1. Discuss in detail Sampson's concept of collective efficacy. Do you think collective efficacy adequately is an adequate explanation for lower crime rates in city neighborhoods? Why or why not?
2. Sexton attempts to apply the concepts of social disorganization and collective efficacy to the study of prisons as total institutions. Do you think her argument is convincing? Pay particular attention to her treatment of prison violence and collective efficacy as it relates to the community of transgender prisoners.
3. Sampson and Laub, introduce two concepts useful to understanding crime in the life course: trajectory and transitions. Compare and contrast the two with examples. As a description of the life course, discuss the connections among trajectories, childhood events, and adult experiences.
4. The concept of deviant career developed before that of life-course criminology. There are similarities and differences in the two approaches. How does each explain the changes in criminal behavior over the person's life. How does each approach account for the successful exit from a deviant/criminal career?