Department of Social & Policy Sciences, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
SP20049 The sociology of crime & deviance |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Intermediate |
| Semester: 1 |
| Assessment: CW 20%, ES 80% |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take SP10043 and take SP10044 |
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Aims:
* to introduce students to the major theoretical traditions in criminology; * to examine competing definitions and sources of information about 'crime', 'criminality' and 'criminalisation'; * to introduce competing explanations for law-breaking behaviour; * to explore the inter-connections between 'crime', 'criminalisation' and specific social inequalities; * to introduce students the relationship between explaining crime and specific social policy interventions; * explain differential responses to 'crime'. By the end of the unit, students will have: * Studied historical and contemporary explanations for law-breaking behaviour; * Explored competing theoretical traditions and perspectives explaining 'crime', 'criminality' and 'criminalisation'; * Investigated the uses and limitations of official statistics and alternative sources of information on crime; * Assessed the relative merits and limitations of a variety of explanations for law-breaking behaviour. Learning Outcomes: By the end of the unit, students should be able to: * Distinguish the main theoretical traditions examining questions of law-breaking; * Access a range of sources of information about crime within British society and be able to identify the most relevant and appropriate (to any specific question) sources of information about crime; * Reflect critically upon explanations for law-breaking; * Recognise and critically reflect upon different forms of social control in relation to crime and specific social inequalities; * Begin to analyze the values and assumptions underpinning specific policy interventions about crime and punishment and gender, ethnicity and class. Skills: * To think creatively and analytically; * To communicate an argument; * To evaluate others' arguments and research; * To learn independently and be able to assess own learning needs (i.e. identify strengths and improve weaknesses in methods of learning and studying); * To critically evaluate and assess research and evidence as well as a variety of other information; * To gather information, data, research and literature from a number of different sources (i.e. library, web-based, archives etc.); * To select appropriate and relevant information from a wide source and large body of knowledge; * To synthesise information from a number of sources in order to gain a coherent understanding; * To utilise problem solving skills; * To analyse and evaluate innovative practices in students' relevant degree discipline; * To effectively and efficiently apply principles of sociological/social policy analysis within a variety of environments; * Study & Learning skills (note taking, avoiding plagiarism, using the library, gathering and using information, constructing a bibliography, referencing); * Basic Information and Computing Technology skills (word processing, email, using the web to search for information); * Essay research, preparation and writing skills; * To construct a bibliography of varying complexity; * Time-management and administrative skills; * To reflect upon his/her own academic and professional performance and take responsibility for personal and professional learning and development; * To solve problems in a variety of situations; * To manage time effectively and respond to changing demands; * To prioritise workloads, and utilise long- and short-term planning skills. Content: Classicism; positivism; theories of urban crime; anomie and subcultural theory; deconstructing official statistics; white collar crime; terrorism and crimes of the state; symbolic interactionism; critical criminology; left and right realism; feminist criminology; gender and crime; race and ethnicity; and, crime and class and crime. |