SO 319 Policing & Violence 21st Century

Social Science. Policing and Violence in the 21st Century. This course is a critical examination of policing and violence in the 21st century. We will begin by studying the origins of policing and the history of violence in the United States. We then will delve into policing and violence today: we will look at the profession of law enforcement and its evolution into the 21st century, including who becomes a law enforcement officer, the power structures within law enforcement organizations, violence within law enforcement agencies and so on. We will also examine how violence is defined, measured, and perceived, examining in which conditions violence is likely to occur. We will explore violence perpetuated by law enforcement as well as violence directed at law enforcement. Throughout, we will consider the policy and practical implications of these matters. Lastly, we will look at recent social movements' call to defund the police and the responding countermovement to defend law enforcement.

Credits

3

Prerequisite

Take SO 101.

Distribution

SS

Offered

Odd Year Fall Semester