Critical Essay # 4: When is Crime Foreseeable?
Article # 4:When is Crime Foreseeable?
Critical Essays are short papers that convey your thoughts about and reactions to a particular reading assignment. You are required to write six critical essays on the assigned article during the semester. The critical essays must be at least 1000 words each. The critical essays are worth 20 points each.
Reflect your thoughtful engagement with and consideration of the reading assignment.
Include questions or issues that you would like to have the class discuss.
Here are questions to guide your thinking about the reading and completing the critical essays:
What are the central arguments in the reading?
What data sources and/or concepts does the author use to support the argument?
What other lines of reasoning or thinking occur to you as a result of reading this selection? What is it about the chapters that interest you?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the articles or book chapters? If you were studying this issue, what would you have done similarly or differently?
As you write your critical essay, you should select one or two concepts, issues, themes, problems, questions to orient your essay. It is tempting to try to deal with all the points raised in the readings, but this will generally lead to a paper that sets too broad of an agenda. The essay (not an outline) should reflect your thoughtful engagement with the issues you chose. The essay may take the form of an analysis of what is at stake in the debates or it may entail comments/critiques of specific arguments in the readings. In addition, the essay may be a critical examination on how the course material connects with your own perspective.
