Department of Social & Policy Sciences, Unit Catalogue 2006/07

SP30071 Sociology of punishment

Credits: 6

Level: Honours

Semester: 1

Assessment: EX100

Requisites:

Before taking this unit you must take SP10043 and take SP10044 and take SP20069 and (take SP20049 or take SP20050)

Aims:
* To introduce students to the key theoretical perspectives of the sociology of punishment;
* To outline and analyse the changing social, cultural and political meanings of formal and informal modes of penalty and custodial social regulation. By the end of the unit, students will have:
* Studied key texts relating to the justifications, explanations and theorization of punishment;
* Examined the dominant formal and informal modes of penalty and punishment in contemporary Britain;
* Investigated the links between wider social, cultural and political conditions and any specific penal policy initiative.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the unit, students should be able to:
* Understand, critically assess and apply differing theoretical models of punishment;
* Access a range of and critically evaluate the uses and limitations of sources of information relating to punishment in contemporary Britain;
* Critically analyse the values and assumptions underpinning official penal policy.
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 analyse and evaluate innovative practices in students' relevant degree discipline;
* To explore a variety of relationships and environments relevant to learning and practising within the context of the students' 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);
* Inter-personal and communication skills;
* Revision and Examination skills;
* Time-management and administrative skills;
* Presentation skills and verbal communication (i.e. seminar and tutorial contributions);
* To lead others confidently and competently;
* To solve problems in a variety of situations;
* To prioritise workloads, and utilise long- and short-term planning skills.
Content:
Justifications for punishment, history of imprisonment, theories of imprisonment, prison populations, current issues in imprisonment, non custodial sentences, community punishment, capital punishment, studying prisons.

University | Catalogues for 2006/07