20 Mar Criminology theories

Instructions

Everythingyou have done up to this point including the theoretical application discussionboards, your final paper proposal, and the article review worksheet should helpyou to organize your arguments for how to apply your three chosen theories toexplaining changing crime rates experienced during the pandemic.  Below you will find detailed instructions on1) the outline for your final paper, 2) formatting instructions, and 3)information on grading of the final paper. Keep in mind that the writing prompt for the paper is as follows and youshould ensure that you have addressed each particular component:

“Compare and contrast 3 theories from this course toexamine changing patterns of crime experienced during the pandemic.  Usethese theories to hypothesize about changing patterns in crime experiencedduring the pandemic at any levelindividual, group, or societal.  You maychoose 1) all theories that would predict an increase in crime, 2) all theoriesthat would predict a decrease in crime, 3) one theory that would predict anincrease and two theories that would predict a decrease in crime, or 4) onetheory that would predict an decrease and two theories that would predict an increasein crime. You may opt to focus on either 1) crime more broadly or 2) on aspecific type of crime depending on what you feel your chosen theories wouldbest explain but, if opting for a single crime, use all theories to explainthat single crime. For each chosen theory, summarize the theory, identify whatcausal mechanisms of crime the theory identifies, and how changes in thosecausal mechanisms experienced during the pandemic could be used to hypothesizechanges in crime patterns during a pandemic.   You will then berequired to 1) reference sources (i.e., academic journal articles, etc.) thatsupport your argument for changes in the causal mechanisms identified by thetheory that were experienced during the pandemic as well as 2) referencesources (i.e., official crime statistics, reliable news sources, etc.) regardingactual crime patterns observed during the pandemic that appear to be emergingfrom crime data for 2020 to the present.  The goal is to draw clear linksbetween those changes in causal mechanisms to changes in crime rates during thepandemic to determine which theories might be applicable to explaining changesin crime experienced during the pandemic.”

Outline Instructions: Having completed both the finalpaper proposal and the article review worksheets, you have most everything youwill need to organize this final paper but will have to spend time putting theinformation into your own words to avoid plagiarism.  The final paper should be no more than 12pages in length given the page length limitations below.  The paper should be organized as follows:

        Title Page: see formatting instructions below

        Introduction: Clearly and concisely introduce theidea of how changing social patterns experienced during the pandemic have thepotential to impact criminal behavior or crime ratesusing whichever focus bestfits with your chosen theories and hypotheses. Introduce the three theories you will be using to explain said changesin social patterns and how they would each predict changes in crime (includeclear directionality).  This sectionshould be no more than 1-2 paragraphs and less than a page.

        Summary of 1^st theoryincluding identification of key causal mechanism: Using the information you providedin #2 from your proposal but putting the information in your own words, providea thorough summary of the basic premise and key concepts of your firsttheory.  Be sure that your summaryincludes a clear statement of what the theory proposes as the key causalmechanism of crime. If your theory includes multiple elements, be sure toidentify and define each, even if your arguments in the following sections willfocus on only specific elements from within the theory.  This first theoretical summary should be nomore than 1 page in length.

        Changes in social patterns due tothe pandemic (1^st theory): Use this section to illustrate changing social patternsexperienced during the pandemic. Pull from #3 in the proposal to illustrate howspecific behaviors/lifestyles/characteristics/etc. of specific people/places/societies/etc.have changed due to the pandemic.  Usethe information in the first two article reviews to support your claim ofchanging social patterns. Keep the focus on these changes at the levelappropriately identified by the theoryindividual, group, or societal.  Clearly illustrate how these changes illustratea change in the causal mechanism identified by your chosen theory. This sectionshould be no more than 1 page in length.

        Predicted changes in crime rates dueto the pandemic (1^st theory): Using the information from #4 in your proposal worksheet,identify how the change in the social patterns/key causal mechanism describedin the previous section would predict a change in crime due to thepandemic.  Keep the predicted change inthe context of your chosen theory and the key causal mechanism the theoryidentifies. Clearly identify 1) if the theory would predict an increase ordecrease in crime based on changing patterns from the pandemic and 2) whattypes of crime might be affected. Conclude with a clear, concise hypothesis (#5 from your proposalworksheet).  Then use your last 4 articlereviews on actual changing crime rates to address whether or not your proposedhypothesis appears to be supported.  Thissection should be no more than 1 page in length. 

        Summary of 2^nd theoryincluding identification of key causal mechanism: See Summary of 1^sttheory including identification of key causal mechanism section above.  Do the same for your second theory.

        Changes in social patterns due tothe pandemic (2^nd theory): See Changing social patterns due to the pandemic (1^sttheory) section above.  Do the same foryour second theory using your 3^rd and 4^th article reviewsas they pertain to this second theory.

