Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Teaching Criminological Theory: The Power of Film and Music

  • Published:
Critical Criminology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Interest in utilizing pop culture as a means of teaching and enhancing students’ understanding of complex or abstract ideas in the classroom has increased over the course of the past decade. This includes the use of film, television, fiction books, the internet, and music. The fields of criminology and criminal justice have also increasingly noted the value of using such means to teach about atrocities such as state crime, transnational crime and corporate crimes as well as issues of inequality, racism, and classism. Film, music and television can also be great tools to enhance the understanding of and ability to apply criminological theory. Most articles that have focused on incorporating the use of a ‘popular criminology’ within the classroom, however, have concentrated on one form or another of ‘pop culture’ (i.e., film). This article seeks to add to the existing literature by providing an example of how the use of film combined with music can not only enhance undergraduate criminology and criminal justice students’ ability to grasp criminological theory and apply it in their everyday lives, but also can be utilized as tools for exams.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abrahamson, C. (1998). Storytelling as a Pedagogical Tool in Higher Education. Education, 118(3), 440–451. Retrieved from http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5001330246.

  • Ahlkvist, J. (1999). Music and cultural analysis in the classroom: Introducing sociology through heavy metal. Teaching Sociology, 27(2), 126–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baxter-Magolda, M. (1999). Creating contexts for learning and self-authorship. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beavers, S. (2002). The west wing as a pedagogical tool. Political Science and Politics, 35(2), 212–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonamici, A., Hutto, D., Smith, D., & Ward, J. (2005). The “Net Generation”: Implications for libraries and higher education [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://www.orbiscascade.org/council/co51o/Frye.ppt.

  • Burton, C. E. (1998). Sociology and the feature film. Teaching Sociology, 16(3), 263–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, T. (1988a). Talkin ‘bout a revolution. On Tracy Chapman [CD]. Hollywood, CA: Elektra/Asylum Records.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, T. (1988b). Behind the wall. On Tracy Chapman [CD]. Hollywood, CA: Elektra/Asylum Records.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, T. (1988c). Why? On Tracy Chapman [CD]. Hollywood, CA: Elektra/Asylum Records.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, V. E., & Carmody, D. C. (2012). Danger as romance: Using “Twilight” as a teaching tool. Virginia Social Science Journal, 47, 29–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornish, R., & Clarke, R. V. (1986). The reasoning criminal: Rational choice perspective on offending. New York, NY: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, M. (1969). In the Ghetto [Recorded by Elvis Presley]. On From Elvis in Memphis [Gramophone record]. Memphis, TN: RCA Records.

    Google Scholar 

  • Day, L. E., Vandiver, M., & Janikowski, W. R. (2003). Teaching the ultimate crime: Genocide and the international law in criminal justice curriculum. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 14(1), 119–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dede, C. (1995). The transformation of distance education to distributed learning. Retrieved from http://web.archive.org/web/20040202194519/http:/www.nib.unicamp.br/recursos/distance_education/dede.htm.

  • Finley, L. (2002). The lyrics of rage against the machine: A study in radical criminology. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 9(3), 150–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giglio, E. (2002). Using film to teach political concepts. Journal of European Political Science, Retrieved from http://essex.ac.uk/ECPR/publications/eps/onlineissues/spring2002/teaching/giglio.htm.

  • Glenn, J. M. (2000). Teaching the net generation. Business Education Forum, 54(3), 6–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hetfield, J. (1991). The unforgiven (recorded by Metallica). On Metallica (CD). Hollywood, CA: Elektra, Vertigo, and Universal Recordings. (October 6, 1990).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hines-Aldrich, M. (2013). Teaching theory analogically: Using music to explain criminological theory. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 23(4), 481–499.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holtzman, L. (2000). Media messages: What film, television, and popular music teach US about race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. Armok, NY: M.E. Sharpe Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, D., Bennett, M. (Producers), & Curtis-Hall, V. (Director). (1997). Gridlock’d (Motion picture). United States: Gramercy Pictures.

  • Kauzlarich, D. (2006). “Anti-commodity” personal communication and lyrics. American Society Criminology conference.

  • Kegan, R. (1994). In over our heads: The mental demands of modern life. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lichtenberg, I., Howard, L., & McManimon, P. (2004). Darker than any prison, hotter than any human flame: Punishment, choice, and culpability in A clockwork orange. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 15(2), 429–449.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCoy, T., Mars, B., Levine, A., & Lawrence, P. (2010). Billionaire [recorded by Travie McCoy featuring Bruno Mars]. On Lazarus [CD]. Hollywood, CA: Atlantic Records.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGlynn, A. (2012). Motivating today’s college students—The millennial generation. Retrieved from http://www.monmouth.edu/uploadedFiles/Academics/CETL/MotivatingTodaysCollegeStudents.ppt.

