Special Topics in Criminology: Violence and Society

Spring 2010 Course Syllabus

Course Information
Course Number/Section CRIM 4396 Section 002
Course Title Special Topics in Criminology: Violence and Society

Term Spring 2010

Days & Times MW 9:30-10:45am

Teacher Contact Information

Teacher Mr. Aaron Bartula
Email Address aaron.bartula@utdallas.edu
Office Location Green Hall 3.318
Office Hours T 10am-12pm, TH 10am-12pm
Other Information Use UTD email for correspondence- response w/in 48 hours

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

None required, but instructor strongly recommends that students have previously taken an
Introduction courses in Criminology (CRIM 1301 and/or CRIM 1307) or Sociology (SOC 1301)
prior to taking this class.

Course Description
This course is designed to help students develop a broad understanding of the complexities and
controversies surrounding the problem of violence. The course is interdisciplinary in nature drawing
upon criminology, sociology, anthropology, psychology, biology, political science, philosophy,
economics, and history as well as professional specialty areas including criminal justice, law, public
health, and social work. The course encourages students to apply critical thinking techniques in
assessing various databases, theories of causation, different social policies and solutions to violence.
It emphasizes the development of an appreciation for the nature and value of empirical data and
logical analysis of evidence in forming conclusions. Special coverage will be given to social policies
that are intended to prevent and control violence, paying particular attention to the underlying
theoretical assumptions and political motivations. The relationship between science and social policy
as well as the ethics and politics of theory and research will be considered in light of their expression
in various programs that address violence as a social problem on state, national and international
levels. (Please see “Course Goals and Objectives” on page 10 of this syllabus.)

Course Outcomes

This course will enable students to:

A. Through the readings, understand the cultural, legal, and scientific conceptualizations and theories
of violence, and the nature and extent of various patterns of violence (i.e., note special
conceptual and data differences, identify victims and offenders, and identify
common causes and solutions):
1. Criminal: murder, rape, robbery, and assault and battery
2. Domestic and intimate
3. Organized (mafia)
4. Institutional
5. Collective/social movements
6. Political
B. Uncover and access various forms of information, data, and research findings related to different
forms of violence.
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C. Run literature searches and use journal abstracts located in the University Library and online.
C. Develop personal bibliography on various topics.
D. Identify and access various bodies of data pertaining to different forms of violence.
E. Understand different approaches to violence and policy implications:
1. Criminological
2. Criminal Justice
3. Public Health
F. Formulate critical questions when examining a position, especially with respect to:
1. Empirical quality of argument - fact vs. opinion
2. Cause and effect relationships - cause vs. correlation
3. Information distortion - bias, faulty analogy, oversimplification, stereotyping,
and faulty generalizations.

Required Textbooks and Materials to Purchase

The first week of class you are required to go purchase these texts (YOU WILL NEED TO
PURCHASE ALL THREE):
1. Brownstein, Henry H. The Social Reality of Violence and Violent Crime. Boston, MA: Allyn and
Bacon, 2000.
2. Derber, Charles. The Wilding of America: Money, Mayhem, and the New American Dream (4th
Ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers, 2007.
3. Eller, Jack D. Violence and Culture: A Cross-Cultural and Interdisciplinary Approach. Belmont, CA:
Thomson Wadsworth, 2006.

PURCHASE ALL TEXTS AT THE ON/OFF CAMPUS BOOKS ON CAMPBELL ROAD

(see warning below if you go elsewhere and take note of it!).

Please note: If you choose to purchase the text through other sources besides ON/Off Campus, you
do so at your own risk (e.g., online, book dealers, etc.)—please do NOT contact me or your
classmates and ask to borrow texts because yours did not come in and you are behind in the class.

Any additional information (i.e. power points presentations or handouts) will be posted on e-
Learning. It is the student’s responsibility to check for any supplemental and/or updated
material.

