Here are the essay questions from which
you will be selecting. I have combined overlapping questions from various
groups and individuals.
Remember to avoid using the same
information twice because you can only receive credit for the first use. This does
not mean you must avoid passing reference or comparison.
Remember to provide examples when
appropriate. However, two or three good examples are better than none or broad
generalizations.
Do not use sources other than those
assigned for class.
Please proofread your essays before
submitting them.
Sources for general information need not
be cited. But if you are using information specifically from that source (e.g.,
e-reserve article or video clip), please cite the source in case I should want
to have another look. You may use any citation style.
Since we have not dealt with law
enforcement, courts, or prisons in great detail and will not do so until after
the exam, do not go into great detail when referring to the present.
As I
thought I had said in class — but may not have said to this class — the
length of your essay will depend on how concise you are in your writing. The
usual length in class is 150-250 words, with some students writing very good
essays that require an entire blue book for each question. So –how much you
write depends on how much you say. I suggest you do an outline and think your
response through before you plunge in.
if you are
discussing an important issue, I would like to know your source in case I want
to check. YOU HAVE TO PICK FOUR essay questions
and use APA style to do full citations for any sources used.
Questions:
1.
Discuss the impact of slavery
on the social and legal status of Africans and their American-born descendants.
In the aftermath of the Civil War, how were the freed slaves perceived? Are there current criminal justice issues
that some scholars argue can be traced back to the institution of slavery?
2.
Historically, are there social justice
and criminal justice issues related to race/ethnicity that we can identify stretching
from the colonial era to the present? Can we identify differences in how these
issues have affected racial minorities and white ethnic groups?
3.
Discuss “ghost dancing”. Why
was the federal government concerned? Discuss the massacre that occurred and why
it has been described as a crime by the state.
4.
Discuss the role of mass media
(e.g., newspapers, films, and books) in covering or portraying issues related
to race/ethnicity and criminal justice.
5.
The concept of “Southern
Justice” has been used in describing the Leo Frank case, the Scottsboro Boys
case, and the Emmett Till. Focusing on one of these cases (but you may
reference the other two), discuss the case and its outcome.
6.
During World War II, the Sleepy
Lagoon murder case and the Zoot Suit riots occurred in Los Angeles. Discuss these
events (participants and outcomes).
7.
Discuss what happened at the
Pine Ridge Indians Reservation. How does this encounter fit into the larger
history of Native American resistance and activism?
8.
Discuss two theories used to
explain the involvement of racial/ethnic groups in crime and the responses of the criminal
justice system. Has research been done
that supports each of these theories?