Entries by Jeffrey Ian Ross

Are most academic departments, schools, and colleges of Criminology or Criminal Justice cop shops?

Many academic departments (schools and colleges) of Criminology and Criminal Justice, at least in the United States, are often disparagingly called “cop shops.” What does this mean? This label is often affixed to academic units that are disproportionately staffed by instructors and professors who are former criminal justice practitioners (hereafter, practitioners), and there is a […]

How do democracies slip into authoritarianism?

The prospect of a second Trump term, the current composition of the supreme court, and the rise of the MAGA movement, has prompted not just elected and stalwart democrats and political commentators, but former leaders and members of the Republican Party to suggest that the United States risks the possibility of becoming an authoritarian state. […]

Gas stations and random acts of urban incivility

As long as people drive gas powered cars, they are going to need a steady supply of this fuel, and most individuals purchase this at gasoline stations. Recently the empty sign light on my car’s dashboard instrument panel went off, and after close to 24 hours or so, I finally decided to buy gas. But […]

My Go-To scholarly books on graffiti

Numerous English language books have been written and published on the subject of contemporary Graffiti and Street Art. A subset of these publications have focused almost exclusively on graffiti. This work falls into a handful of genres ranging from coffee table books to academic and scholarly efforts. Least prevalent are a handful scholarly/academic (I use […]

The Shopkeepers’ Dilemma as a Pedagogical Tool

Instructors use a variety of methods to deliver content to undergraduate students, including those that foster critical thinking. Although traditional methods like lectures, assigned videos, and exercises from textbooks can be valuable, facilitating engagement and interaction is typically a more effective strategy for student learning. To enable this type of pedagogy, I often present field-relevant […]