Syllabus: Criminal Justice 102

Foundations of Criminal Justice

“Gangs, the Media, and Social Science[JMH2][JMH1] ”

Instructor: John M. Hagedorn

Office: Great Cities Institute, CUPPA Hall #400, 412 S. Peoria.

Office Hours: M;W 12-2, Or by appointment.

Contact: 312-996-8361; huk@uic.edu

This course will contrast popular images of gangs in the mass media with perspectives from social science. It will consist of lectures Mondays and Wednesdays and discussion groups one additional day per week.

The text is the book authored by the instructor, People & Folks: Gangs, Crime , and the Underclass in a Rustbelt City, available at the bookstore. There are also materials on http://blackboard.uic.edu as well as on gangresearch.net

The discussion sections will present opportunities for students to discuss and deepen their understanding of the lectures, prepare their presentations, and get guidance from the TA.

Projects

Students will do collective projects in the discussion section. The purpose of the projects is to highlight the differences between media images, social science, and gang life. The projects will be presented to the entire class and will be graded on both substance (Did the presentation educate on gangs?) and technique (Was the presentation done in an interesting and creative way?). The TA will give proportionate grades to all members of the project based on their relative contribution.

Students are encouraged to use multi-media performances. Projects that include new web pages which can contribute to the education of the public on gangs on gangresearch.net are the top priority. Debates on controversial topics are also recommended: for example pro and con on the gang loitering ordinance, on the legalization of drugs, or whether Chicago has gangs or "street organizations" would make good topics. Other students have done talk shows, but often these degenerate into parody. Panels of students discussing the value and significance of "gangsta rap" or other street-oriented gang genres would also be welcome, although a two week unit on rap will be part of the curriculum. Music must be included. Remember! The purpose of the project is educational, and if I can use your work on gangresearch.net there will be extra-credit.

Students doing historical projects, either within a group or individually, may request to continue the project through independent study.

I encourage you to have fun doing the projects. In lieu of participation in the research project, some students may be allowed to write a paper or prepare web pages on gangs and the media on a topic determined in conjunction with the instructor.

Exams and Grades

There will be three on line exams (each worth 20% of your grade), and a group project on gangs and/or the media (25%). There will be at least two in class assignments (10%). The TA will grade participation in the discussion group (5%). Level of participation in group projects and in class are worth up to an additional 5 points. In other words, if you are close to an A or B (or C or D) we can push you up with high levels of participation in the projects and by your questions and comments in lectures.

Attendance at lectures is not required, but those not attending class will find it difficult to pass the exams, since lectures contain material not found in the texts. The final exam will contain questions on the projects so attendance at the end of the year is essential. I will feel free to test on any subject I discuss in class.

Lecture Schedule

section one – media images

Week #1: Monday, August 28:

Introduction : Objective of the course: To contrast popular images of gangs in the mass media with perspectives from social science. The use of Blackboard and the on line sessions.

Weds August 30: Assignment: Eli Anderson, Terrorism, and the Method of Social Science.

http://gangresearch.net/Archives/UIC/Courses/CrJ102/Terrrorism.html

Lecture: The Assumptions of Science. Writing Assignment

Discussion Sections: Go over requirements of the course, questions. Research tools in the media. Electronic Reserve. Familiarity with Blackboard. Investigation chat functions.

Week #2 : Mon Sept 4: No Class. Labor Day. Make sure you labor.

Weds Sept 6: Assignment: Web Seminar on "What is a Gang?" http://gangreserarch.net/Definitions/websters.html.

Lecture: What is A Gang? How does a gang differ from a fraternity?

Discussion Sections: Continue fraternity discussion. Assignment: Chapters One and Two of People & Folks.

Week #3: Mon Sept 11: Chapter One of People & Folks; Conquergood. Symbols and Gangs. The Social Construction of Reality. Gangs as the “Other.” The Battle of New Orleans

http://www.gangresearch.net/GangResearch/Media/Power.htm

Lecture: Gangs, Stereotypes and Research.

Weds: Sept 13: Lecture: Female Gangs.

Review two pages on female gangs on gangresearch.net

CCC Executive Summary:

http://gangresearch.net/GangResearch/Seminars/female%20gangs/Female.html and Streetwise Reply

http://gangresearch.net/Archives/hagedorn/girlgangs.html

Discussion Sections: Movie: Chomsky excerpt: “Manufacturing Consent”

How does this apply to gangs?

