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ENGL 160

TRUTH AND CRIME

3 credits.

Examines the development, scope, and effects of the "True Crime" genre in the United States. Using literary analysis and legal studies methods, explore various areas of the genre (written, podcasts, documentaries, etc.) and try to find answer as to why we are so compelled by true crime narratives and what true crime's "truth" is. Untangle the complex relationship between law and narrative (background on each will be provided) and the various epistemological systems it combines, including the role of science and technology. Gain a detailed understanding of what our culture's relationship to "real life" crime narratives tells us about the fundamental and complex role criminality plays in defining us as a society.

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: None Course Designation: Core GenEd - Humanities & Arts Breadth - Literature Level - Elementary L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Fall 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Identify the fundamentals of legal narrative and its relationship to criminal law functions (what are the elements of a crime, and what is “evidence”?) Audience: Undergraduate 2. Identify the ways the legal system is subject to human, social, and literary construction—not only in a theoretical sense but through actual cases. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Analyze the various ways in which media “tells” crime stories and what the potential motivation for these stories might be. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Develop a nuanced understanding of the true crime genre through a close examination of exemplary representations of the genre (literature, podcasts, documentaries, etc.) Audience: Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Identify the fundamentals of legal narrative and its relationship to criminal law functions (what are the elements of a crime, and what is “evidence”?) Audience: Undergraduate 2. Identify the ways the legal system is subject to human, social, and literary construction—not only in a theoretical sense but through actual cases. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Analyze the various ways in which media “tells” crime stories and what the potential motivation for these stories might be. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Develop a nuanced understanding of the true crime genre through a close examination of exemplary representations of the genre (literature, podcasts, documentaries, etc.) Audience: Undergraduate

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