Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2025 - CRIM 304 B100

Women and Criminal Justice (3)

Class Number: 7118

Delivery Method: Blended

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Fri, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

    Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: TBA, TBA
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    Any 100 division CRIM courses.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Offers an historical and analytical overview of women and crime, taking into account the role of gender in both criminality and social responses to crime. Specific emphasis will be given to feminist theories. Attention will focus on the specific crimes and patterns of control and punishment. Students with credit for CRIM 213 may not take this course for further credit.

COURSE DETAILS:

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: (1) Demonstrate familiarity with feminist criminological theories (i.e., liberal, radical, Marxist, socialist, postmodern, and intersectional); (2) Critically analyze key concepts in criminology through engagement with feminist criminological and legal scholarship (i.e., crime, violence, justice); (3) Demonstrate understanding of and critically assess measurement and patterns of women’s victimization (e.g., gender-based violence) and criminalization (e.g., property offenders, crimes of survival) and the relationship between these phenomena; (4) Critically assess the social construction of women’s criminality, media representations of criminalized women, and disjunctures between empirical evidence, policy and procedures in response to women’s victimization and offending; (5) Identify and critically analyze the challenges faced by diverse groups of women when interacting with the justice system (e.g., young women, racialized and Indigenous women, women with disabilities, and transgender women); and (6) Demonstrate understanding of the challenges of women working in the criminal justice system and critically evaluate policies to address these issues.

Grading

  • Media Critique 25%
  • Weekly: Online & In-Person Engagement/Activities* 15%
  • Weekly: Online Comprehension Quizzes* 5%
  • Midterm Exam 30%
  • Additional Creative/Applied Work 25%

NOTES:

*Note: I drop the lowest score/missing score to provide flexibility

NOTE ABOUT THE BLENDED FORMAT: Instead of weekly in-person tutorials, students will complete an asynchronous, online activity that takes approximately 50-minutes to complete ahead of each face-to-face lecture. The maximum 100-student lecture will involve student participation in small and large group settings and facilitation by the instructional team (Dr. M and the TA).

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

 REQUIRED TEXTS:  

  1. Barker, J. & Tavcer, D. S. (2022). Women and the Criminal Justice System: A Canadian Perspective, 3rd Emond Publishing.
    • Two copies of the course textbook are placed on reserve in the Burnaby library. Students can borrow the books for four-hours at a time as many times as needed throughout the semester rather than pay to purchase the book.
  2. Additional written, audio, and audio-visual course materials available online in Canvas, as required.

 

Students are required to log-in to Canvas (canvas.sfu.ca) on the first day of the semester and continue to log-in every 2-3 days thereafter.


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

If you have any Criminology course enrollment requests (course adds, course swaps), please contact a Criminology advisor. Please do not contact instructors for enrollment assistance as they will ultimately refer you to a Criminology advisor.

Criminology course enrollment requests should be sent to a Criminology advisor no later than the last day of the Second week of classes. Late enrollment requests are subject to approval and are not guaranteed. 

Enrollment requests for non-Crim courses should be directed to the advisor for the program offering the course. 


ATTENTION: STUDENTS WITH A DISABILITY: Please contact the Center for Accessible Learning, (MBC 1250 or Phone 778-782-3112) if you need or require assistance, not your individual instructors.  
  • N.B.: Students are reminded that attendance in the first week of classes is important. However, there are no tutorials in the first week.
  • ON CAMPUS COURSES ONLY: Assignments not submitted to the Professor/T.A. during class/office hours must be placed in the security box behind the General Office (SWH 10156), or submitted as per Professor’s instructions for courses taking place at Surrey Campus. The assignment drop box is emptied Monday to Friday at 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. only, with the contents date stamped accordingly. No other department’s date stamp will be accepted (e.g. Library/Campus Security).  For the Surrey Campus, assignments must be hand delivered to the General Office of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, located at SUR 5180, on Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30p.m., or placed in the assignment drop box located at the southwest corner of Galleria 5.  The Surrey assignment drop box is emptied Monday through Friday at 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., with the contents date stamped accordingly.  The School of Criminology is not responsible for assignments submitted in any other manner (e.g., slid under office doors).  The University does NOT accept assignments by fax or email.
  • A student must complete ALL aspects of a course (including assignments, exams, class participation, presentations, chat room components of Distance Education courses and other), otherwise they will receive a grade of N. 
  • The University has formal policies regarding intellectual dishonesty and grade appeals which may be obtained from the General Office of the School of Criminology.
  • Under GP18, the University has policies and procedures which respond to our obligations under the BC Human Rights Code to provide a harassment and discrimination free environment for the students, staff and faculty of this institution.  Members of this community have an affirmative obligation to safeguard the human rights of others.

UNIVERSITY POLICY FORBIDS FINAL EXAMINATIONS WHILE CLASSES ARE STILL IN SESSION.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as soon as possible to ensure that they are eligible and that approved accommodations and services are implemented in a timely fashion.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.