Theory may be thought of as the foundation of all social sciencedisciplines. It guides how researchers think about objects of study andprovides the lens through which they filter their subject matter inorder to make sense of complex phenomena. It guides social scientists inorganizing concepts, developing research questions, and interpretingdata outcomes. Moreover, it helps consumers of research understand theintegrated relationship between different critical topics of discussion.Whatever the role you may play—whether as a researcher or a consumer ofresearch—it is useful to understand how the relationship between theoryand research works and why it is important.
To prepare for thisApplication Assignment, choose a criminal justice theory and aparticular criminal event or type of crime. Think about how this theorycould be used to analyze the criminal event or type of crime.
The assignment (2–3 pages):
- Identify the theory and the criminal event/type of crime you selected.
- Explain how this theory might be used to analyze the criminal event or type of crime you selected.
- Explain why this theory is or is not appropriate for analyzing this criminal event or type of crime.
Supportyour Application Assignment with specific references to all resourcesused in its preparation. You are to provide a reference list for allresources, including those in the Learning Resources for this course.
