Criminology and Social Control

3 units

Criminology is the scientific study of the making of laws, the breaking of laws, and society’s response to deviant behaviors. This seminar offers an introduction to the criminological and sociological literatures on the social construction of deviance and criminality; why people engage in deviant behaviors; and how formal and informal social control mechanisms are created and differentially deployed to punish, control, and prevent crime. The course comprises two units, beginning with a survey of key criminological theories of deviance and ending with an examination of theoretical and empirical scholarship on social control (e.g., surveillance, policing, incarceration). We will examine the merits of theories of deviance and social control; explore their impact on law and policy; and assess the strengths and weaknesses of existing data and methodologies to test them.