Criminology
CRIM 121
Ferraro

In Search of Respect Term Paper/Final Exam
Due: Sunday, August 7th, by 11:59pm

The focus of this 5-7 page term paper should be on a particular theory covered in this class (e.g. strain theory, labeling, drift, etc.) and should offer support for that theory as an explanation of crime using events depicted in Philippe Bourgois’ In Search of Respect: Selling crack in El Barrio.

A good way to approach this assignment is to select one theory to apply to the book, which you think is the strongest explanation for crime. Define the theory and explain it in detail; show me that you know how the theory works, what aspects of crime it can explain best (remember, no theory can explain all aspects of crime), and how it views the nature of crime (individual causes, structural causes, social process, or conflict). After explaining the theory, apply it to one or two subjects from the book. In the case of structural theories such as social disorganization, you should consider addressing the neighborhood of El Barrio, its organization, and its history.

Broadly, you should try to answer the question of how the person’s or persons’ experiences (or the neighborhood itself) embody the theory. How does he/she/it conform to or differ from what would be expected according to the theory you choose?

Given the short length of the assignment, a strong paper would rely only on one or two individuals, explaining in detail how their experiences suggest the chosen theory, rather than pulling experiences from a large number of subjects. The tendency for some students is to write about a number of theories and subjects, at which point the paper tends to become a laundry list, rather than a unified analysis. I’m looking instead for you to demonstrate a full understanding of the theory you choose, rather than a cursory understanding of several theories.

While you may use more than one theory, if you choose to do this, you must make sure that the ones you choose are connected in some way and you should be sure to explain the connection in your paper, else the one paper read more like several separate analyses. For example, you probably wouldn’t want to write a paper on both rational choice and Social Disorganization theory, as the two are largely opposed. However, you could write a nice paper on how Merton’s Strain and Cohen’s Subculture complement each other in explaining the delinquency depicted in In Search of Respect.

The following pages offer the guidelines and expectations for the assignment as well as tips and suggestions for drafting a quality paper. The page on paragraph unity breaks down into its parts a famous selection by W.E.B. Du Bois to show how to create a concise, coherent, flowing sentence. This page is offered merely as an aid for writing. Though I do not expect all students to follow it exactly, it is a strong model and one that can help organize your writing.