sociology
4141 - juvenile delinquency (3 CR) – fall 2021
5:30-8 pm Thursday
Course Page at canvas.umn.edu
more info at: www.soc.umn.edu/~uggen/4141.htm and chrisuggen.com
Professor: Chris Uggen (you-gun) Grading
Assist: Naomi Cowan
office: 1014A Soc Sci; 612-624-4016
office hours: tues 2:15-3:30 & by appt. office
hours: by appt.
mail: uggen001@umn.edu email:
cowan070@umn.edu
Logic of the Course
This course offers an overview of social theory and research on youth
crime and punishment. We start by critically examining the social facts
surrounding the measurement, extent, and distribution of delinquency. Next, we
study the principal sociological explanations of delinquency. These theories
provide concepts or tools for analyzing youth law violation and punishment
among groups such as gang members. We then trace youth experiences in the
juvenile justice system, from policing, to juvenile court, to probation, and
institutionalization. Throughout, we analyze the success or failure of key
programs implemented in attempts to prevent or reduce delinquency.
Objectives of the Course
●
To understand how youth delinquency is
currently measured and the extent and distribution of delinquent behavior
according to these measures.
●
To gain a working knowledge of the key
sociological theories of delinquency and crime over the life course.
●
To apply the conceptual tools of these
theories to selected case studies.
●
To critically evaluate concrete policy
responses to delinquency.
Required Texts
(at bookstore or free link on Canvas page)
●
Rios. Rios, Victor M. 2011. Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys. New York:
NYU Press. This is a fresh critical ethnography of punishment and
criminalization, with a focus on African American and Latino boys.
Recommended Resources (good general reference for those feeling lost)
●
Robert Agnew and
Timothy Brezina. 2017. Juvenile
Delinquency: Causes and Control.
●
Cullen, Francis
T., John Paul Wright, and Kristie R. Blevins (editors). 2008. Taking Stock: The Status of Criminological
Theory. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction. By now, many of you have a working
knowledge of delinquency theories. This edited collection provides a clear
assessment of the evidence confirming or disconfirming them. It is difficult
reading, but the authors are first-rate experts.
Course Requirements
10% Active
class participation. We are planning a live in-person course, though this
could change over the semester. Come to lecture prepared to discuss the day’s
readings. [Assessed based on discussion, breakout group participation,
comments]
20% Short
exercises. Group discussion write-ups, visits, and short individual
assignments, which can be completed live or submitted individually for those
unable to attend class.
20% Midterm
examination (take-home). The extent and distribution of delinquency, sociological
theories of delinquency, and their application to particular scenarios.
25% Working
paper or service learning option. (1) Uggen’s 8-10-page paper assignment or
(2) a 5-page paper based on service learning or internship experiences, or (3)
an article-length research paper or grant proposal on a topic negotiated with
the professor and teaching assistant.
25% Final
examination (take-home). This exam is cumulative, but focuses on connecting
sociological theories with efforts to prevent and control delinquency.
Additional Honors
Expectations
1.
Meet with me, preferably as a
group, 3 times outside of regular course time (time TBD).
2.
Submit
an honors paper (expanded version of
one of the working paper options and/or individual or group research paper).
3.
Help
Uggen and TA on other small leadership
tasks (class discussion, paper exchange, discussion questions, tour).
4.
Optional:
engage in research opportunity with Uggen on (a) data collection (b) data
analysis (c) writing brief (1-page) TSP clippings on
crime news, or (d) other project.
5.
Optional:
Sign up, prepare, and visit one
presentation (e.g., ASC oral history or presidential or Sutherland
address),
workshop, or seminar on a course-related topic.
Policies around Recordings and Academic
Integrity
●
This course may
include video and audio recordings of class lectures and classroom activities.
These recordings will be used for educational purposes and will be available to
students currently enrolled in this course. Always seek instructor permission
to share any course recordings or course content/materials more broadly.
●
Please do not
share lectures, exams, slides, or notes with any other people or sites without
permission from the instructor.
Course Policies and Friendly
Reminders
●
Late
assignments/missed exams.
Assignments, exams, and readings should be completed by the beginning of class
on their due date. Late work is penalized 10% per day. Please document any
family or medical emergencies and notify the professor and TA before class via
email.
●
Class
notes. If you must
miss class, copy the notes from another student. Then see the TA or professor to
clarify anything you do not understand. We will also make PowerPoint outlines
available online on Canvas
●
Grading. At the end of the semester, I compute a
total score for each student (for example, 83.5 out of 100 possible points). I
then make cut-points for the grades based on the class distribution of scores.