Course Policies
Class Attendance/Participation
This is an advanced upper-level elective and class attendance is expected. Please show respect to the
instructor and your fellow students by being on time! Class will begin promptly at 9:30am, and roll
will be taken each day. Attendance is not required, but class participation will make up
approximately 15 points of your final grade and can make the difference in a final letter
grade. Simply put, and most importantly to your grade, if you are not here, you will not be able to
participate or prepare well for your other assignments and this will negatively affect your score in this
course. I will reward students who attend class with relevant information that will help them to be
successful in the class. The instructor reserves the right to also deduct class participation points for
negative student behaviors that adversely affect the classroom. Class participation points are only
awarded for students who positively contribute the class (eg. are prepared and actively participate in
the class lecture). Students who do not sign in on the attendance sheet will be counted absent for
that day-PERIOD. Another classmate may NOT sign in for you—this will be considered to be an
act of academic dishonesty. Students who attend class will be more engaged, synthesize the material
better, and have the opportunity to contribute to the class discussions and earn participation points.

*** Before class starts please turn off your cell phones for they are disruptive to the learning
environment. Plan to attend class the entire scheduled time for each day per your course calendar—
this class meets twice a week and we will have a great deal of material to cover each time we meet.

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Excused absences are limited to observed religious holidays or official UTD events (athletics, debate,
etc.) that students notify me of IN ADVANCE via email or during class time. Students on official
UTD business should bring me an official notice from your organization of class conflicts so that
alternative arrangements can be made. Students who have a conflict due to religious practices need
to get with me at the Beginning of the semester and let me know what these dates will be so that
alternate arrangements can be made for assignments. I STRONGLY encourage students with a
certified disability to come talk to me personally as early in the semester as possible
(preferably the first week or two) so we can make arrangements to accommodate your
disability fully and discuss strategies to facilitate your learning in the course.

Classroom Citizenship and Participation

Without question, students who are actively engaged learn more, earn better grades, and are
better informed citizens of their university and communities. You will also be significantly
better prepared for future courses within the Criminology program if this is your major. You
are actively encouraged to be an engaged and positive participant in our classroom. Our classroom is
a safe space to share your experiences, thoughts, and critiques of criminological research and topics.
The topics in this class are very sensitive, however, and I ask your discretion in sharing too much of
your personal information that you might regret being common knowledge at a later date—the
information is this class is not privileged and we will have little time to explore details on individual
cases. With that being said, I encourage critical thinking and welcome open discussions of the
material we will review, as this is where real learning happens in our classroom!! You may participate
via email correspondence to me, visiting with me during office hours, bringing in news articles or
stories that relate to our course material, or by asking questions or making comments during lectures
to get class participation points. Students may NOT record the instructor or any guest
speakers in any manner—this means by video, audio, or picture. You may NEVER
sell your PowerPoint presentations, notes, online or personal study guide materials or any
other class materials (except the purchased required textbooks you paid for). These notes
and lectures are my intellectual property that I share with you during the semester.

Lectures
Power Point presentations will be posted prior to each class, and students are expected to
download and print out these materials from eLearning after the FIRST class and bring ALL
uncovered lectures to class each week. Students are required to check eLearning for class
announcements and course materials several times per week and prior to class so that you are
prepared. Due to the dynamic nature of the material, class lectures may change without prior notice.
Therefore, it is imperative that you bring all Power Points not previously lectured on to class so that
you are prepared for last minute changes. Please note that while I allow students to use laptops
to take notes during class lectures, any abuse of this privilege will result in all computers
being banned during class time. ***PLEASE DO NOT USE YOUR COMPUTER TO
ACCESS THE INTERNET, CHECK EMAIL, TEXT FRIENDS, WORK ON OTHER
CLASSES, OR DO ANYTHING THAT IS UNRELATED TO THIS CLASS--PERIOD.
Please take this warning seriously, as I will ban computers in the classroom if I have to keep
asking students to stop doing non-class-related tasks—it is unfair to the class to have these
constant distractions throughout the semester.

