Book or Articles Critique Assignment

(Due 4/24 -- 125 pts.)

 

Choose one – Book critique, Articles critique or Elite Deviance power point project

 

I.                    Book Critique (see approval form attached)

a.       Choose an academic book that relates to some aspect of social deviance – examples listed below. No novels or texts will be approved. Some of the books listed below are mine. You may borrow them BUT you will receive no credit for your assignment until my book is returned. Any of the following are acceptable, but if you choose a different book, you MUST have it approved.

                                                               i.      Creating Fear – Altheide

                                                             ii.      In Bad Company: America’s Terrorist Underground – Hamm

                                                            iii.      Warrior Marks – Walker

                                                           iv.      Surviving Heroin: Interviews with Women in Methadone Clinics – Friedman and Alicea

                                                             v.      The Culture of Fear – Glassner

                                                           vi.      Sweatshop Warriors – Yoon Louie

                                                          vii.      In the Name of Hate – Perry

                                                        viii.      Random Violence – Best

                                                           ix.      Whistleblowers – Alford

                                                             x.      Wayward Puritans – Erikson

                                                           xi.      Images of Terror – Jenkins

                                                          xii.      Using Murder...Serial Murder – Jenkins

                                                        xiii.      Folk Devils and Moral Panics -- Cohen

                                                        xiv.      Disposable People – Bales

                                                         xv.      Witchcraft, Lycanthropy, Drugs and Disease – Sidky

                                                        xvi.      Deviant Bodies – Terry and Urla

 

b.      Assignment submission – typed, 12 pt. font, double spaced, 1” margins, proofed and spell checked. A well done project will probably range from 10-12 pages, maybe longer but not likely less.

                                                               i.      Title and author

                                                             ii.      Four to five page discussion of the book – its purpose, method of analysis if relevant, key points, conclusions

                                                            iii.      Then identify at least 10 different concepts/theories we have discussed in class and how they were used, defined, made reference to, etc. in the book.

                                                           iv.      Conclude your assignment with a discussion of how the book contributed to your understanding of deviance, for example did it provide support for or a challenge to our discussions in class, did it make you aware of an aspect of deviance not previously considered, and so on.

 

II.                 Articles critique (see approval form attached)

a.       Choose 8 articles from academic journals (examples listed below) that examine social deviance. You may choose 8 articles on a single topic or a mix of topics. Examples of journals include Deviant Behavior, Journal of Social Issues, Criminology, Sociological Spectrum, Social Problems, Victims and Victimology, Symbolic Interaction

b.      Assignment submission -- typed, 12 pt. font, double spaced, 1” margins, proofed and spell checked. A well done project will probably range from 15-20 pages, maybe longer but not likely less. For each article do the following:

                                                               i.      Give title, author, journal, pages and year

                                                             ii.      In 1-2 pages describe its purpose, method of analysis if relevant, key points, conclusions. DO NOT COPY the abstract.

c.       Taking all 8 articles into consideration identify at least 10 different concepts/theories we have discussed in class and how they were used, defined, made reference to, etc. in the articles.

d.      Conclude your assignment with a discussion of how the articles contributed to your understanding of deviance, for example did they provide support for or a challenge to our discussions in class, did they make you aware of aspects of deviance not previously considered, and so on.

 

III.               Elite deviance (see approval form attached)

a.       Choose any specific example of elite deviance and research this event in detail. Simon’s text should give you plenty of examples.

b.      Assignment submission – power point presentation on CD, material proofed and spell checked, references included. A well done project will include a minimum of 6 sources (at least three from academic journal articles) and appropriate citations on the slides. The number of slides will be dependent upon how the material is presented. I suggest we meet to discuss your project as it develops. Each project is to include the following:

                                                               i.      Description of the event

                                                             ii.      Drawing on Simon’s discussion of elite deviance, explain how your event occurred and why

                                                            iii.      What makes the event deviant – draw on class concepts as appropriate

                                                           iv.      Implications for the future

                                                             v.      Conclude your assignment with a discussion of how the this project contributed to your understanding of deviance, for example did it provide support for or a challenge to our discussions in class, did it make you aware of aspects of deviance not previously considered, and so on.

                                                           vi.      Reference list

 

You will be assessed a five pt. per day penalty for late assignments and none will be accepted after April 28. If you have an emergency that impacts your ability to turn in your assignment, please bring it to my attention but I do not guarantee leniency.

Choice Approval Form

(To be submitted not later than 3/3)

 

 

Ψ      Name __________________________________

 

Ψ      ______ Book title and author (Bring book with this form unless it is one of the examples)

 

 

__________________________________________________________________

 

 

OR

 

Ψ      _____ Articles – List title, author, and journal for EACH article

 

1.

 

 

2.

 

 

3.

 

 

4.

 

 

5.

 

 

6.

 

 

7.

 

 

8.

OR

 

Ψ      _____ Elite deviance topic – list of at least 4 references on reverse side of this form.

 

 

Ψ      My approval signature: __________________________________________ (This form must accompany your final project.)