I try to ensure that students who do all the reading, attend the lectures, and
participate actively can generally
earn grades of B or better in my classes. Blowing off readings or lectures is
almost certain to hurt your grade.
●
Attendance. We will not be taking attendance in
class, but missing multiple lectures may compromise your participation grade.
●
Reading. This is a reading-intensive upper-division course. You should read and
understand about 100 tough pages weekly (and they should be at least skimmed
before the appropriate lecture). The readings are not typically repeated in
lecture and the lectures are not duplicated in the readings.
●
Triggers,
trauma, and offensive material. Youth crime and punishment involves behaviors ranging from minor
deviance to severe crime. In this course, students may encounter language,
depictions, or attitudes that they find disturbing or offensive. In such cases,
it is fine to leave the room or take a break – and to contact the teaching
assistant or professor to discuss any concerns you might have.
●
Plagiarism/academic
misconduct. You do not need
to cheat. You do not want to cheat. Very bad things will happen if you cheat.
Do not cheat.
●
Workload. For this 3-credit course, you will
spend approximately 7 hours per week on class activities. I will spend at least
2.5 hours per week engaging you with lectures, videos, discussions, quizzes,
and exams, and through weekly office hours (online and in person as requested).
In addition to these interactions with me, you’ll also commit to about 6-7
hours per week reading, studying, researching, and completing the other course
activities and exams. This time commitment should be adequate to earn at least
a course grade of C (Achievement that meets course requirements in every
respect) (although the median course grade has typically been a B in previous
semesters).
●
Technology
statement: You will be
expected to have access to a computer, webcam, and internet connection for any
Zoom lectures and to view recordings. You are encouraged to turn on your camera
to help us connect with one another, but not required to do so.
●
Teaching
philosophy and department policies (attached).
Statement on COVID-19
We find ourselves in a challenging and unpredictable moment. Many of you will
be trying to learn in less-than-ideal circumstances, but I will be right there
with you throughout the semester. We will stay in close contact about
particular challenges you may be facing, and I will do my best to adjust the
course as needed to meet your needs. Please let me know the difficulties you
encounter and what we might do to support your learning.
PART I: EXTENT AND NATURE OF DELINQUENCY
Week 1 – 9/9
A.
Welcome and Data Collection
Self-Report
Survey and “Note cards”; Optional service learning; Course norms and
expectations
●
Rios, Preface, pp. vii-xvi.
●
National Council of State Legislators. 2020. “Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System.”
●
Sawyer, Liz. 2020. “St. Paul police arrest 14-year-old in shooting death of teenager.” Minneapolis Star-Tribune. September 2,
2020.
●
Prather, Shannon. 2019. “Ramsey County's century-old Boys Totem Town closes for good.” Minneapolis Star-Tribune. August 14,
2019.
B.
Defining and Measuring Delinquency: The Policy
Moment
●
Schiraldi,
Vincent, Bruce Western, and Kendra Bradner. 2015. “Community-Based Responses to
Justice-Involved Young Adults.” NIJ New Thinking in Community Corrections Series. Pp.
1-17.
●
Laub,
John H. 2014. “Understanding Inequality
and the Justice System Response: Charting a New Way Forward.” WT Grant Foundation.
Week 2 – 9/16
A.
Extent and Nature of Delinquency: Official
Statistics & Critique
●
Sherman, Lawrence L., Denise C.
Gottfredson, Doris L. MacKenzie, John Eck, Peter Reuter, and Shawn D. Bushway.
1998. "Preventing Crime: What Works, What Doesn’t, What’s Promising.” NIJ Research in Brief. Washington, DC: USGPO. Pp 1-13.
●
Local: Christopher Uggen and Suzy
McElrath. 2014. “Six Social Sources of the U.S. Crime Drop.” Pages 3-20 in Crime and the Punished, edited by
Douglas Hartmann and Christopher Uggen. New York: WW Norton.
●
Recommended: FBI UCR data and
data tool
B.
Extent and Nature: Self-Reports and Victimization
[Service Learning]
●
Rios, Chapter 1. “Dreams Deferred: The
Patterns of Punishment in Oakland.” Pp. 3-23.
●
[Start] Moffitt, Terrie E. 1993. “Adolescent-Limited
and Life-Course-Persistent Antisocial Behavior: A Developmental Taxonomy.” Psychological Review 100:
674-701.
