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SP10336: Understanding crime and justice

[Page last updated: 15 October 2020]

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2020/1
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Social & Policy Sciences
Further information on credits Credits: 12      [equivalent to 24 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 240
Further information on unit levels Level: Certificate (FHEQ level 4)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Academic Year
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: CW 20%, PF 80%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • CW 20% (CW 20%)
  • PF 80% (PF 80%)

Information regarding synoptic assessment for this unit will be published shortly. In the meantime please contact the Director of Studies or consult your programme handbook for further details.

Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites:
Description: Aims:
This unit aims to:
* Ignite and encourage students' interest in the study of crime and criminal (in)justice.
* Enhance students' knowledge of the extent of crime and trends over time and across jurisdictions.
* Develop students' sociological understanding of how 'crime' and 'justice' are con-structed, and why some actions are criminalised and others are not.
* Introduce students to major theoretical perspectives within criminology / criminal justice.
* Cultivate students' understanding of how categorisations such as class, gender, mental health, age, ethnicity, religion and nation are implicated in the construction of 'crime' and 'justice'.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the unit students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge and critical understanding of:
* how crime and justice are constructed
* major theoretical perspectives within criminology and criminal justice
* how categorisations such as class, gender, mental health, age, ethnicity, reli-gion and nation are implicated in the construction of crime and the delivery of (in)justice.
* the connections between empirical evidence and policy, theoretical explana-tions, and institutional practice.

Skills:
The unit will foster the following intellectual skills:
* the ability to draw on evidence from a range of sources and demonstrate an abil-ity to synthesise them
* an ability to assess the merits and appropriateness of different explanations for crime, deviance, and victimisation
* develop a reasoned argument, synthesise relevant information and exercise criti-cal judgement
The unit will foster the following professional/practical skills:
* an ability to critically reflect on different theoretical/methodological approaches within criminology
* written and oral communication skills, both individually and in group environments
The unit will foster the following transferable/key skills:
* the ability to develop and present a well-structured, coherent essay.
* the ability to marshal evidence and theory to support or challenge an argument in such a way as to demonstrate a critical awareness of the origin and bases of knowledge
* the ability to apply key concepts in criminology and cognate disciplines to a range of problems
* the ability to work and communicate as individuals
* skills in working and communicating effectively as a team
* skills in information technology
* critical and analytical skills

Content:
The content of the unit is split into two parts: Understanding Crime and Understanding Justice. The two semesters will introduce key themes in criminology (semester 1) and criminal justice (semester 2). The following are examples of content rather than a list of lectures.

Semester 1: Understanding Crime
This section of the unit will involve:
* Critical examination of crime statistics, crime trends, the construction of crime, and media representations of crime
* Consideration of 'new' crimes related to the rise and widespread use of the In-ternet and global flows of people and finances
* An introduction to key theories of crime
* An evaluation of how class, ethnicity, mental health, gender and the life-course interact with crime
* Illustrations of the construction of a crime through key examples linked to de-partmental expertise. The exact topics will change depending on the special-isms of the lecturers, but at least one case study will be focus on crime and justice in the global south. Possible topics include:
- Domestic violence
- The construction of 'terrorism' as a crime
- Genocide, atrocities and crimes of the State

Semester 2: Understanding Criminal Justice
This section of the unit will involve:
* An introduction to the Criminal Justice system in England and Wales, with con-sideration of key differences to other CJSs around the world
* An introduction to the concept 'justice'
* Grounding in key concepts in criminal justice
* An overview of the historical development of and key issuues in policing, criminal courts, prisons, community punishments and rehabilitation
* An illustration of the delivery of criminal (in)justice through key examples linked to departmental expertise. The exact topics will change depending on the specialisms of the lecturers, but at least one case study will focus on the global south. Possible topics include:
- Sexual violence
- Terrorism
- Mental health and learning difficulties
- Global justice and war crimes.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

SP10336 is a Designated Essential Unit on the following programmes:

Department of Social & Policy Sciences

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2020/21 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2021/22 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2020/21.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.