DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINOLOGY, LAW AND SOCIETY

Valerie Jenness, Department Chair

Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree

Undergraduate Courses

Graduate Program and Courses

The Department of Criminology, Law and Society focuses, first, on the manifestations of criminal behavior and the methods for controlling that behavior, and second, on the relationships and interactions between social processes and legal systems. Basic courses present overviews of American legal systems with particular emphasis on criminal and juvenile justice, the forms of criminal behavior, the role of law in understanding social and psychological phenomena, and the applications of sociological theory in understanding law and legal systems. Subsequent course work provides understanding of the theoretical structures used to explain criminal behavior, the effects of crimes from the perspectives of victims, the operations of systems of justice and their underlying institutions, the goals of governmental regulation and the methods used to achieve those goals, and more advanced issues in the interactions of law and such fields as psychology, sociology, and planning. In addition, substantive areas of law, such as criminal, environmental, and family law, are introduced. The Department offers a B.A. degree program in Criminology, Law and Society.

Students are provided with opportunities to become acquainted with the varieties of behavior that society chooses to control or regulate, the methods and institutions used to achieve that control or regulation, and the approaches aimed specifically at altering unacceptable behavior. In addition, there is provision for students to use their increasing knowledge of the law, its procedures, and institutions to enhance their understanding of the social sciences.

The course of study provides excellent preparation for law school and for graduate study in sociology, criminology, and criminal justice. Careers for students who terminate their University education at the baccalaureate level may be developed through placements in criminal justice and regulatory agencies, in organizations determining public policy, and in programs that deliver services to people who have difficulties with some aspect of the legal system.

Students are strongly encouraged to select electives in a variety of departments. Courses in areas such as Psychology, Sociology, Economics, and Political Science can provide a further context for the understanding of crime, law, and criminal justice, while courses in areas such as art history, theater, and music can enhance the quality of the student's entire life.

Field study placements are available in police departments, public defenders' offices, probation and parole agencies, the Orange County District Attorney's Office, the State juvenile detention system, the Orange County Victim/Witness Assistance Program, juvenile shelters, legislative offices, and in private legal firms.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE

University Requirements: See pages 59-64.

School Requirements: See page 405.

Departmental Requirements

Ten courses (40 units) as specified below:

A.   Three upper-division required courses (12 units); students must select one course from each of the following three groups: Criminology, Law and Society (1) C101, C102, C103, C104, C105; (2) C106, C107, C108, C109, C110; (3) C111, C112, C113, C114, C115.

B.   Seven upper-division elective courses (28 units) numbered C100-C191, selected in any combination from the three areas of study within the major: (1) The Legal System, Law and Society, (2) Crime and Criminology, and (3) Formal Institutions of Social Control. (Courses taken to satisfy requirement A may not also be used to satisfy requirement B.)

Criminology, Law and Society Minor Requirements

Nine courses (36 units): Criminology, Law and Society C7, Environmental Analysis and Design E8, Psychology and Social Behavior P9, and six upper-division Criminology, Law and Society courses selected from C100-C191.

NOTE: Students pursuing a major in the School of Social Ecology may not use upper-division course work for both school, major, or minor requirements. No overlap is permitted. Social Ecology 198 and 199 may not be applied toward the minor.

Courses in Criminology, Law and Society

LOWER-DIVISION

C7 Introduction to Criminology, Law and Society (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines the major biological, sociological, and psychological explanations for crime and links them historically with prevailing systems of punishment. From classical criminology to positivism, investigates the evolution of criminological theories, their cultural and historical contexts, and their strengths and weaknesses. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J7. (III)

UPPER-DIVISION

C100 Special Topics in Criminology, Law and Society (4). Lecture, three hours. Special topics courses are offered from time to time. Course content varies with interest of the instructor. Prerequisites: Criminology, Law and Society C7 and, in some cases, consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J100.

C101 Civil Legal System (4). Lecture, three hours. Provides an overview of the American civil legal system and of certain fundamental legal concepts as well as an introduction to legal research. Reading, briefing and debating judicial opinions, legal research, and writing an appellate legal brief. Prerequisite: Criminology, Law and Society C7. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J101.