●
Recommended: National Crime Victimization
Survey data tool.
PART II. THEORIES OF DELINQUENCY
Week 3 – 09/23 Transition: From
Correlates to Causal Models
A.
Age, Careers, and the Life Course
●
[Finish] Moffitt, Terrie E. 1993. “Adolescent-Limited
and Life-Course-Persistent Antisocial Behavior: A Developmental Taxonomy.” Psychological Review 100:
674-701.
●
[Local]
Nyseth Brehm, Hollie, Christopher Uggen, and Jean-Damascéne Gasanabo. 2016. “Age, Gender, and the Crime
of Crimes: Toward a Life-Course Theory of Genocide Participation.” Criminology 54: 713-43.
B.
Rational Choice and Deterrence
●
Petrosino, Anthony,
Carolyn Turpin-Petrosino, and John Buehler. 2003. “Scared Straight and Other
Juvenile Awareness Programs for Preventing Juvenile Delinquency: A Systematic Review
of the Randomized Experimental Evidence.” The ANNALS of the
AAPSS 589:41-62.
●
(required
for Honors), Ogle, Meghan R.,
& Turanovic, Jillian J. 2019. Is Getting Tough With
Low-Risk Kids a Good Idea? The Effect of Failure to Appear Detention Stays on
Juvenile Recidivism. Criminal
Justice Policy Review, 30(4), 507–537.
Week 4 – 09/30:
Delinquent Association and Learning
A. Social
Psychological Theories: Differential Association
●
Sutherland, Edwin H. and Donald R.
Cressey. “A Sociological Theory of Criminal Behavior.” Pp. 77-83 in Criminology 10th
Edition.
●
(required
for Honors), Jones, Nikki. 2004. “It’s not Where you Live, it’s How you Live”:
How Young Women Negotiate Conflict and Violence in the Inner City.” The ANNALS of the American Academy of
Political and Social Science 595: 49-62
B. “Moving to Opportunity”
●
Clampet-Lundquist, Susan, Kathryn Edin,
Jeffrey R. Kling, and Greg J. Duncan. 2011. “Moving At-Risk Youth Out of High-Risk Neighborhoods: Why Girls Fare
Better Than Boys.” American Journal of Sociology 116:1154-1189. [a big
treatment]
Week 5 – 10/7:
Learning and Control Theories
A. Cognitive Behavioral Approaches,
Learning, and Control
● Heller, Sara B., Anuj K. Shah, Jonathan Guryan, Jens Ludwig, Sendhil
Mullainathan, Harold A. Pollack. 2017. “Thinking, Fast and Slow? Some Field Experiments to Reduce Crime and
Dropout in Chicago.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics 132: 1–54.
● Rios, Chapter 2. “The Flatlands of Oakland and the Youth Control Complex.” Pp. 24-42.
B. Social
Psychological Theories: Social Control & Self Control
●
Hirschi, Travis. 1969. Causes of Delinquency. Berkeley: University
of California Press. Chapter
2. Pp.
16-34.
●
(required
for Honors), Moffitt, Terrie E.,
Louise Arseneault, Daniel Belsky, Nigel Dickson, Robert J. Hancox, Honalee
Harrington, Renate Houts, Richie Poulton, Brent W. Roberts, Stephen Ross, Malcolm R. Sears, W.
Murray Thomson, and Avshalom Caspi. 2011. “A Gradient of Childhood Self-control Predicts Health, Wealth, and Public
Safety.” Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences 108:2693-98.
Week 6 – 10/14:
Labeling and Symbolic Interaction
A. Labeling Theories
and the Life Course
● Rios, Chapter 3. “Labeling Hype: Coming of Age in Era of Mass Incarceration.” Pp. 43-73.
● Mears, D. P., Kuch, J. J., Lindsey, A. M., Siennick, S. E., Pesta, G. B., Greenwald, M. A. and Blomberg, T. G. 2016.” Juvenile Court and Contemporary Diversion: Helpful, Harmful, or Both?” Criminology & Public Policy, 15: 953–981.
B. Summary
and Review of Social-Psychological Theories & Data
●
Local.
Michael Massoglia and Christopher
Uggen. 2010. “Settling Down and Aging Out: Toward an Interactionist Theory of
Desistance and the Transition to Adulthood.” American Journal of Sociology 116:543-82.
