THEORY APPLICATION PAPER

CRM 101 – THEORY APPLICATION PAPER

(20% of final grade)

One of the learning objectives for this course is that you will demonstrate an understanding of the major theoretical perspectives used in criminology and be able to apply those perspectives to various scenarios.

In this assignment, you will apply two (or more if you wish) criminological theories learned in the course to a film depicting criminal or deviant behaviour. By doing so, you will demonstrate your ability to recognize the relevance of criminological theories and describe how particular theories explain specific and general criminal activities.

OBJECTIVES:

• To apply theoretical knowledge gained from the course to a fictional case
• To develop analytical skills
• To practice writing and applying APA format

ASSIGNMENT STEPS:

• Select and watch one of the films from the list below. (or one of your choice).
• As you watch your chosen film, think about which theories in the course could help explain the criminal/deviant behaviour depicted in the film. (You may need to watch the film several times – once to “watch” it and then again to analyse it.)
• Select two theories that you think provide the best explanation for the criminal/deviant behaviour depicted in the film. (You may include more than two theories in your paper; however, you should focus on two main theories – otherwise your analysis will be lacking in depth.)
• Find at least two sources outside the course material to enhance your understanding of the theories you choose to apply to the film. (Information about finding outside sources is provided at the end of this document.)
• NOTE: This is not a descriptive essay. The goal of this essay is to take a position and provide supporting evidence in the body of the paper, and draw appropriate conclusions based on the evidence reviewed.

FILM SELECTION:

You may choose to research and write on any ONE of the films listed below. The list includes each film’s rating and warnings about film content. Some of the films include explicit content (e.g., violence, drug use, sexuality, foul language). If, for cultural, religious, or moral reasons, you do not watch films depicting violent subject matter, you may select a film that is not listed below. (Note: You must obtain prior permission before researching or analysing a film that is not listed below.)

1. Boyz n the Hood (1991; R – Language, violence, sensuality, nudity)
2. Monster (2003; R – Strong violence and sexual content; pervasive language)
3. Nightcrawler (2014; R – Violence including graphic images, language)
4. Ocean’s Eleven (2001) or Ocean’s Thirteen (2007); PG-13 – Some language and sexual content)
5. Scarface (1983; R – Extreme violence, drug use, language, nudity)
6. Straight Outta Compton (2013; R – Language throughout, strong sexuality/nudity, violence, and drug use)
7. The Outsiders (1983; PG-13 – Violence, teen drinking and smoking, and some sexual reference)
8. 8 mile (2002; R – Strong language, sexuality, some violence and drug use)

DELIVERABLES: THEORY APPLICATION PAPER                          

This is a formal academic research paper including an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Format: APA conventions

• Margins: 1 inch on all sides
• Font: 12 point Times New Roman
• Paragraphs: double-spaced throughout; indent first line of each paragraph
• Length: 6-7 pages of text (not including title page or reference page)

Title page:

• Your title page should contain: A creative title of your own choosing; Your name and NIC student number; The course (Criminology 101); The date and year; and My name.

Introduction (1 to 1½ pages):

• Introduce your film providing information the reader will need to know to understand the criminal/deviant behaviour and the analysis that will be contained within the body of your paper – note this is not an exhaustive description of the plot, only a brief synopsis of the film
• Provide an overview of the paper (state which theories you will be applying)

Body (4 to 5 pages):

• Drawing upon the facts presented in the film, apply at least two distinct theories discussed in this course to explain the criminal/deviant behaviour in question
• You will not be able consider all the material covered in the course; rather, choose the theories that are most relevant and useful given your film
• Here are some questions to help guide this process. (These questions are a guide for your analysis. These questions should not be written out in your paper, nor should they simply be answered one-by-one. As you work on your analysis, you may come across other questions that need to be answered in order to effectively analyse the criminal/deviant behaviour depicted in the film.)
  • What criminological theories are relevant to the film?
  • How do these theories explain or account for the behaviour depicted in the film?
  • Which theory provides a better account of the behaviour?

Conclusion (½ to 1 page):

• Summarize your analysis of the case
• Recommend and justify a course of action that is most likely to be effective and relies on theory/theories from this course

Reference list:

• All sources used in the paper must be referenced in APA format in your reference list. This includes your textbook and the film.

A note about citations and references

For this paper (and for written work in other Criminology courses), you must follow APA guidelines for citations and references. There are two parts to citing sources in an academic paper: the citation within the main body of your paper and creating a reference page for your citations. There are a number of web sites and manuals which you will find helpful, but the most authoritative one is APA Style which has short tutorials (see http://www.apastyle.org/).

Because of the length of the paper, do not use direct quotations when describing the theories. (You may include (a) quotes from the film in order to illustrate a particular concept.)

HOW WILL THE THEORY APPLICATION PAPER BE GRADED?

Each paper will be evaluated using the following weighted criteria.

Note: Late paper submissions will be penalized 10% (3 points out of 30) per day or portion thereof, including weekends, for the first five days after the due date. After five days papers will not be accepted. Research papers amidst exams and additional assignments have a tendency to “sneak up” on you and overload your schedule. You have all the necessary tools to complete this assignment, so it is in your best interests to start now.

FINDING AND USING ADDITIONAL SOURCES

You must utilize a minimum (maximum endless) of two sources outside the course material. Additional references may be other textbooks, scientific journals, and/or legitimate websites. (The film is not included as meeting the reference requirement.)

Finding sources

As an NIC student, you have access to the NIC Library resources (http://library.nic.bc.ca/). This allows you to search online for books, journals and government documents on almost every conceivable subject. There are many electronic journals, databases and e-books. Please familiarize yourself with these resources. You can read abstracts (summaries) of journal articles, see book reviews, or download resources in “full-text” format.

Journals contain more current information about your interests than do published books. For example, the Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Criminology, or Crime and Delinquency carry a wide selection of articles to inform your paper.

Do not research a paper/essay by relying on Google or Wikipedia. Your paper will end up being superficial and informed by convenient, rather than comprehensive sources of information.

Making Sense of Your Sources

When choosing books, consult the Table of Contents and Indexes to see what the authors have to say about the theory you have chosen. Start by reading the abstract, introduction and/or conclusion of a chapter or article, because these parts usually highlight the author’s main ideas and arguments. Make judgments as to whether you want to read further and include their research, comments, or observations in your paper. Make notes to record your sources of information.

If an author in a textbook mentions a particularly relevant journal article that you cannot find in the library, obtain it through Inter-Library Loans (allow for up to two weeks for delivery).

Any information you collect should relate directly to your film analysis. Always ask yourself at each stage of the research process, “What does this article or book have to do with my analysis of the criminal/deviant behaviour shown in the film?”