C102 Introduction to the Comparative Study of Legal Cultures (4). Lecture, three hours. Traces the anthropological and comparative cultural study of law from the nineteenth century to the present; briefly surveys the diversity of recorded legal cultures and critically examines key concepts which have been used to describe and classify them. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J106.

C103 American Socio-Legal Theory (4). Lecture, three hours. Evolution of American legal theory from nineteenth century to present in historical context of other human sciences; emphasizes shifting relation between legitimacy of legal decisions and legal system's relative autonomy; social science research use within legal system. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J103.

C104 Sociology of Law (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines law creation and law enforcement in their social and political context. Discusses the major theories of law and the modern state, and presents case studies in order to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these theoretical perspectives. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J104.

C105 Psychology and the Law (4). Lecture, three hours. Psychological assumptions of American legal system and mental health aspects of provision of criminal justice services. Civil commitment, insanity defense, competence to stand trial, jury selection, eye-witness identification. Use of police, courts, correctional institutions in prevention of behavior disorder. Prerequisite: Criminology, Law and Society C7 or C101. Same as Psychology and Social Behavior P164S. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J105.

C106 Crime and Public Policy (4). Lecture, three hours. Increase students' understanding of crime, violence, and the criminal justice system; assess students' state of knowledge on current key policy issues, examine/discuss policy-making and the use of empirical information in current U.S. policy debates. Prerequisite: Criminology, Law and Society C7. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J125.

C107 Deviance (4). Lecture, three hours. Perspectives on deviance and criminality in behavior, institution, community, and myth. The suitability of contemporary theories of deviant behavior. Same as Sociology 156 and Psychology 177D. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J107.

C108 Criminological Theory (4). Lecture, three hours. Explores the question of crime causation from a number of theoretical perspectives in the social sciences. Schools of thought examined include utilitarianism, positivism, human ecology, social structural approaches, social process (learning) theories, labeling, and radical-critical (political) perspectives. Prerequisite: Criminology, Law and Society C7. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J108.

C109 Juvenile Delinquency (4). Lecture, three hours. Patterns of delinquent behavior, theories that explain behavior, current research aimed at enhancing exploratory power. Attempts to prevent and control delinquency are put in historical perspective. Development of the current juvenile justice system and evolution of modern juvenile law. Prerequisite: Criminology, Law and Society C7. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J132.

C110 Community Context of Crime (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines the social context of high-crime communities, with special emphasis on the problems of poverty, joblessness, economic inequality, and racial discrimination. Assesses debates on the causes of these problems, and on the most effective policies to combat them. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J155.

C111 Theories of Punishment (4). Lecture, three hours. Survey of the various schools of thought regarding formal punishment theory. The purposes of legal sanctions are examined, including those of deterrence, rehabilitation, retribution, and incapacitation. Considers problems in realizing formal goals of punishment in practice. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J143.

C112 Legal Sanctions and Social Control (4). Lecture, three hours. Examination of criminal sanctions as mechanisms of social control. Includes the nature, function, and organization of courts as sanction generating institutions, and problems associated with punishing white-collar and corporate illegalities. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J109.

C113 Gender and Social Control (4). Lecture, three hours. Investigates how gender and social control interface such that each determines and reflects the other. Examines how the social world is organized around sex, sexuality, masculinities, femininities. Processes that regulate and channel social life, desire, conduct, differential allocation of social status. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J116.

C114 Miscarriages of Justice (4). Lecture, three hours. Systematically describes, explains, and analyzes the causes and consequences of the wrongful accusation, prosecution, incarceration, and sometimes even execution, of the innocent in the American criminal justice system. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J151.

C115 Prisons, Punishment, and Corrections (4). Lecture, three hours. A review of how the U.S. punishes and rehabilitates convicted law violators. The conflicts among the major purposes of sentencing—rehabilitation, deterrence, incapacitation—are discussed, as well as the effects of different sanctions on public safety, offender rehabilitation, and justice system costs. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J140.

C120 Law and Inequality (4). Lecture, three hours. Various aspects of the law as related to three specific areas of inequality: immigration and immigrants, race, and gender. The role of law as a tool of social reform and limitations of the legal system historically in resolving inequality issues. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J120.

C121 Science and Law (4). Lecture, three hours. Explores how the law accommodates scientific knowledge and new technologies. Among the topics are ownership of biological materials, intellectual property in the digital age, and toxic torts. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J112.