Students who miss classes are responsible for getting any information and notes in person from a
classmate. Please do NOT contact me and ask me to send you the notes from my lectures
that you have missed or ask me whether you should attend class! It is solely YOUR
responsibility to get notes from classmates for whatever classes are missed regardless of the
reason.

Assignments
All assignments must be submitted in typed form in hardcopy (do not email assignments). Proofread
and polish all work prior to submission. Assignments must be handed-in on their designated due
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dates. Late submissions will result in grade penalties or failure. A missed assignment may lead to
failure or necessitate withdrawal from the course. Participation (15 points): Students are expected
to come to class prepared and to actively participate in class. If for reasons of serious illness or other
emergency you are unable to complete the course requirements as scheduled, you must speak with
the professor regarding the course. The University Honor Code will be strictly enforced. All work must
represent each student's own efforts. All students are encouraged to come to office hours or by
appointment.

Summary of Course Requirements:

I. Class Presentation (35 points): (The topic and date of individual presentations will be
assigned during the first class) – 25 points of final grade; 10 minutes in length, including
submission of hardcopy of PowerPoint slides and corresponding references/bibliography
(see more details below).
II. Critical Review (25 points): of Charles Derber's The Wilding of America (4th ed.) – 25points
of the final grade; approximately 5-8 double-spaced typed-pages in length (see description
below). Due in class on Monday, March 22, 2010.
III. Violence Log and Analysis (25 points): of media portrayal of violence – 25 points of final
grade; should include approximately 15-20 newspaper or popular journal
clippings/electronic transcripts along with an analysis (approximately 5 double-spaced typed-
pages) (see further details below). Due on No Later than the last day of class.

Description of Course Requirements:

I. Class Presentation: Each student will be assigned to one of the forms of violence, which
will be considered during this semester (e.g., criminal violence, family/intimate violence,
organized crime, violence within institutional settings, collective violence, or political
violence). A 10 minute class presentation based on library research conducted on the
assigned topic will be expected from each student on an individually appointed due date
(i.e., April 6, 13, or 20). The following points should be covered in each presentation:
• Authoritative definition of the form of violence (including legal definitions, if appropriate);
• Measurement and extent of the problem (including a discussion of quality of statistics);
• Description of typical perpetrators/victims and patterns of behavior/events (including a
consideration of the social construction of reality related to the specific form of violence);
• Relevant causal theories (including a consideration of which perspectives dominate);
• Consideration of common myths (including any factual misconceptions);
• Solutions: prevention, treatment, or control of the violence form;
• List of all cited references/bibliography;
• Questions and answer portion (Q&A).

Your main task is to provide an informed and well-documented overview of your topic and to dispel
some of the myths associated with your topic. Be sure to document all of your statistical and factual
data - keep your statistics current! It is important that you cite references corresponding to your
major points and statistical information in your slide presentation. Also, be sure to review and cite
the appropriate sections or chapters of the assigned readings, i.e., Brownstein’s The Social Reality of
Violence and Violent Crime; Derber’s The Wilding of America; and Eller’s Violence and Culture. A brief
period of questions and answers (Q&A) will follow each presentation.
No later than 24 hours prior to each class presentation, students will be asked to place their
PowerPoint presentation slides on e-Learning so that each member of the class can
download a handout and prepare questions for the Q&A. In addition, a hardcopy of the
PowerPoint slides and a comprehensive bibliography (in correct style and format) must be
handed in to the professor on the day of the presentation. Grades will be determined on the
basis of the quality (substantive material and organization) of the information presented, the
comprehensiveness of the bibliography, and overall effectiveness of the presentation (including any
handouts). The bibliography should be representative of the scope and breadth of your literature

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review (i.e., do not depend on one or two sources for your presentation). Your bibliography should
be mainly comprised of authoritative books, articles from scientific or professional journals (e.g.,
Criminology; Journal of Criminal Justice, Justice Quarterly, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology; Journal of
Research in Crime and Delinquency; Homicide Studies; American Journal of Sociology; American Journal of
Psychology; Journal of Medicine; Journal of Trauma, Injury, Infection and Critical Care; and Violence and Victims,
etc.), popular magazine, newspaper articles and electronic data sources, and government reports. The
University of Texas at Dallas Library has a wide range of professional journals and books on your
topic as well as updated statistics, government documents and studies.

