GEOG 353 - Crime Location & Society

Credits: 4

Ecological approaches to studying crime have been around since the 1800s when researchers first began establishing the link between geography and crime. These approaches attempt to explain why crime is concentrated in certain areas by analyzing the geographic attributes of the area (to include the influence of socio-economic factors). This course provides students with a solid foundation for analyzing crime through this geographic perspective via lectures and labs. Course lectures will cover the history, theories, trends, developments, and biases in criminal activity. Labs for the course involve the use of contemporary tools and technologies (GIS) found to be essential in the analysis of crime. Prerequisites: GEOG 260 or any other lower-level GIS course, or permission of the instructor/department. Offered once a year.