Course Description
Understanding realities of contemporary crime in the US can be confusing (and misleading) due to the myths and politics that have come to inform our perspective. In this accessible five-week course taught by University of Arizona cultural geographer Stefano Bloch, we will learn about the realities and geographical context of crime and policing in a way that provides critical understanding, not the perpetuation of popular assumptions. As an expert on gangs, graffiti, and urban development, Professor Bloch will discuss neighborhood-based criminality and criminalization, while also focusing on how processes of urban development such as redlining, suburbanization, and gentrification effect our perception of criminal activity, from small-scale disorder to high-level street violence. Students will complete this course with an understanding of historical crime trends, crime statistics, and the ability to see how the city is not simply a container for crime, but a co-creator of what constitutes crime and how it is policed.
Course Format
Registered community members will meet with Professor Block in five live online sessions on the following Mondays from 5 to 6:30 PM: October 18, 25, November 1, 8 and 15.
Attendance & Participation
This course will be delivered via the University of Arizona Zoom platform. All class sessions will be LIVE ONLINE and will be recorded. The recordings will be shared with registered students after each session to facilitate access for those who cannot make the live sessions.
Registration
Online registration for this course opens on Monday, August 16, 2021, at 10 a.m. After registration, participants will receive instructions about how to access the course online.
Refunds
Refunds are available and need to be requested before the second class meeting (October 25). To drop a class, please contact us at 520-626-6694 or sbs-communitymatters@email.arizona.edu. A $25 administrative fee for each cancellation will apply.