Drexel Professor Teaches ‘Real Housewives’ in Criminal Justice Course

Since its debut, The Real Housewives has given audiences an up-close view of wealthy women in 11 U.S. cities and other countries. Now, a Drexel University professor has used The Real Housewives to illustrate criminology ideas, melding entertainment with real-world justice issues.

Writing for The Conversation, C. Clare Strange, assistant research professor of criminology and justice studies, said her Real Housewives of Criminology course examines the criminal cases of the Housewives celebrities and compares them to those of the general public.

"Many people who appear on Housewives share a real-life penchant for crime, from driving-under-the-influence charges and theft to fraud and assault," she wrote. "I believe that this course is especially relevant now, because it is increasingly common for undergraduate students to consume news about crime and punishment from streaming platforms and social media."

In the course, students explore how factors such as social class, age, and race can impact people's experiences with the criminal justice system. They learn how serious a crime is, a person's criminal history, and the harm done to victims, which advance case outcomes more than any other factor.

According to Strange, students in the course view footage from The Real Housewives, read peer-reviewed criminological research, and listen to podcast episodes from The Bravo Docket.

"We even read book chapters straight from some of the Housewives' memoirs," she added. "All of this culminates in a 'Final Reunion,' meaning a final verbal exam for students, in which they embody one of the Housewives cast members and answer questions from me, dressed as host Andy Cohen, about their criminal cases."