This assignment requires students to begin pulling together what they are learning about theoretical concepts, competing theories/debates, and empirical validity of theories. Students choose two theories from different frameworks (biology/psychology/biosocial, classical, social structure/ecological) and explain how each contributes to our understanding of why crime occurs as well as informs responses to criminal behavior. Your paper will likely be 10-12 double-spaced pages with 1″ margins (including citations). Do not submit a paper that exceeds 12 pages in length. Feel free to use any citation style you are comfortable with, just be consistent! To tackle this paper, I suggest beginning with a clear outline.
Feel free to use the following example/template to help get you started. Start with the headings. See the Theory Analysis Paper Outline Template below. Then write a topic sentence for each paragraph you plan to include under each heading. You can bullet these topic sentences. Of course you will fill in your own information in the template, your own theory and research results. Theory Analysis Paper Outline Template Introduction This is what this paper is about. (remember to include a clear thesis statement) This is what is presented in the paper (preview) Theory Definition and Approach(es) This is a summary of the theory This is who the main theorist is and how he/she developed the theory This is the Approach the theory falls in and why Current Theory Status This is where the theory is today These are the major (most cited in top research publications) players This is what is most recently published on the theory (past 5-10 years) New applications (maybe for programs/policies)
New Approaches (new empirical ways to examine the theory, new variable conceptualizations, etc.) New modifications (if applicable; maybe new ways to apply the theory to different populations, extensions to the theory, etc.) Theory Evaluation These are the strengths of the theory using the criteria from Akers (see module 1 and/or puzzle piece assignment #1) These are the weaknesses of the theory using the criteria from Akers (see module 1 and/or puzzle piece assignment #1) Competing Explanations How do the theories you chose differ? When is one theory more appropriate than the other? Why? Which theory do you think is most useful and why? Improvements to the Theories This is what I recommend to improve each theory This is how I would use at least one of the theories to improve our understanding of crime causation and/or responses to crime Conclusion This is a summary of the main points of the paper What has been learned about the nature of crime after examining each theory