The Study of the Patterns and Extent of Specific Types of Violence:

Student class presentations will be given April 19, April 21, and April 26, 2009 (check your assigned
topic and date). For your presentation please follow the outline below:

A. Definition of the problem

B. Measurement and extent of the problem
C. Description of the typical perpetrators and victims
D. Relevant causal theories
E. Common myths
F. Solutions: Prevention and control
G. Bibliography
H. Q&A

Please remember that due to strict scheduling this semester, there will be no opportunity to
make up any missed scheduled class presentations. Failure to do a presentation may lead to
failure or necessitate withdrawal from the course.

II. Critical Review: With a fascinating twist of perspective, Charles Derber in his book, Wilding in
America: Money, Mayhem, and the American Dream (4th ed.) reveals startling links between criminal
wilding on the streets, emotional wilding in families, economic wilding on Wall Street, political
wilding in Washington, and other forms of "legitimate" sociopathic behavior. He argues that while
morally these actions may be different, socially they reflect the unbridled pursuit of rampant self-
interest. Please explain fully Derber's concept of wilding (i.e., its meaning and its pervasiveness).
What are the roots of wilding? What is the evidence of the trends of wilding? Is wilding more serious
today than in the past? Is wilding primarily an American phenomenon? Are there any solutions for
the spread of wilding? Do you think Derber's concept of wilding has merit? What are the strengths
and weaknesses of his analysis of wilding? Please describe some current event(s) that may serve to
illustrate Derber’s concept of wilding, e.g., the recent financial crisis? (Be sure to provide
documented evidence when you discuss external sources.) Your critical review of Derber's book
should be approximately 5-8 pages in length. Be sure to address all of the questions and include a
bibliography. The Critical Review is due in class on March 22, 2010.

III. Violence log and analysis: Develop a question of study related to violence in the news media.
Then gather information to empirically answer your question. You may select any form of media
(e.g., newspapers, news journals, TV news, radio news, Website news) that primarily serves to
“inform” the public (not necessarily to entertain the public). Collect a sample (e.g., clips of printed
"articles" or electronic transcripts or summarized reports, etc.) dealing with violence topics. Your
sample selection may include a variety of violence themes covered during a set period of time or it
may concentrate on only a particular type of violence over time or in particular areas or it may
represent a comparison of particular themes by different types of media – you may chose how to
organize your study and selection of sample; just be sure that you clearly explain your object of study
and method of selection. You should have approximately 20-25 items in your Violence Log by the
end of the term. Be sure to provide copies of all reports/articles. In addition, provide a summary
table with the following types of information/data gathered from each report/article:

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 1. Source (i.e., type of media)
2. Exact date of occurrence of event
3. Type of violence (e.g., criminal, corporate, political, etc.)
4. Classification of "wilding" (e.g., expressive or instrumental; and political,
economic, or social)
5. Offender profile/victim profile
6. Thematic context (purpose of article or story, is there a larger thematic
context?)
7. Nature and source of statistics or factual data
8. Causal explanations
9-10. Add your own questions/variables

Your “Violence Log” (including a sample of 20 articles, with summary table) and accompanying brief
overview summary (1 page) is due on May 3, 2010 the final day of class.

