2:30-3:20P   R   BH 335

Infanticide in 1780, crimes of passion in 1900, and terrorism in the
1990s what do they have in common? Each of these crimes was the obsession
of public attention at certain points in history. This course will examine
why certain crimes draw such attention at certain times while others do
not and how those crimes relate to the symbolical values and institutions
that organize a society.

In this course, we will work historically by looking at the notorious
crimes of the past including crimes related to gender, race, drugs, and
abnormal psychological states, and will end with our contemporary
situation in the U.S. In all cases, we will carefully examine highly
interesting works of literature, film, and other popular culture from
various eras that display the notorious crime of its time. Students are
expected to write a short essay every two or three weeks and a final essay
project. Classroom activities will include debates, role games, and
prepared discussions.

The crime and topics we will discuss include: witchcraft, infanticide, the
serial killer, racial violence and lynching, genocide, drug-related crime,
terrorism, the detective story, what is justice? the psychology of crime,
the case story in the U.S. media, and gender-related crime.

Texts:  Fielding, Jonathan Wild
Kleist, Michael Kohlhaas
Poe, The Murders in the Rue Morgue
OConnor, Thirteen Stories
Hughes, The Ways of White Folks