p. 171-179.

W. J. Chambliss, The Saints and the Roughnecks, in: Down to Earth Sociology. Introductory Readings, J. M. Henslin (ed.), New York 1985, p. 180-194.

G. M. Sykes, D. Matza, Techniques of Neutralization, in: Down to Earth Sociology. Introductory Readings, J. M. Henslin (ed.), New York 1985, p. 215-224.

P. G. Zimbardo, The Pathology of Imprisonment, in: Down to Earth Sociology. Introductory Readings, J. M. Henslin (ed.), New York 1985, p. 235-244.

- Students are able to define such terms as: social order, deviance, social control, social problem, social pathology; they can see relations and differencies between them.

-Students know thesis of selected theories of deviance and social control; they can use them to explain social problems.

-Students have knowledge of major contemporaty social problems and pathologies: they indicate their reasons and consequences, characterize them and see connections between them.

-Students are able to discuss about social problems, show their point of view using English.

Each course participant is obliged to read texts indicated by lecturer and participate in discussion during seminar.

Students (individually or in pairs) prepare presentation that concern selected social problem (i.e. crime, prostitution, domestic violence, suicide). They have to define the problem, show its genesis using sociological theories, scale and connections between different social problems. The presentation is the base of module's end mark.