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Course & Unit Catalogues


SP12006: Crime and society

[Page last updated: 26 October 2023]

Academic Year: 2023/24
Owning Department/School: Department of Social & Policy Sciences
Credits: 10 [equivalent to 20 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 200
Level: Certificate (FHEQ level 4)
Period:
Semester 1
Assessment Summary: CWPF 80%, CWRI 20%
Assessment Detail:
  • Portfolio (CWPF 80%)
  • 20% Short report (CWRI 20% - Qualifying Mark: 40)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
Learning Outcomes: By the end of this unit, students will be able to: 1) Outline and discuss different conceptions of 'crime', and critically evaluate how these different definitions are deployed in policy, politics, and public debate 2) Identify and assess ways in which crime, and societal responses to it, are subject to historical and cultural change 3) Interpret and synthesise different sources of evidence about crime 4) Describe and apply competing theoretical explanations for crime


Synopsis: Explore the criminological debate about crime that is, competing definitions of `crime, how the `problem of crime has been differently-constructed over time, and the political uses of `crime and criminal justice. Study the core theoretical debates around the causes of and explanations for criminal offending. Examine the history of criminology as an academic discipline, and think about its relationship to cognate disciplines (such as sociology, psychology, and philosophy).

Content: Explore the criminological debate about crime - that is, competing definitions of `crime', how the `problem of crime' has been differently-constructed over time, and the political uses of `crime' and criminal justice.

Course availability:

SP12006 is Compulsory on the following courses:

Department of Social & Policy Sciences

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2023/24 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2024/25 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2023/24.
  • Courses and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
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