CRJS 314 Crime and Social Deviancy
Effective law enforcement requires an understanding of human behavior - deviant or otherwise. Emile Durkheim, a famous early sociologist, even went so far as to say that deviance, or breaking societal rules for behavior, is normal, and occurs in every human community. Thus an understanding of deviance begins with an understanding of human behavior, period. You will study the topic of human behavior-both conforming behavior and deviant behavior, take a diagnostic tool to identify your own personality traits, and learn to apply individual differences to human interactions and organizations. You will study and seek to understand the historical and societal context for deviance, theories or deviance, and social control mechanisms, from social scientific perspectives, but also from a Christian perspective which sees all human beings with worth, dignity, and potential.