Resistance, Rage, Paralysis, and Paralysis by Proxy: Reflecting on Reactions to Contentious Content in the Classroom

Sociology curricula often house a variety of “hot button” or contentious topics (e.g., race relations, crime and deviance, personal freedoms/choice, gender). While departments may be giving more attention to ensuring that these topics are included in their curriculum, here I argue that we also need to engage students in reflection about their gut reaction to these divisive topics. How students take in the material will affect their ability to successfully meet the learning outcomes throughout their program. This research was guided by past work categorizing student reactions into three categories: resistance, paralysis, and rage. Preliminary results are presented, and a fourth reaction, paralysis by proxy, is also proposed. Last is a discussion of how we as educators can integrate research on student reactions into course design/implementation, thus setting students up for success.

Feminist Ethnographies on Crime and Deviance: Contemporary Trends and Contributions to Criminology

This chapter reviews the origins of, and contemporary trends in, feminist ethnographies of crime and deviance to highlight how these works have shaped the broader field of criminology. First, this chapter underlines how the Chicago School, post-World War II, facilitated the growth of ethnographies on crime and deviance. Second, it traces the influence of second-wave feminisms and Black feminisms on criminology that challenged White masculinist modes of knowledge production. Next, contemporary works that examine carceral institutions, their collateral consequences, and stigmatized groups are considered for their potential to advance understandings of crime, deviance, and victimization. The chapter concludes by offering directions for future research and a discussion on the policy implications and radical potential of feminist ethnographies of crime and deviance.

The History of (Crime) Ethnography

This chapter provides a broad overview of the history and use of ethnography as a tool for studying crime and deviance. It traces the development of ethnographic methods, including participant observation, from ancient times to the present, exploring how early-twentieth-century anthropologists and sociologists, First and Second Chicago School ethnographers, and scholars from a variety of intellectual traditions have shaped, problematized, and codified ethnography—leaving us with some of the most canonical studies of crime and deviance in the process. This chapter serves as an historical steppingstone for the remainder of the handbook, highlighting some of the most influential people, places, studies, and movements that have shaped how contemporary crime ethnographers understand and practice their craft.

Social Control of Crime in Asia

The social control of crime is diversified across societies. The social control of crime in Asia inherits features that are unique to Asian cultural traditions (e.g., Confucianism and Islamism) and strives by exploring more effective models by balancing formal and informal social control. These social controls are also greatly influenced by socioeconomic developments and the dominance of the polity in Asian societies. Overall, Asian countries are going through the struggles between capitalism–socialism, democracy–authoritarianism, and traditionality–modernity. Such changing dynamics will continue to shape and reshape the way that formal and informal social institutions and processes exert control over crime and deviance. Cultivated by different civilizations, Asian societies have provided unique and valuable evidence to understand and refine the existing social control models developed from Western societies.

11. Theories of control

This chapter discusses the significance of control in the operation of society, which has been recognised by philosophers and writers for many centuries. Control is an aspect of most theories of crime and deviance, but it has not, until comparatively recently, been studied in its own right as a significant causal feature of crime and deviance. One possible reason for this is that criminologists were reluctant to research into ideas that so clearly support discipline and regulation, particularly in the liberal climate of the early 1960s. Also, the pathological undertones of the theory were unappealing to the sociologists, who had largely come to replace the psychologists at the forefront of criminological writing. Furthermore, perhaps the importance of control was thought to accord with general common sense and criminologists, in attempting to provide a mystique in order to have their discipline taken more seriously, preferred to concentrate on less obvious phenomena.

Criminology

This expanded seventh edition of Criminology provides the reader with a clearly expressed and concise analysis of the main sociological and psychological theories of crime and deviance. It is written on the basis that, to facilitate understanding, it is necessary to provide a full account of the historical background and development of these theories. The book also contains an extensive discussion of the perception and nature of crime. It has been completely updated with the significant developments in key areas, such as criminal statistics and the latest research in the scientific study of behaviour. The book is written in a clear and readable style that helps students understand even complex aspects of criminology. In drawing on a wide range of research, the author seeks to ask the right questions, rather than provide definitive answers. The book is thoroughly referenced, providing plenty of opportunity for further reading for those interested in researching the area in more detail.