C122 Constitutional Law (4). Lecture, three hours. Addresses the areas of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to privacy, and discrimination. Specific issues include racial and gender bias, abortion, symbolic speech, freedom of the media, defamation, advocacy of violence, and obscenity. Prerequisite: Criminology, Law and Society C7. Criminology, Law and Society C122 and Political Science 171D may not both be taken for credit. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J102.

C123 Family Law (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines legal issues surrounding marriage, cohabitation, divorce, child custody and support, adoption, and the rights of parents and children in the family context. The findings of social science research are used to illuminate the legal issues. Prerequisite: Criminology, Law and Society C7 or C101. Same as Psychology and Social Behavior P169P. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J123.

C125 Child Development, the Law, and Social Policy (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines how psychology research and practice can inform areas of law and social policy affecting children and adolescents. Topics include education, mental health, reproductive rights, and delinquency. Goals are to evaluate research as well as identify the costs/benefits of current policies. Prerequisites: Psychology and Social Behavior P9 or equivalent; P113D or P114D recommended. Same as Psychology and Social Behavior P165S.

C126 Drugs, Crime, and Social Control (4). Lecture, three hours. Drug abuse in the U.S.; the psychopharmacology of various drugs; biological, psychological, and sociological explanations for drug abuse. Policy issues are discussed; students will develop and defend a set of strategies for limiting harm done by drugs and drug laws. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J126.

C127 Hate Crimes (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines the causes, manifestations, and consequences of hate crimes and the larger social context within which they occur. The politics and dynamics of intergroup violence born of bigotry and manifested as discrimination; social policy designed to control bias-motivated violence. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J127.

C128 Environmental Law (4). Lecture, three hours. Environmental law as combination of traditional legal principles and newly created statutes, rules, and decisions applied to environmental protection. Investigates roles of courts, legislature, executive branch and administrative agencies, and private citizens attempting to regulate environmental quality. Federal and state laws utilized. Prerequisite: Environmental Analysis and Design E8. Same as Environmental Analysis and Design E105U. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J128.

C129 International Environmental Management (4). Lecture, three hours. Network of intergovernmental organizations (the United Nations, in particular) and international nongovernmental organizations in the field of environmental management. Analysis of key international projects and sources of information. Lessons for the integration of international research expertise. Prerequisite: Criminology, Law and Society C7. Same as Environmental Analysis and Design E137U and International Studies 123. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J129.

C130 Seminar on Gangs (4). Seminar, three hours. An overview of gangs, including the nature and definition of gangs; types of gangs; diversity of membership; theoretical explanations; criminal behavior; drug use and sales; law enforcement responses; gangs in correctional institutions; intervention and prevention strategies; and public policy issues. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J130.

C131 Organized Crime and American Society (4). Lecture, three hours. Examination of the phenomenon of American organized crime from a sociological perspective. Explanation of methods by which organized crime is tolerated at various levels of society. Emphasis on ways in which "underworld" interests interact with legitimate economic and political institutions. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J114.

C132 Forensic Science, Law, and Society (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines the use of "forensic science" to resolve issues arising in criminal cases including crime scene analysis, DNA testing, fingerprints, trace evidence comparisons, profiling, lie detectors, other forensic techniques; evaluation, statistical characterization, and legal admissibility of evidence; regulation of forensic laboratories.

C133 Homicide and Suicide (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines similarities and differences among homicide and suicide, two major causes of death. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J113.

C134 Victimless Crimes (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines major theoretical, empirical, and policy-oriented research related to the design, implementation, and analysis of government intervention, through the criminal sanction, in the spheres of vice and morality. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J134.

C135 Homicide (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines homicide from several different perspectives including: how the social, cultural, and economic environment impacts homicide levels; the measuring and categorizing of homicide to aid in the design and implementation of violence-reduction interventions, and the investigation of homicide events by law enforcement. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J135.

C136 Forensic Psychology (4). Lecture, three hours. Presents theoretical and empirical basis for a psychological perspective of criminal behavior, particularly violent behavior. Examines violence, sexual offending, and mental disorder related to crime with regard to clinical assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation; mental health services within forensic institutions. Prerequisites: Psychology and Social Behavior P9 or equivalent, Psychology and Social Behavior P105, P175P or Criminology, Law and Society C149, or consent of instructor. Same as Psychology and Social Behavior P145C and Psychology 177F.

