Race, Ethnicity and Crime: Alternate Perspectives

In addition to information on crime and incarceration rates, White-collar crime, and the “typical criminal,” the discussion of minorities and public perceptions is set within a broader context including the issues of terrorism and human trafficking, where race and ethnicity are also vital to public perceptions. The manual is designed for junior colleges and four year colleges, including those offering distance-learning courses. It is a thought-provoking combination of facts and questions. The pedagogical focus is on collaborative, problem-based learning, with foundational support for the development of critical thinking and analytical skills. Each Chapter includes vignettes featuring the opinions of experts in the field relative to the Chapter being covered. They are classic pedagogical tools that link theory with practice – a good balance between theory and the real world. The simple, straightforward approach allows instructors to personalize their coverage of the material, and the text uses extremely effective pedagogical approaches The Case Study/Critical Thinking issues-and-questions approach at the beginning of each chapter is another important feature that focuses on developing students’ soft skills. The objectives are clearly listed at the beginning of each chapter. Chapter Resources and Key Terms are listed at the end of each chapter. The Controversy sections included in each chapter target analytical and critical skill development in students, not to mention application of a current issue, as does the ‘In the news’ section which, while making reference and applying theory to current issues, forces students to apply theory, and critically analyze issues. The author attempts, as much as possible, to rely on facts and figures here (deductive logic) rather than on sentiment. Since the ultimate goal is to encourage student to critique, analyze and formulate their own opinion, as much effort as was feasible possible was put into presenting both sides of each argument.