The Z Files

The Z Files

By Professor ZhangScienceSocial Sciences
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The Z Files episodes

  • Welcome to Class-Explaining Crime with Social Bond Theory

    Cults, homicide, serial killing, property crime, and more? Can one theory explain why all these actions occur? Listen to our discussion of Travis Hirshi's Social Bond Theory and foster your own perspective. Join us as we apply this theory to a variety of topics. 

    **Warning: Discussion includes brief mentions of sexual assault and descriptions of victim-blaming rhetoric.

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    52 min
  • Welcome to Class-Explaining Class with Strain Theory

    Strain Theory explains criminal behavior as an illegal response to stress from society. The theorist Robert Merton originally designed the theory to describe crimes with financial motives, but as you will hear in our discussion, we believe it is applicable to many other forms of crime including torture and homicide. 

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    49 min
  • A War on Drugs or People? The Flaws in U.S. Drug Policy

    The U.S. leads the world in rates of drug addiction and overdose deaths. If it was a War on Drugs, why didn't we win? After 50 years of the same policies maybe its time for a change.

    Much of the information about the history of drug use and the detrimental drug policies come from the books Dopesick by Beth Macy  and The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. 

    Audio snippet with the quote from John Ehrlichman taken from 13th. 

    If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, resources are available! 

    https://nida.nih.gov/

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    37 min
  • American Composers of the Holocaust

    Did you know Hitler and the Nazi party revered President Franklin D. Roosevelt  for the racist laws he introduced?  Have you ever learned about how America's Jim Crow and other discriminatory legislation inspired the 400+ Nuremberg laws that regulated the private and public lives of Jewish people? Were you aware the U.S. State Department denied a vis request from Otto Frank and his family shortly before they were executed in Nazi death camps?  I boldly suggest  America's standard curriculum that teaches World War II is incomplete without this information. Take a listen and complete your understanding of America's participation in World War II!

    This episode is dedicated to Charlene Schiff. In honor of her bravery, and out of responsibility to her request, I ask that we all take the time to learn about these events so that we will not allow history to repeat itself. I have included her voice in part of this episode. Her voice recording came from a project created by the U.S Holocaust Memorial Museum. 

    Episode Information Sources:
    -https://www.ushmm.org

    -Hitler's American Model: The United States and The Making of The Making of Nazi Race Law by James Whitman

    -Framing the Moron: The Social Construction of Feeble-Mindedness in the American Eugenic Era by Gerald O'Brien

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    34 min
  • Ending Sexual Assault Part 1

    TRIGGERING CONTENT: Episode content includes graphic detail about rape and child sexual abuse. Viewer discretion advised.  Why does our criminal justice system largely ignore sexual assault and how can we change this? In this episode I welcome you to become part of the solution for decreasing sexual assault in America. 

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    26 min
  • Interview With a Prison Guard

    Mr. Anderson (pseudonym) discusses his experiences after 10 years of being a corrections officer. 

    If this career path interests you, you can find job postings at this website or search your local area: 

    https://www.governmentjobs.com/jobs?keyword=corrections+officer&location=

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    47 min

About The Z Files

From the publisher's feed

Calling all crime enthusiasts! The Z Files podcast is your space to learn the nitty gritty details about crime in order to improve your personal safety, remove anxiety about victimization, and satisfy…