PAPER FORMATTING/REQUIREMENTS: Each student is required to follow these

formatting/minimum requirements for any typed document EXACTLY AS STATED BELOW:

1) Type your name as it appears on the roll, student ID number, date, at the top of the
paper (in that order) double spaced such as this:
Aaron Bartula
ID#12345678
March 1, 2010
2) Your paper needs to be set at 12 point font, Times New Roman, with 1 inch margins, and
double spaced. Only put ONE return or space between paragraphs and the header—NO
MORE.
3) You should use proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar in your paper and are encouraged
to use program checks on your writing before submitting it. Sloppy, careless, hurried, or
rambling work will receive a lower grade. Points will be deducted systematically for
incomplete sentences (at one point per error or omission), and for not meeting the minimum
formatting requirements accordingly.
4) If students wish to cite outside material in their paper they are certainly welcome to do so.
However, you MUST cite the source of this information correctly within the test (APA
writing style) AND then provide the full reference at the end of the paper for me. Please
consult the APA Manual for information on citations. These are standards that are required
not just in this class, but in any written paper at the collegiate level. If you have questions
about citations or plagiarism, I encourage you to visit the University’s website or contact
myself. There is a zero tolerance policy on plagiarism at UT Dallas and this is a serious issue
of academic dishonesty, so please make sure that you understand these policies.

Assignments/Make-up assignments
***IMPORTANT: Make-up assignments will absolutely NOT be considered unless there is
documented proof of a hospitalization or emergency and I am contacted BEFORE THE
DUE DATE BY EMAIL DIRECTLY TO MY UTD EMAIL ACCOUNT (NOT IN
eLEARNING). Your doctor saying you are sick or you feeling sick IS NOT A VALID
EXCUSE FOR A MAKEUP. Again, if you have a religious holiday or are a student athlete that
conflicts with a due date date, please contact me at the beginning of the semester (or as soon as you
are aware of the conflict) to make arrangements for a new time. The instructor reserves the right
for makeup assignments to be administered on a date of my choosing. PLEASE DO NOT
TRY TO MAKE UP AN EXCUSE IF YOU MISS A DUE DATE—these policies will be
enforced fairly and uniformly!

I make every effort to get scores posted in your eLearning gradebook as soon as I get them back; I
will send an email out to the class notifying you when these grades can be viewed. It is your
6
responsibility to check your grade and read the email to ensure that you understand the grading scale.
Students are welcome to make an appointment with me to review their grades or to come visit me
during my scheduled office hours.

Extra Credit
There is NO extra credit possible in this class.

Grading Policy

CLASS PRESENTATION 35 POINTS

CLASS PARTICIPATION 15 POINTS
CRITICAL REVIEW OF WILDER 25 POINTS
VIOLENCE LOG ANALYSIS 25 POINTS
TOTAL 100 AVAILABLE POINTS

GRADING SCALE: Take your FINAL POINT TOTAL for all items from eLearning to
determine what your grade is as follows:

Grade Point Range Totals

A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F -59

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations for
the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and each
student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern student
conduct and activities. General information on student conduct and discipline is contained in the
UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of recognized
and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and Regulations, Board
of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student
Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and
regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are
available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship. He
or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules, university
regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the standards of
conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties
are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because
the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student
for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrates a high standard of individual honor in his
or her scholastic work.

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Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to
applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or
material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the following
acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students suspected of
academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other
source is unacceptable and will be dealt with to the fullest extent possible under the university’s
policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for details).

Email Use

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between
faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues
concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university
encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email
address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a
UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the
identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD
furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with
university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts. You are required to check
your e-Learning account before our class to get updates, communications, and notices about
assignments, etc. in this class! If you have not done so already, please activate your email
and become familiar with WebCT after the first class and begin to check it regularly.

Withdrawals from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses.
These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures
must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any class.
In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork to
ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the class
once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities, of
the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments of
academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to resolve the
matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the grievance
originates (hereafter called “the respondent”). Individual faculty members retain primary
responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the
grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent’s School
Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the respondent, the student
may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the School
Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate
Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic Appeals Panel. The decision of the
Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic appeals process will be distributed to
all involved parties. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of
the Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules
and regulations.
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Incomplete Grade Policy

As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at the
semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. You must get the
permission of the instructor and make arrangements for incomplete work prior to this grade being
assigned. An incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the
subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to remove the
incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed
automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities equal
to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the Student
Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday,
8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The contact information for the Office of
Disability Services is:
The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments
necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary to
remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for
students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for example, a
research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled
students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The college
or university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or mobility
assistance. It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members to
verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special
accommodation should contact the professor after class or during office hours.