Week # 4 : Monday Sept 18 No Class. On Line Discussion. Assignment: Off Balance: Youth, Race, and Crime in the News. http://www.buildingblocksforyouth.org/media/

Blackboard discussion questions. Required participation in threads. Instructor will be available for two hours in a chat room. Time TBA

Weds: Sept 20: Review Monday’s on line class. Student feed-back. Lecture: How are gangs organized? Institutions, and Organizations., and peer groups. The questionable uniqueness of gangs.

http://gangresearch.net/ChicagoGangs/earlygangs/gangbur.html

http://gangresearch.net/GangResearch/Seminars/definitions/orginst.htm

neither War nor Peace. Executive Summary

http://gangresearch.net/Globalization/nwnp.html

Discussion Sections: Review for Exam

Week # 5 : Monday Sept 25 First Exam. On line. No class

Assignment: Listen to rap music.

section two: culture, resistance, and nihilism

Weds Sept 27 origins of hip hop. Hip hop’s relationship to gangs in NYC and Chicago. http://www.uic.edu/orgs/kbc/hiphop/index.htm and

http://www.uic.edu/orgs/kbc/hiphop/newyork.htm

Discussion Sections: Work on Presentations

Week #6 : Monday Oct 2 Lecture: Corporate and Black Atlantic Hip Hop. Hip hop and nihilism. http://www.uic.edu/orgs/kbc/hiphop/rap.htm

Weds: Oct 4: Women, misogyny, and Rap bell hooks essay http://eserver.org/race/misogyny.html

Discussion Sections:

Video: David Stovall on gangsta rap

Week # 8” Mon Oct 9: Movie; Black & Gold Part One. Assignment: Gangs and Politics – From the Encyclopedia of Youth Activism http://gangresearch.net/GangResearch/Policy/gangsinpolitics_files/youthact_files/gangsinpolitics.html

Weds: Oct 11: Movie; Black & Gold Part Two.

Reading Assignment; Puerto Rican and Mexican Gangs “Rey” talk on gr.net http://gangresearch.net/ChicagoGangs/latinkings/Reyx.html .

Discussion Sections: Work on Presentations. Discussion of Movie

Week #9

Monday Oct 16; No class. Blackboard discussion questions. Required participation in threads. Instructor will be available for two hours in a chat room. Time TBA

http://www.links.net/vita/swat/course/rapchange.html

http://www.aap.org/advocacy/washing/t1106.htm

Weds Oct 18: Feed back from On line discussion. Lecture: Identity and Social Movements. Debate: Is gangsta rap good for kids?

http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/violence/business_media_violence.cfm

Discussion Sections: Work on Presentations

section three: gangs in Chicago and around the world

Week # 10

Mon Oct 23: Irish Gangs, 1919, and the history of segregation in Chicago

http://gangresearch.net/ChicagoGangs/earlygangs/Riotbegins.html

Weds October 25: The Conservative Vice Lords and Mayor Daley’s War on Gangs. Shattered Dreams

http://gangresearch.net/cvl/cvlhistoryfinal/oneway.html

Discussion Sections: Chapters Five and Six of People & Folks

Week # 11

Monday Oct 30: Gangs and Gentrification.

Assignment: Housing and Homicide Policy Paper

http://www.chicagohomeless.org/factsfigures/facts.htm

(scroll to bottom of page, click on article under “Policy Papers”)

Weds Nov 1: Asian Gangs Triads and tongs. Chinatown reading gr.net

http://gangresearch.net/ChicagoGangs/tongs/kimarticle1.html

Discussion Sections: Work on Projects

Week # 12:

Monday Nov 6: A World of Gangs

http://gangresearch.net/Globalization/Globroom.html

Weds: November 8: Third Exam On Line. No class

Discussion Sections: Prep for Second Exam.

Week # 13: Monday November 13 No Class. Second Exam.

Weds November 15 Presentation by Discussion Groups Begins

Discussion Sections: Final work on presentations.

Week #14

Monday November 20

Presentation by Discussion Groups

Weds Nov 22

Open Date. Prepare for presentations, final exams. Or Presentation Make-up date.

Nov 23-24 Thanksgiving Vacation

Discussion Sections: No Class

Week #15:

Monday Nov 27

Presentation by Discussion Groups

Weds Nov 29:

Presentation by Discussion Groups?

Discussion Sections: Cancelled

Week #16:

Monday Dec 4

Presentation by Discussion Groups

Weds Dec 6 In Class or on line final assignment. Prep for final exam.

Fri Dec 8: Instruction Ends. No Discussion Section.

Week #16 December 11-15

Final Exam. On Line.