Students as Theorists in a Criminology Course

Abstract

As teachers of sociology we should help our students to understand the sociological perspective and the concepts, theories, and research findings of the field. We also should ask them to inquire, to think critically, and to endeavor to explain social phenomena systematically. In the introductory criminology course, students learn some of what sociologists know and think about crime and criminal behavior, but generally they experience the study of criminology as spectators rather than as participants. This paper describes an assignment with which I encourage students to take an active role in understanding and explaining the causes of crime. The assignment has three main pedagogical objectives. One is to motivate students through active involvement. The second is to encourage a deeper understanding of criminological theories and their implications. The third is to promote critical thinking and higherorder cognitive skills such as application, analysis, and synthesis (Bloom 1956).