Overview
Sociology 305 covers a wide range of topics related to crime and the criminal code in Canada. These topics include the tension in law between a purely ‘black letter’ approach based strictly on legal principles and precedents, and a sociological approach to law that explains it in terms of economic factors, social inequalities, and social movements promoting specific moral agendas. The course devotes a significant portion of study to the ways in which crimes are measured, both formally in terms of recorded offences and informally in terms of victim surveys. In this context the course reviews the correctional data that suggests a significant over-representation of Indigenous Canadians in the justice system. A focus on the measurement issues also raises the issue of the long-term trends in crime, with specific attention to the crime drop since the early 1990s, and the various accounts offered to explain it.
Evaluation
To receive credit for SOCI 305, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least C- (60 percent), complete and submit two written assignments, a multiple-choice mid-course quiz, and a final examination. You must achieve a passing mark of C- 60 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
| Activity | Weight |
| Research Assignment (Part 1) | 10% |
| Research Assignment (Part 2) | 25% |
| Mid-course Quiz | 35% |
| Final Examination | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Siegel, Brown and Hoffman, (3rd Canadian edition). 2017 CRIM. Toronto: Nelson Educational.
Other Resources
The course materials include a study guide to accompany the textbook. All other course materials are found online.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the SOCI 305 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least C- (60 percent) on the challenge examination. The two parts of the exam must be written on the same day.
Challenge for credit course registration form