Religious H oly Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for the
travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are exempt
from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding a
religious absence and in advance of the assignment. All religous holidays that will be observed
should be submitted in writing to the instructor at the beginning of the semester. The student, so
excused, will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after
the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student
who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for
the absence. A student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period
may receive a failing grade for that exam or assignment. If a student or an instructor disagrees about
the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar
disagreement about whether the student has been given a reasonable time to complete any missed
assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief
executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee

9
must take into account the legislative intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will
abide by the decision of the chief executive officer or designee.

Off-Campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and University
policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information regarding these rules
and regulations may be found at the website address given below. Additional information is available
from the office of the school dean. (http://www.utdallas.edu/Business Affairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm).

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 Course Calendar Violence and Society Spring 2010
DATE SCHEDULED LECTURES/READINGS DUE FOR EACH CLASS
Jan. 11 Syllabus Overview

Jan. 13 Introduction: Defining the Concept of Violence: Setting the Parameters for the Study of
Violence; Historical Patterns of violence in the United States; Cross-National Comparisons
of Violence
Class Discussion: Is there evidence of a subculture of violence? Is the United States
more violent than other nations in the world?

Reading Assignment: Jack Eller’s Violence and Culture: A Cross-Cultural and Interdisciplinary
Approach, chapters 1, 3, and 4.

Jan. 18 NO CLASS MLK HOLIDAY

Jan. 20 The Social Construction of Violence: Competing Conceptual Models

and Policy Implications: Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Public Health; Violence as a
Social Problem.

Class Discussion: Is violence a socially constructed phenomenon throughout the world or

just in western civilizations? If so/not how is it constructed?

Reading Assignment: Henry Brownstein's The Social Reality of Violence and Violent Crime,
chapters 1-5; Also begin reading Charles Derber's The Wilding of America (it must be
completed before February 17th).

Jan. 25 Video Presentation: The Killing Screens: Media and the Culture of Violence

Class Discussion: How did the media affect our understanding of violence during
Hurricane Katrina/ September 11th and its aftermath?

Jan. 27 The Scientific Study of Violence

• The measurement and extent of violence

• Criteria for evaluating theories and research
• The research process
• The evaluation process
• The ethics and politics of theory and research

Class Discussion: Why should we tangible measure violence?

Feb. 1 Discuss resources for the Study of Violence: Indexes, Abstracts, and Journals, U.S.
Government Sponsored Violence Research, and International Data Sources

Class Discussion: What are some potential problems with the UCR and NCVS?

Reading Assignment: Please peruse some of the main sources of crime data in the UTD
Library or on the Internet such as Crimes in the United States: Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
(www.fbi.gov); National Crime Victimization Surveys (NCVS) (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/); and
Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics (www.albany.edu/sourcebook). Finish reading
Brownstein's The Social Reality of Violence and Violent Crime, chapters 6-10.

Feb. 3 Theories of the Causes of Violence:

Biological theories of violence

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 Reading Assignment: Jack Eller’s Violence and Culture: A Cross-Cultural and Interdisciplinary
Approach, chapters 2.

Class discussion: Are some people born more dangerous than others? How do we
reconcile the nature/nurture controversy?

Feb. 8 Psychological theories of violence

Class discussion: Can individual “dangerousness” be predicted? Does mental illness cause
violence?

Feb. 10 Theories continued:

Sociological and conflict theories of violence

Class discussion: Are some places more dangerous than others? What is the difference
between sociological and psychological leaning theories of violence? How does power (or
power relationships) weigh in/affect our perceptions of what is socially considered legitimate
or illegitimate definitions and uses of violence?

