Writer’s choice
May 2nd, 2022
Task Description:
Select one theory discussed this study period and use it to explain the criminal behaviour of any famous or documented criminal. You may pick any criminal you wish, but you must document the source of your information. Because you will not have access to case files, you will have to rely on media reports of the criminal. This is an exception to the general rule that you should not use popular or internet sources for information. Here is a link to get started, though note you do not need to use an Australian criminal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_criminals
Hints
Check the case study examples in the Learning@Griffith site for the course (these are the weekly Case studies which will be discussed in the tutorials groups).
Write the case study in normal essay-style. You do not need to pretend that you are writing a report for court or that you have personally interviewed the criminal.
You must use a theory covered in this course. Do not just ‘recycle’ theorists covered in other courses (eg Criminological Theories: Social Perspectives). In particular, if you select social learning theory, be sure to use the psychological versions covered in this course (e.g. Bandura) and not sociological versions (e.g. Sutherland’s differential association).
There is no ‘right’ theory for this case. You can choose any theory covered in this course. However, you may find that some theories are easier to apply in this case than are other theories.
The debates about human behaviour – nature/nurture, free will/determinism, normal/pathological, person/situation – are not specific theories.
You must relate the theory to the specific case. Don’t just provide general information about your selected theory. Similarly, don’t waste space in your essay documenting exactly what the criminal did. You should take no more than a paragraph or two to describe who the criminal is and what they did.
Make sure that you try to explain the causes of the criminal’s behaviour.
Select one theory discussed this study period and use it to explain the criminal behaviour of any famous or documented criminal. You may pick any criminal you wish, but you must document the source of your information. Because you will not have access to case files, you will have to rely on media reports of the criminal. This is an exception to the general rule that you should not use popular or internet sources for information. Here is a link to get started, though note you do not need to use an Australian criminal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_criminals
Hints
Check the case study examples in the Learning@Griffith site for the course (these are the weekly Case studies which will be discussed in the tutorials groups).
Write the case study in normal essay-style. You do not need to pretend that you are writing a report for court or that you have personally interviewed the criminal.
You must use a theory covered in this course. Do not just ‘recycle’ theorists covered in other courses (eg Criminological Theories: Social Perspectives). In particular, if you select social learning theory, be sure to use the psychological versions covered in this course (e.g. Bandura) and not sociological versions (e.g. Sutherland’s differential association).
There is no ‘right’ theory for this case. You can choose any theory covered in this course. However, you may find that some theories are easier to apply in this case than are other theories.
The debates about human behaviour – nature/nurture, free will/determinism, normal/pathological, person/situation – are not specific theories.
You must relate the theory to the specific case. Don’t just provide general information about your selected theory. Similarly, don’t waste space in your essay documenting exactly what the criminal did. You should take no more than a paragraph or two to describe who the criminal is and what they did.
Make sure that you try to explain the causes of the criminal’s behaviour.
