Crim3403 Discourse/Crime Winter 2023-24  weblog  gradesheet  index
"We are bystanders at a spectacle," Guy Debord, Society and Spectacle

Overview: This research course involves analysis of public talk about crimes, eg. sexual assault, domestic violence, serial murder, terrorism, protests, etc, in mainstream news, social media, and video. Theories and methods will be presented to guide individual research, such as content and discourse analysis, thematic analysis, and narrative approaches. Blended classes ordinarily combine face-to-face lectures with online asynchronous material, although in the event of moving to a remote delivery design the classroom becomes virtual. Research involves both guided and independent work.
Suggestion: work in pairs or groups, and checkin regularly, eg. classtime.

Required text: Constructing Danger: Emotions and the mis/representation of crime in the news, 2nd ed. McCormick, Fernwood, 2010. Each chapter has a different topic, practical method, emotion, and specially designed sample study. We will work on special topics to better understand current events.

Evaluation: See guidelines for details (1) Classmark (25%), reflects 'engagement exercises', a series of 1-2 pages sspaced with refs; posted on weblog and graded for quantity and quality. (2) Proposal (20%), due week six, on an issue/event you're interested in, eg. environmental protests, race riots, etc. This should be 2 single-spaced pages max, with refs; it should be specific on the analytical issues, and how method will be applied to the topic. Here is a list of topics people did last year: #YesAllWomen; 9/11; homeless; opioidcrisis; femserial; aids; sexassault; indigenous; femicide; roncotton; CP5; sexwork; #MeToo; wet'suwet'en; sexassault; montrealmass; westray; serialkiller'; wrongful; brock; mmiw; latimer; sajudge; pickton; abortion; creepcatchers; policeviolence; gladue; disrespect.  (3) Project: (30%), end of term. take the proposal and expand it into a 7-10 dspaced essay, or interactive format, eg. prezi, or powerpoint, usually around 15 slides, or video, scrapbook... (4) Exam (25%), short-answer, or alternative.

Courseprotocol: a hybrid model with inclass contact, and occasional class material shifted in time and space; using the book, guided reading and video exercises will be posted thru webadvisor and weblog by first class of the week, answers submitted through email by end of the week, noted on the gradesheet and replied to thru email usually. The readings are mandatory, the exercises are a proxy for class attendance, all leading to a term-length guided independent research project.  Please see guidelines and issues for more information. *This format is flexible, individually-focused, interactive, and indepth*

Photo: After 9/11, source unknown...