  • McKinney, K. (2007). The student voice: Sociological majors tell us about learning sociology. Teaching Sociology, 35(2), 112–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merton, R. (1938). Social structure and anomie. American Sociological Review, 3, 672–682.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Messner, S. F., & Rosenfeld, R. (1994). Crime and the American dream. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nickelback. (2006a). Savin Me. On All the Right Reasons [CD]. British Columbia, Canada: Roadrunner.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nickelback. (2006b). Rockstar. On All the Right Reasons [CD]. British Columbia, Canada: Roadrunner.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oblinger, D. G., & Hagner, P. (2005). Seminar on educating the Net generation [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/section_params/conf/esem052/OneDayv2-HO.ppt#3.

  • Oblinger, D. G., & Oblinger, J. L. (Eds.). (2005). Educating the Net Generation. Washington, D.C.: EDUCAUSE. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/books/educatingthenetgen/5989.

  • Pino, N. W., Brusnon, R. K., & Stewart, E. A. (2009). Using movies to illustrate ethical dilemmas in undergraduate criminal justice classes. Jounral of Criminal Justice education, 20(2), 194–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poncet, D. (Producer), & de Lestrade, J. (Director). (2001). Murder on a Sunday Morning [Motion picture]. United States: Direct Cinema.

  • Rafter, N. (2007). Crime, film, and criminology: Recent sex crime movies. Theoretical Criminology, 11(3), 403–420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rafter, N., & Brown, M. (2011). Criminology goes to the movies. New York, NY: NYU Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roos, D. (2012). Tips on teaching the Net Generation. Retrieved from http://people.howstuffworks.com/how-net-generation-students-work1.htm.

  • Ross, J. I., & Rothe, D. L. (2007). Swimming upstream: Teaching state crime to students at American Universities. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 18(3), 460–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rothe, D. L., & Ross, J. I. (2007). Lights, camera, state crime. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 14(4), 332–347.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skiba, D. J., & Baron, A. J. (2006). Adapting your teaching to accommodate the net generation of learners. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 11(2), 15–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sutherland, E. (1939). Principles of criminology. Chicago, IL: J.B. Lippincott Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tannenbaum, F. (1938). Crime and community. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • West, A. (2005). Horton the elephant is a criminal: Using Dr. Seuss to teach social process, conflict, and labeling theory. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 16(2), 340–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, R. A., & Friedrichs, D. O. (1991). White-collar crime in the criminal justice curriculum. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 2(1), 95–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dawn L. Rothe.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Course Description and Objectives

The general objective of this course is to provide an introduction to and overview of the major theories and theoretical perspectives in the field of criminology. For each theory or perspective the student will learn: (1) the socio-historical and intellectual background, (2) the underlying assumptions, (3) the names of the contributing theorists, (4) the core propositions and major concepts, (5) the ideological and policy implications, and (6) the contributions, problems or limitations of each theory or perspective. Specifically, our approach to learning theory will vary; we will incorporate things from our everyday life into understanding theoretical concepts. Additionally, we will use the following approach to understanding each orientation:

  1. I.

    Background: Describe the socio-historical context in which the theory or perspective developed and the intellectual history it follows.

  2. II.

    Underlying assumptions: What are the underlying assumptions of the perspective with regard to issues such as human nature, human agency, society and the social order, the definition of crime, the image of the criminal, and causal logic.

  3. III.

    Core concepts and propositions: Describe the core concepts and propositions contained within the perspective and identify the names of the theorists responsible for their development.

  4. IV.

    Policy implications: Identify the policy implications of the perspective. If the causal logic of this perspective is valid, what does that suggest that we do to prevent or control criminal behavior? What are the broader political and ideological implications of the approach?

  5. V.

    Critical evaluation: Present a brief critical analysis, assessment, or evaluation of the perspective (strengths, weaknesses, major contributions, empirical support, etc.).

Appendix 2: List of Media Used for Teaching Theory

Music

  • Behind the Wall—Tracy Chapman’s (1988b)

  • In the Ghetto—Elvis Presley (1969)

  • Savin Me—Nickelback (2006a)

  • Rockstar–Nickelback’s (2006b)

  • Billionaire–Travie McCoy featuring Bruno Mars (2010).

  • Unforgiven—Metallica (1991)

  • Talkin ‘bout a Revolution—Tracy Chapman’s (1988a)

  • Anti-Commodity—Dave Kauzlarich’s (2006)

  • Why?—Tracy Chapman (1988c)

  • Wavin Flag—K’Naan (2009)

  • Is anybody out there—K’Naan (2012)

  • Waterfalls—TLC (1995)

Film

  • Murder on a Sunday Morning (2001)

  • Gridlock’d (1997)

  • Once Were Warriors (1994)

  • Double Indemnity (1944)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rothe, D.L., Collins, V.E. Teaching Criminological Theory: The Power of Film and Music. Crit Crim 21, 227–241 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10612-013-9178-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10612-013-9178-3

Keywords

Navigation