C137 Criminal Procedure (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines the law governing arrests (with and without a warrant); police detention; search and seizure; interrogation; use of informers, eavesdropping, wiretapping; examination and identification of suspects. Pretrial motions such as speedy trial and discovery of evidence may be covered. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J137.

C138 Victims of Crime (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines the impact of crime upon a variety of victims, e.g., victims of child and spousal abuse, burglary, arson, robbery, and rape. Considers such topics as victim compensation, victim-offender relationships, and the secondary victimization process. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J138.

C139 Police and Change (4). Lecture, three hours. Organizational efforts to modify police conduct are addressed by focusing on the history of policing in the United States including training, education, and the contributions of women. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J139.

C140 Surveillance and Society (4). Lecture, three hours. Explores the development and deployment of surveillance technologies in contemporary society. The social and legal impact of surveillance technologies in such areas as crime control, privacy, trust, community, democracy, and the war on terror.

C141 Seminar in Criminology, Law and Society (4). Seminar, three hours. Selected topics in the field of criminal justice. Issues vary with the interests of the instructor and students, and include such topics as violent crime, political crimes, police discretion, and civil rights of prison inmates. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J141.

C142 White-Collar Crime (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines criminal activity in business and corporate enterprise, organizations, and the professions. Theories regarding the causes and control of white-collar and corporate crime are covered as well as the numerous definitions of these terms. Same as Sociology 142. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J142.

C143 Media, Intellectual Property, and Cyberlaw (4). Lecture, three hours. Explores the personal and intellectual property rights and obligations in media and on the Internet. Critically evaluates the challenge of interpreting constitutional rights in the digital world. Topics include Internet regulation, free speech, privacy, crime, biopatents, and artificial intelligence.

C144 Criminal Law (4). Lecture, three hours. Deals specifically with the substantive nature of criminal law and its historical development. Focuses on understanding the development of fundamental doctrinal principles upon which criminal law is based, including mens rea, actus reus, homicide, causation, group criminality, and exculpation. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J144.

C145 Government Crime (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines the legal, organizational, and political issues involved in the generation and control of government lawlessness. Readings present historical and theoretical perspectives in the abuse of government authority and the ability of the legal system to control such behavior. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J145.

C146 Social Control of Violence (4). Lecture, three hours. Studies the police as controllers of violence, as users of violence, and as victims of violence. Prerequisite: Criminology, Law and Society C7. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J146.

C147 Law and Social Change (4). Lecture, three hours. Explores the relationship of law to its social setting by considering both law as a product of social change and law as a source or medium of change. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J147.

C148 Geographic Information Systems (4). Lecture, two hours; laboratory, one and one half hours. Basic geographic, cartographic, and GIS concepts including computer representation of physical, political, statistical, and social aspects of space using vector and grid-based maps. Experience with extensive geographic base map files and databases through use of GIS software (ArcView 3.x). Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J148.

C149 Violence in Society (4). Lecture, three hours. Current theory and research on aggression; anger and violence as problems in individual and social functioning. Process and functions of anger examined with regard to normal behavior and psychopathology. The determinants, prevalence, and implications of violence in society are analyzed. Prerequisite: Psychology and Social Behavior P9 or equivalent. Same as Psychology and Social Behavior P175P. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J149.

C150 The Legal Profession (4). Lecture, three hours. Role of the legal profession in modern society, the diverse professional roles lawyers play, the American legal profession compared with that of other societies. "Litigation explosion," ethical problems, interactions between lawyers and other professionals, training and socialization of new lawyers. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J150.

C151 Cybercrimes, Investigation, Forensics, and Prosecution (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines crimes committed against persons, property, society, and the government in which a computer is used. How these computer crimes are committed, investigated, and ultimately prosecuted.

C152 Interrogation, Confession, and the Law (4). Lecture, three hours. In-depth examination of the social psychology of police interrogation in America, the evolution of American interrogation practices from the nineteenth century to the present, impact of law on police behavior and ideology, causes and consequences of false confessions, possibilities of reform. Same as Psychology and Social Behavior P156S. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J152.

