Welcome to Module 2!
"Classical Criminological Explanations of Deviance & Social Control"
Welcome to your second unit of Deviance & Social Control!
In this unit you will…
be exposed to 18th century ideologies about deviance, conformity, and social control.
critically consider the emergence and design of the first American prisons, in their historical context
engage this history by examining and reflecting on primary texts from Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon and archives from the Eastern State Penitentiary
critically examine the contemporary state of American prisons in the era of “Mass Incarceration”
There are 15 points to be earned in this unit. You will be graded on…
Journal Entry: Bentham’s Panopticon: 3 points
Journal Entry: “Survived & Punished” and Utilitarian Calculus 4 points
Discussion Posts: Discovery of the Asylum, Rothman & Rubin 6 points
Journal Entry: Jon Ronson’s So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed: 2 points
Watch
Watch, and take notes as you watch the film. Pay attention to these guiding questions:
What was the dominant logic that defined “deviance” and “social control” in America during this time?
What provoked the design of the first American penitentiaries? And for what reasons were jails becoming obsolete.
What systems of power appear to have shaped these standards? What institutions appear to have policed them?
(you do not need to journal on the guiding questions, they are just guides)
Let the Doors Be Made of Iron: 19th-Century Prison Reform
https://fod-infobase-com.proxy.bc.edu/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=6867
As was described in the film, the Eastern State Penitentiary was one of many prisons inspired by Jeremy Bentham’s “panopticon” design. This was both an architectural design and a theory of implementing social control through the architecture of a space. In your next activity, you will consider Bentham’s original work.
Read & Reflect
Given what you’ve learned in the above film. Take this opportunity to consider a primary document in more detail. The language may be a bit difficult to stumble through, that’s ok! You will read the short passage three times, and submit a journal entry on Canvas in response to these three prompts:
First Read — Comprehend: What is actually being described in the text?
Second Read — Observe: What phrase or sentence jumps out at you?
Third Read — Consider: Critically consider only that phrase or sentence in the context of the broader passage. What do you make of this section of the text? What does it tell you about this historical moment? What insight does it offer?
Excerpt from Bentham’s Panopticon
[Link to Submit Journal Exercise]
3 points. You will receive 1 point for fully addressing each of the three above prompts (comprehend, observe, and consider). You will lose 1 point for every element that is omitted from your submission. The journal entry should be casual, and requires no citations. Simply reflect on each of the three prompts above.
Reviewing the 18th Century Logic
Can you identify some of the ways that Bentham’s text displayed elements of all three of these logics?
Contemporary Applications
Let’s consider what’s problematic about these 18th century logics with a more contemporary case study.
Watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aOKqbg4_Y4
To accompany this video, please read “The Corrections Myth” by Liam Martin or “Effects of Incarceration”
Journal
Consider the three logics of 18th century American social control ideologies: rational actors, utilitarian calculus, and “correctional” incarceration. Where do you see these logics appear in the “Survived and Punished” cases? Can you find 2, specific examples?
In your own words, how would you define utilitarian calculus? Can you provide an example from your own life where you’ve practiced utilitarian calculus, or an example of a time utilitarian calculus would present an incomplete explanation of a situation.
[Submit your Journal Responses Here]
4 points. You will receive 1 point for reflecting fully on each of the two examples from Survived and Punished, 1 point for a complete definition of utilitarian calculus, and one point for including a relevant example.
Read & Discuss
Once you’ve completed your journal submission, complete your second reading for this unit.
“The discovery of the Asylum” Rothman
chs 4, 6, 8 & 9
“Early US Prison History Beyond Rothman: Revisiting “The Discovery of the Asylum” by Ashley Rubin
After you’ve completed and considered the reading, you’re ready to submit your first discussion question to the class discussion board. To receive full credit on this assignment, you must offer one discussion question (following the guidelines below), and two, text-based responses to the discussion questions of your peers.
6 points: You will receive 2 points for each of your three contributions (the discussion question, and your two responses to the questions posted by your peers). To receive both points for each element, your contribution must adhere to the best practices below. Partial credit will be given to attempts that do not follow the guidelines.
Read
The next few chapters of Jon Ronson’s book, “So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed,” through the end of Chapter 6.
Activity
This activity invites you to position yourself in the political history we’ve been exploring.
Consider what you’ve read in Jon Ronson's book. Consider one of the “public punishments” he’s described.
What do you believe participants in that punishment believed its value to be?
In what was were these punishments serving society, and in what ways were they limiting?
Can you identify a punishment (large or small) that you’ve co-signed, administered, or observed. What is its relationship to
[Link to Journal]
2 points: You will receive full credit for a journal entry that reflections casually on the activity and addresses the given prompts. Partial credit will be awarded for entries that address only part of the prompt.
You’ve now completed Module 2!
Make sure to complete all of the graded components of the module by May 27th in order to receive full credit
When you’re ready, you may begin Module 3.