TY - JOUR AU - Brezina, Timothy PY - 2010/04/26 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - SOCIAL SCIENCE AND THE AMERICAN CRIME PROBLEM -- CRJU 2200 JF - TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology JA - TRAILS VL - IS - SE - DO - UR - https://trails.asanet.org/article/view/social-science-and-the-american-crime-problem SP - AB - This course is designed to provide a broad theoretical and empirical overview of the American crime problem. We will examine the nature of the crime problem, the characteristics of those who offend, the causes and correlates of law-breaking behavior, and contemporary issues and debates concerning the operation and impact of the criminal justice system. These issues will be addressed from a wide variety of perspectives in the social sciences, including biological, psychological, sociological, and anthropological perspectives. Special attention will focus on international comparisons, the role of various social institutions in the prevention and generation of crime (e.g., family, school, work, government), subcultural influences, offender psychology, and the evaluation of relevant theories, programs, and interventions in light of empirical findings. Thus, students will be exposed to the basic contours of the American crime problem, the nature of social science research, and the rich variety of theoretical perspectives that inform the study of crime. ER -