HAY 140: CRIMINOLOGY: THEORY AND PRACTICE
ESSAY REQUIREMENTS
The purpose of this assignment is to allow you to apply your knowledge to a real-world case and to critically examine criminological theories. This essay has two (equally weighted) components: (1) application of criminological theories to a criminal event and (2) critical analysis of a criminological theory.
Part I
Locate a newspaper article on a criminal event from either The Age or The Australian. The article must be published in the month previous to the assignment due date and must discuss a recent criminal event rather than summarise a previous criminal event. You must provide a copy of the article with your assignment (can either be a scanned hard copy or a saved webpage [in pdf form]). In the essay, you will provide a synopsis of the criminal event and explain the causes of the incident using three criminological theories of your choice. There is one caveat: the theories must span the range of theories discussed throughout the semester (i.e., the three theories cannot exclusively represent the sociological or psychological perspectives). Be sure to include the principle tenets of each theory as they relate to the criminal event.
Part II
Select one criminological theory (not used in Part I) that you will critically analyse using at least one journal article that supports your theory and one that does not support your theory. You must use only peer-reviewed articles from journals such as Criminology, Criminology and Public Policy, Justice Quarterly, or Police Quarterly. You are not limited to these journals, but are specifically restricted from using Wikipedia or similar websites. You must submit your articles [in pdf form] with your assignment. In your own words, describe the theory and summarize and integrate the arguments made in the articles. Be sure to outline the principle tenets that were supported and those that were not. After analysing the theory, state concluding thoughts with the…