Analytic memo
This is a three analytic memo bundle. Answer each prompt separately, limit each memo to a little more than two pages, total should be around 7 pages.
1. November 13-20: Alice Goffman, On the Run
Alice Goffman’s On the Run is at one level a study of the far-reaching effects of the criminal justice system on people who are not currently in prison. Describe how the past criminal entanglements of the young men in this study prevent them from leading “normal,” productive lives.
2. November 13-20: Alice Goffman, On the Run
One of the main questions Alice Goffman must address is how a highly educated, 20-something white woman came to gather so much observational data about a group of black men in Philadelphia. What are some of the techniques Goffman describes for gaining access to, and trust from, her research subjects in her “Methodological Note”?
3. November 13-20: Alice Goffman, On the Run
Having first earned tremendous acclaim, Alice Goffman’s On the Run soon became a focus of intense scrutiny, both within and beyond the academic community. Briefly, what were the core controversies surrounding the author’s research? In your opinion, was the backlash that developed against the work too harsh or entirely fair?