●
(required
for Honors), Elliott, Sinikka, and Megan Reid. 2019. “Low-Income Black Mothers Parenting Adolescents in the Mass Incarceration
Era: The Long Reach of Criminalization.” American Sociological Review, 84:
197–219.
Week 7 - 10/21:
Social Structural Theories Midterms due
A.
Racism, Neighborhoods, and Gangs
●
Rios, Chapter 4. “The Coupling of
Criminal Justice and Community Institutions.” Pp. 74-96.
●
Du
Bois, W.E.B. 1899. The Philadelphia Negro
(excerpt) “The Negro Criminal.” Pp. 1-15.
●
[Local news].
Libor Jany and Liz Sawyer. 2020. “As Twin Cities street gangs
evolve, traditional hierarchies vanish.” Minneapolis Star-Tribune, February
5, 2020.
B.
Social Structural Theories: Social
Disorganization
●
Shaw, Clifford, and Henry H. McKay.
1931. Juvenile Delinquency in Urban
Areas. Chapter X. Pp. 283-293.
●
Sampson, Robert J. 2008. “Rethinking Crime and Immigration.” Contexts 28-33.
●
(required
for Honors), Sharkey, Patrick., Gerrard Torrats-Espinosa, and Delaram
Takyar. 2017. “Community and the Crime Decline: The Causal Effect of Local Nonprofits
on Violent Crime.” American
Sociological Review, 82,
1214–1240.
Week 8 – 10/28:
Anomie and Individual-Level Strain Variants
Film: Angels with
Dirty Faces
●
NOTE: Midterm Evaluations
Week 9 – 11/4:
Anomie and Individual-Level Strain Variants
A.
Social Structural Theories: Anomie
●
Merton, Robert K. 1938. “Social
Structure and Anomie.” American Sociological Review 3:672-82.
●
(required
for Honors) Contreras, Randol. 2014. The Stickup Kids: Race, Drugs, Violence,
and the American Dream. Chapter
1. Berkeley: University of California Press.
B.
General Strain Theory
●
Rios, Chapter 5. “Dummy Smart:
Misrecognition, Acting Out, and Going Dumb.” Pp. 97-123.
●
Racine, N., Cooke, J. E., Eirich, R., Korczak, D. J.,
McArthur, B., & Madigan, S. 2020. “Child and adolescent mental illness during COVID-19: A rapid review.” Psychiatry Research, 292, 113307.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113307
Week 10 – 11/11: Critical
Theories
A.
Social Structural Theories: Marxian and Conflict
Theories
●
Wacquant, Loic. 2012. “The
Punitive Regulation of Poverty in the Neoliberal Era.” Criminal Justice Matters 89:38-40.
●
(required
for Honors), Tracie R. Porter. 2015 “The School-to-Prison
Pipeline: The Business Side of Incarcerating, Not Educating, Students in Public
Schools.”
Arkansas Law Review 68: 55-81.
B.
Gender, Social Structure, and Feminist
Criminology
●
Rios, Chapter 6. “Proving Manhood:
Masculinity as a Rehabilitative Tool.” Pp. 124-41.
●
Panfil, Vanessa R. 2018. “Young and Unafraid: Queer Criminology’s Unbounded Potential.” Palgrave Communications 4:110: 1-5.
●
(required
for Honors), Chapter 8. Jody Miller and Christopher W. Mullins. ”The Status of Feminist Theories in
Criminology.” Pp.
217-50.
PART III: DELINQUENT CAREERS IN THE
JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM
Week 11 – 11/18: Prevention & Introduction to
Juvenile Justice (Zoom class?)
A.
Prevention and
Introduction to Juvenile Justice
Paper
Drafts Due: Workshop
●
Greenwood,
Peter. 2008. “Prevention and Intervention
Programs for Juvenile Offenders.” The Future of
Children 18:185-210.
●
[Local]
Schaefer, Shelly, and Christopher Uggen. 2016. “Blended Sentencing Laws and
the Punitive Turn in Juvenile Justice.” Law & Social
Inquiry 41:435-63.
●
(required for
Honors) Sullivan, Christopher, Alex R. Piquero, and Francis T. Cullen. 2012. “Like Before, But Better: The
Lessons of Developmental, Life-Course Criminology for Contemporary Juvenile
Justice.” Victims and Offenders 7:450-71.
B. The Juvenile Justice System and the “Gender
Gap”
●
Zahn, Margaret
A., Jacob C. Day, Sharon F. Mihalic and Lisa Tichavsky. 2009. “Determining What Works for Girls in
the Juvenile Justice System: A Summary of Evaluation Evidence.” Crime
& Delinquency 55:266-93.
