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The course examines changing punishing practices and perceptions of crime since the Colonial Era, placing an emphasis on the intersections of ‘race’, gender and class. We will begin by looking at different forms and functions of punishment and question terms like ‘criminal’ and ‘crime’.
Examining popular outlaw heroes (like Jesse James and Dolomite) will help us to understand society's
fascination with crime. Another major topic will be the contemporary U.S. prison system that has the highest incarceration rate per capita in the world.
We will question ‘race’-related sentencing practices and will analyze how different media contribute to a culture of fear that is deployed to justify the system of mass incarceration. Finally, we will look at how crime and punishment is represented in prison writing as well as in contemporary popular culture, including Hip Hop music and TV shows like /Prison Break/ and /Oz/.
Reading:
A reader will be made available at the “Sprintout” Copy Shop, Georgenstraße, S-Bahn Bogen 190.
Requirements
Each student is required to give a presentation and organize the session’s discussion in class. It is possible to write a 15-page term paper as Modulabschlussprüfung (MAP) for Modul 4, if chosen. Please register for this class with an email to Kristina.Graaff@metropolitanstudies.de *(please note the two ‘a’ and two ‘f’ in last name). |