Feb. 15 Understanding the Differences among Interpersonal, Institutional, and Structural

Perspectives.

Class Discussion: Does structure “load the gun and the interpersonal affects pull the
trigger?”

Feb. 17 Criminal Violence:

• Homicide (national patterns, New Orleans patterns, international comparisons)
• Multicide (mass murder, serial murder)
• Rape (stranger, acquaintance)
• Robbery (general/bank robbery)
• Assault/Battery (general trends, not domestic related)

Class Discussion: Why is criminal violence the first thing the average person associates
with violence? Does criminal violence solely drive policy?

Feb. 22 Domestic/Intimate Violence:

• Abuse of Children
• Abuse of Spouses/Intimates
• Abuse of Siblings
• Abuse of Elderly
• Murder in the Family
• Suicide

Class Discussion: Which measurement tool of violence will depict a more accurate
portrayal of the amount of domestic violence in America? How can we measure DV more
accurately?

Reading Assignment: Jack Eller’s Violence and Culture: A Cross-Cultural and Interdisciplinary
Approach, chapters 5.

***Please note: Your Critical Review of Derber's The Wilding of America is due in class
today.

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Feb. 24 NO CLASS

March 1 Institutional/Occupational Violence:

• Law Enforcement: (as victims/as perpetrators)
• Prisons: (inmates/correction officers)
• General Hospitals/Nursing Homes/Mental Health Hospitals or Facilities (patients/
medical personnel)
• Schools/Universities
• Workplace/Corporations
• Religious Institutions

Class Discussion: Why do most people not associate workplace violence with the term
violence, more specifically why must they specify workplace violence?

March 3 Organized Violence:

Juvenile Gangs (historical forms, contemporary forms); Organized Crime (e.g., Mafia, etc.)
(historical forms, contemporary forms)

Class Discussion: Is organized violence alive and well in America/Globally?

March 8 Video Presentation: History of Organized Crime in America

March 10 Video Presentation: History of Organized Crime in America (continued)

March 14-20 Spring Break

March 22 In-class Review of Derber's The Wilding of America

Class discussion: The Wilding of America: Does the concept have merit? What evidence
of wilding was there during and after Katrina made landfall in New Orleans? What are some
examples of wilding recently demonstrated with respect to the national/global financial
crisis?

March 24 Collective Violence/Social Movements:

• Collective/Crowd Violence (overview)
• Protests/ Demonstrations: American Labor, Civil rights, Anti-war
• Sports Violence (participants, spectators)

Class Discussion: How do we manage collective violence without taking constitutional

rights?

March 29 Virtual Reality of Violence and Emerging new Technologies (Cyber Violence)

Class Discussion: Is cyber crime more violent than any of the part 1 offenses?

March 31 Political Violence:

• Capital Punishment (historical trends, contemporary trends)
• Terrorism (historical forms, contemporary forms)
• Militarism (historical forms, contemporary forms)

Class Discussion: Should terrorist attacks be considered political violence or the retribution
acts or both?

April 5 The Metaphor of Violence

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 Class Discussion: Without society’s construction of violence would violence exist, how
would we know?

April 7 Violence Trends and Violence Studies in the Future

Class Discussion: How can we decrease violence while accurately measuring violence?

April 12 Theories continued

Differential Identification (media and crime)
Class Discussion: Does the media perpetuate violence?

**Please note: Our class presentations begin next week. Be sure to check the list of
topics/class assignments and their corresponding dates. Also, please post your
PowerPoint presentation slides on e-Learning under the mail tab (please follow
instructions).

April 14 Class Presentations

April 19 Class Presentations Continued

April 21 Class Presentations Continued

April 26 Workday

April 28 Concluding Comments

May 3 Violence Logs Due the Last Day of Class

Congratulations to our seniors! Go out in the world and Do GREAT things!!!!!!!

PLEASE NOTE: These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion
of the Professor WITH OUT prior notice.
last updated: 12/22/2009

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