C153 Rights, Justice, and the Law (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines various ways of justifying system of rights and looks at interrelations and conflicts between various elements. Focuses on four distinct categories of rights: civil rights, property rights, welfare rights, and human rights. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J153.

C154 Social Theory and the Law (4). Lecture, three hours. Provides theoretical tools to understand the relationship between law and society. Focuses on the connections between law and discourse, power, space and geography, economic markets, gender, race, class, democratic legitimacy, and the indeterminacy of language. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J154.

C155 Influence, Memory, and the Law (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines the intersection of influence and memory on law with a theoretical discussion of the social psychology of influence, suggestion, and decision making. Phenomenon of coercive persuasion, social origins and perpetuation of moral panic, how it can lead to wrongful prosecution.

C156 Cross-Cultural Research on Urban Gangs (4). Lecture, three hours. Taking an urban policy approach, examines the background and contemporary traditions of gangs in several ethnic groups including African-, Asian-, and Mexican-Americans. Cross-cultural exploration of the varied facets of gang life. The major social-control institutions affecting them. Same as Chicano/Latino Studies 153. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J156.

C164 Social Control of Delinquency (4). Lecture, three hours. Assumes familiarity with theories of juvenile delinquency, the juvenile justice system, the elements of juvenile law. Using that knowledge, students explore current research in primary and secondary prevention of delinquency, and relevant case law. Requires an original research project. Prerequisites: Social Ecology 10 and Criminology, Law and Society C109. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J164.

C165 The Death Penalty (4). Lecture, three hours. Examines why the U.S. continues to have a death penalty when so many other countries have abandoned it. Arguments for and against the death penalty are covered.

C170 Federal Law Enforcement (4). Lecture, three hours. The peculiar legal, organizational concerns of the federal system of law enforcement and some of the crimes it is uniquely designed to address—white-collar crime, drug trafficking, racketeering, public corruption. Roles, responsibilities of the FBI, DEA, Customs, other policing agencies. Prerequisites: Criminology, Law and Society C7. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J115.

C171 Latinos and the Law (4). Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Examines a range of theoretical, empirical, and policy approaches to legal issues affecting the Latino population, with emphasis on California. Discusses topics concerning the purpose of law, the creation of law, and the enforcement of law. Same as Chicano/Latino Studies 142. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J111.

C172 Culture Change and the Mexican People (4). Lecture, three hours. Reviews culture contact and colonization, innovation diffusion, acculturation, assimilation, culture conflict and marginality, modernization, urbanization, legal transformations. Mexico and the Southwestern U.S. are reviewed through several centuries to better appreciate the indigenous base of the Mexican people. Same as Chicano/Latino Studies 155. (VII-A)

C177 Eyewitness Testimony (4). Lecture, three hours. Faulty eyewitness testimony is a major cause of wrongful convictions. Covers the fast-growing topic of eyewitness testimony and memory for real-world events, both how psychologists study eyewitness capacity, and how the legal system has dealt with eyewitness issues. Prerequisites: Social Ecology 10 and senior standing. Same as Psychology and Social Behavior P177P.

C181 Contemporary Legal Issues (4). Lecture, three hours. An in-depth analysis of current legal issues viewed from their political and constitutional perspectives. Issues studied are determined by instructor and student interest. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J181.

C185 Criminal Justice System Capacity (4). Lecture, three hours. Examination of "system capacity" in criminological and criminal justice related research and how it can be used to explain and describe current problems and practices in the American legal system. Limitations of sanctioning criminals due to political, physical space, and resource constraints. Prerequisite: Criminology, Law and Society C7. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J185.

C191 Law and Modernity (4). Lecture, three hours. The rise and spread of Enlightenment legal traditions, social contract theory, individual rights, ideologies of "liberty, equality, fraternity"; contradictions of liberal law, its understandings of "primitive" and "civilized"; pervasive myths of property, difference, race, and rights. Reading- and writing-intensive. Same as Anthropology 127A. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J191. (VII-B)

C196 Research Seminar in Criminology, Law and Society (4). Seminar, three hours. Special topics research seminar. Content varies with interest of instructor. Capstone research opportunity with Criminology, Law and Society faculty members. Prerequisites: upper-division standing and consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit as topics vary. Formerly Criminology, Law and Society J196.


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