●
Fader, Jamie J.
and Megan H. Shaud. 2021. “Challenging Heteronormative Practices in
the Juvenile Justice System."
Temple Public Policy Lab.
●
(required for
Honors): Angela Irvine-Baker, Nikki Jones, Aisha Canfield. 2019. “Taking the “Girl” Out of
Gender-Responsive Programming in the Juvenile Justice System.” Annual
Review of Criminology 2019 2:1, 321-336.
11/25 – Thanksgiving Break -- NO CLASS
*Final Papers Due 11/30 at Midnight
Week 13 – 12/2
Race, Gender, Policing, and Probation
A.
Police, Race, and the Juvenile Court
●
Ward, Geoff K.
2012. The Black Child-Savers: Racial
Democracy and Juvenile Justice. Chapter 6: Institutionalizing Racial Justice: The Black Surrogate Parental State,
1930–65. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
●
Rios,
Chapter 7. “Guilty by Association: Acting White or Acting Lawful?” Pp. 142-56.
B.
Probation
●
Lane,
Jodi, Susan Turner, Terry Fain, and Amber Sehgal. 2007. “The Effects of an Experimental Intensive
Juvenile Probation Program on Self-reported Delinquency and Drug Use.” Journal of Experimental Criminology 3:201-219.
Week 14 – 12/9:
Probation and Institutionalization
A.
Institutionalization
●
Sawyer, Wendy.
2019. Youth Confinement: The Whole Pie 2019.
Prison Policy
Initiative.
●
Bowman, S.W.
2018. The Kids are Alright: Making a Case for
Abolition of the Juvenile Justice System. Critical Criminology 26:393–405.
B.
Conclusions and Catch-Up
●
Richard Rosenfeld and Steven F. Messner.
2014. “A Social Welfare Critique of Contemporary Crime Control.” In Crime and the Punished, edited by Douglas Hartmann and Christopher
Uggen. New York: WW Norton.
●
Rios, Conclusion. “Toward a Youth Support
Complex.” Pp. 157-167.
·
Michelle
Inderbitzin, Trevor Walraven, and Joshua Cain. 2014. “Juvenile Lifers, Learning
to Lead.” In Crime and the Punished, edited by
Douglas Hartmann and Christopher Uggen. New York: WW Norton.
Week 15 – 12/16:
Finals Due (midnight)
A.
Review TBA
Uggen's Teaching Goals and Philosophy
1. Respect
for Students.
The other points are really a subset of this
one. Education is a service industry, but you cannot simply purchase a unit of
education the way you would buy other commodities. Instead, you must devote
time and energy to learning. I respect those students who must make work,
family, or other commitments their top priority. Nevertheless, to benefit from
the class and to be rewarded with a high grade, you must find time to do the
work.
2. Procedural Justice or
Fairness.
In my non-statistics classes, I typically
grade exams and papers anonymously (by identification numbers rather than
names) to avoid favoritism or other biases. Universal standards and strict
deadlines are the best way I know to provide equal opportunities for all
students.
3. High Standards for
Excellence.
I reserve grades of A for outstanding
work that engages course materials with original thought and creativity or a
mastery of technical skills. You can receive a B by doing all of the work well
and a C by meeting all course
requirements.
4. Opportunities for
Independent Work.
All must meet the basic requirements. For
those wishing to engage the material at the highest level, I allow flexibility
for more ambitious projects.
5. Responsiveness and
Accountability.
You will have the opportunity to evaluate
me and to critique the course in time for me to make changes that will benefit you. If you think I have failed to live
up to the principles or philosophies here listed, please let me know about it.
6. Accessibility.
I will be available to you during office
hours and flexible in scheduling appointments outside these hours (including nights and weekends).
7. Embracing Diverse
Perspectives.
Sharing your experiences and
understandings (publicly or privately) enriches the course for your fellow
students, especially when you disagree with me.
8. Enthusiasm for the Subjects
I Teach and for Teaching as a Vocation.
I cannot expect you to really engage the
course materials if I am bored with them. Therefore, I will make every effort
to make the texts, lectures, and assignments current, relevant, and
intellectually engaging.
9. Skills, Knowledge, and
Attitudes.
I teach: (1) technical and
life skills that will benefit you inside and outside of the classroom; (2)
abstract and concrete knowledge about the social world; and, (3) attitudes
promoting the free and good-humored exchange of ideas.