We will take an historical, evolutionary approach to the study of crime, law, and justice in the United States. Specifically, we will come to appreciate these themes which unify the course material and assignments:

The existence of diverse narratives about crime, law, and justice developed by different stakeholders.
The dialectic (tension) between individual and community perspectives about crime, law, and justice.
The impact of regional and cultural factors on perspectives of crime, law, and justice.
The disparate treatments of "others" (race, ethnicity, class, education-level, sex/gender/sexual preference, tribal/band/clan/kin/family networks, religion, etc.) by dominant power networks and the continued efforts to correct and remedy these treatments through reform efforts and activism.
The distinct powers established and modified to address matters of crime, law, and justice given federal, state, local, and tribal authorities (dual federalism).
The practical interplay between formal and informal power structures evidenced in crime, law, and justice (think in terms of the Mann article on IEMP in M1-B and M1-B-1).

Please see Module I for my videos explaining each of these themes in detail.

Keep in mind the following overview videos are very important for thoroughly understanding the individual themes. These themes are the key lenses through which we make sense of the assigned course material. Your ability to do well on the course assignments, mid-term, and final is dependent on understanding them accurately.