Research Paper
Students will choose a topic of their choice, as long as it provides an empirical understanding of the relationship between class, race, or gender and crime/criminal justice.
In other words, students will choose one of the extralegal factors mentioned throughout the course (i.e., class, race, or gender) and then assess how these factors influence (or are influenced by) criminal justice processes/outcomes.
For instance, a student interested in class and crime might assess corporate crimes and how often arrests/convictions occur. A student interested in race and crime might research sentencing outcomes to determine which race is most often sentenced to capital punishment (death penalty).
A student interested in gender and crime might evaluate women’s protective measures to avoid victimization. Literature reviews evaluate scholarly articles and books relevant to the students’ chosen topic (at least 5 for this assignment). The purpose is to provide a summary of the published empirical literature.
Details: 8-10 pages (not including the title, abstract, or references), double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, APA format
While the paper topic is entirely up to you, there are specific components of the paper that must be present:
– Title page
o Examples of 3 common types of titles
▪ Question
• “Do Mandatory Sentencing Policies Lead to Harsher Sentences for African-Americans?”
▪ Summary
▪ “Male Privilege, Toxic Masculinity, and Rape Myths”
▪ 2-part
▪ “Economic Privilege: Keeping the Poor in their Place”
– Abstract
o Short (50-100 words) summary of entire paper. It should describe the topic, why it is important, and the overall findings (usually done after the paper is written)
– Introduction
o Define topic, prevalence, and importance
o Argumentative statement (purpose of the paper—“The purpose of this paper is to examine the how male privilege contributes definitions of rape and the pervasiveness of rape myths”)
– Literature Review
o Body paragraphs:
▪ Include literature that indicates that the your topic exists (in the intro you might include statistics about the problem; here show what is causing it to be a problem; you can use theory if it helps, but not necessary)
▪ How has society/groups/individuals worked to resolve the problem historically and recently?
▪ What else should be done (programs implemented, changes in legislation, etc.)?
– Conclusion
o Summarize your paper, restate key points
