This seminar will cover recent research controversies in the sociological study of crime and delinquency. It will focus on productive empirical research programs that address important theoretical questions. The seminar is designed to cover a balance of theoretical and methodological issues. It will emphasize quantitative research using survey data, using qualitative studies as a contrast. This course, then, is neither a theory course nor a methods course, but rather is a review of recent empirical studies of theoretical issues in criminology. An important objective of the course is to introduce students to significant theoretical problems that can be addressed empirically, and introduce some key methodological issues. There are no formal prerequisites for the course, but it is recommended that students have exposure to a basic criminology course and basic methods (including research design and multiple regression analysis).
