SOCI 048L. Urban Crime and Punishment

This course takes a sociologically based yet interdisciplinary approach to the study of the politics of crime and the criminal justice system in U.S. cities. We investigate the origins of the politics of law and order from the mid-twentieth century to today, against a broader backdrop of macrostructural changes in the social, economic, and political landscape including but not limited to urban de-industrialization and suburbanization. Using Philadelphia neighborhoods as our site of study, this course will analyze the relationship between urbanity, criminality and spatial inequality, emphasizing the institutions, processes, and mechanisms that shape the lives of urban dwellers. We will survey major theoretical approaches and empirical investigations of politics, crime and stratification in cities, their concomitant policy considerations, and the impact at the local level in Philadelphia. Readings and in-class discussions will be supplemented by experiences in the field and guest speakers drawn from organizations involved in the crime/criminal justice system.
Requires permission of the Instructor.
Social sciences.
1 credit.
Eligible for BLST, ESCH
Fall 2024. Johnson.
Catalog chapter: Sociology and Anthropology
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/sociology-anthropology

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