        Predicted changes in crime rates dueto the pandemic (2^nd theory):  See Changing crimerates due to the pandemic (1^st theory) section above.  Do the same for your second theory.

        Summary of 3^rd theoryincluding identification of key causal mechanism: See Summary of 1^sttheory including identification of key causal mechanism section above.  Do the same for your third theory.

        Changes in social patterns due tothe pandemic (3^rd theory): See Changing social patterns due to the pandemic (1^sttheory) section above.  Do the same foryour third theory using your 5^th and 6^th article reviewsas they pertain to this second theory.

        Predicted changes in crime rates dueto the pandemic (3^rd theory):  See Changing crimerates due to the pandemic (1^st theory) section above.  Do the same for your third theory.

        Comparisons, Contrasts, &Conclusions: Usingthe last section from your proposal, this section should bring your paper to aconclusion by comparing and contrasting your chosen theories and theirexplanations of and predications for crime during the pandemic. If all theoriespredict the same increase/decrease in crime, discuss how thetheories differ in the causal mechanisms used to explain thatincrease/decrease.  If the theoriespredict differing effects on crime, discuss these differences.  Tie your conclusions back around to what emergingdata on crime patterns/rates seem to suggest in terms of whether each theory issupported by these data or if one theory seems to better explain changes incrime experienced during a pandemic. This section should be no more than 1 page in length.

        References Page: See formatting instructions below

 

Formatting Instructions: For the most part, we will be usingAPA guidelines for this final paper with some modifications made simply for theease of grading.  You will be using APAguidelines for in text citations and references but you will follow my personalguidelines for things like spacing, font, etc.

        Title page: should include page number (topright corner) and running header (top left corner) as well as the followinginformation centered on the page:

o  paper title

o  Namesa

        Paper formatting:

o  Youwill primarily be using APA formatting with some minor changes based oninstructor preference including the following:

  Used 1-inchmargins

  Used size 12 TimesNew Roman font

  Used 1.5spacingexcept in the References page

  Includes pagenumbering & running header

  Sectionsof paper are sequenced as directed

  Headingslined up on left margin in all caps

  Avoided usingslang, abbreviations, symbols (i.e., &, #, etc.), etc.

o  Usethe following titles for each section of your paper:

  Introduction

  Summaryof _____ theory (inserttitle of your 1^st theory)

  Changesin _____ due to the pandemic (insert causal mechanism from your first theory)

  Predictedchanges in ____ due to the pandemic (insert type of crime or crime rates based on your firsttheorys prediction)

  Summaryof _____ theory (inserttitle of your 2^nd theory)

  Changesin _____ due to the pandemic (insert causal mechanism from your second theory)

  Predictedchanges in ____ due to the pandemic (insert type of crime or crime rates based on your secondtheorys prediction)

  Summaryof _____ theory (inserttitle of your 3^rd theory)

  Changesin _____ due to the pandemic (insert causal mechanism from your third theory)

  Predictedchanges in ____ due to the pandemic (insert type of crime or crime rates based on your thirdtheorys prediction)

  Comparisons,Contrasts, and Conclusions

        References:

o  Usesin text citations appropriately: Should be cited as (Last Name, Year) unlessusing a direct quote in which case you use (Last Name, Year, p. XX).  Given that you will be using the coursetextbooks for information on each theory, be sure to include those citationswhere needed. 

  You should include a citation the first-timeinformation is referenced from a source but do not have to keep including itafter each sentence so long as that information continues to come from thatsource.  Once youve cited something fromanother source, youll have to

  For articles with 3 or more authors,after the first time you cite them, you can use the et al. option.  For example, Akers, Sellers, & Jennings,2021 becomes Akers et al., 2021 after the initial citation.

o  Usingthe citations, you created in your article review worksheet, create aReferences page including all sources cited within your paperboth thetextbooks and at least 10 articles referenced. Be sure your Reference page has a References headingcentered at top of page and all references are listed alphabetically, aligned left,single spacing with an additional line between each reference, and follow theAPA formatting below:

  Academic journal article:  Last name, F. M. (Year). Article Titel. Journal Name, Volume (Issue), Pagerange. URL

  Online newspaper article: Last name, F. M.(Year, Month Date Published). Article title. Newspaper Title, pp.Page(s). Retrieved from URL.

  Magazine article: Last, F.M. (year, monthdate).  Article title.  MagazineTitle, Volume number (issuenumber), page numbers.

  Website source: Last, F.M. (Year, Month Date Published).Article title or page title. Retrieved from URL

        Writing style throughout your paper:

o  Clarity of writing; easily understood withno confusion

o  Concise writing style in which you get tothe point and avoid being overly wordy or repetitive

o  Usesin text citations appropriately (see References section below)

 

Information on Grading: Like the final paper proposal andthe article review worksheet, grading on this final paper is broken down intomultiple 10-point assessments.