Introduction to Criminology
Course content
Everyday life is filled with references to crime, violence, and punishment, but how exactly do criminologists make sense of these categories?
How do criminologists explain complex questions about crime causation, or address issues about how much crime is actually present in a given society?
This course will address these and other important crime-related
questions in a bid to introduce undergraduate law students to the
discipline of criminology. More specifically, this module will
introduce and examine the origins of criminological theory, the
history and efficacy of the modern prison, the development of
modern forms of social control, and the structure and nature of
various comparative criminal justice systems.
Importantly, this course has been designed to build a bridge
between traditional legal scholarship and the more
interdisciplinary approach to crime and punishment advocated by
criminologists.
To this end, focus will be placed on the various ways in which
cultural dynamics intertwine with the practices of crime and crime
control within contemporary society.
The module will be delivered via both innovative teaching
techniques (including the use of complimentary media reportage,
documentary film, and the close textual reading/analysis of
contemporary crime news stories) and possibly through field trips
to an appropriate Danish criminal justice organization/institution.
The course will be taught in either two or three-hour lecture
blocks, with a final lecture reserved for questions and answers in
relation to assessment. The lectures will cover the following
subjects:
LECTURE CONTENT
- What is criminology?
- What is crime?
- Individual explanations of crime
- Structural explanations of crime
- Researching crime: Methods in criminological research
- Preventing crime
- Youth and Crime
- Crime and deviance as meaning-making
- Crime and Punishment
- Gender and Crime
- Guest Lecture: Cybercrime and digital criminology
- Conclusion and exam preparation
Knowledge: at the conclusion of this course, students will have/be able to:
- Describe and understand key debates in criminology and criminal justice;
- Explain crime-related problems using criminological theory;
- Understand and explain a range of intervention and prevention strategies and describe how to use them in order to prevent certain criminal acts;
- Critically evaluate the social, political and cultural dimensions of crime from both a historical and contemporary perspective;
- The ability to analyse popular discourses, texts or programs on the matter of crime and deviance.
Skills/Competencies: at the conclusion of this course, students will have/be able to:
- Demonstrate skills commensurate with undergraduate study in presentation and debate, both verbal and written, and in utilization of research and empirical data;
- Gather library and web-based resources appropriate for undergraduate study; make critical judgments about their merits and use the available evidence to construct a developed argument to be presented orally or in writing;
- Conduct research by using library e-journals and other on-line resources;
- Gained competencies in regard to the organisation of information in a clear and coherent manner through essay writing and seminar-based group discussion;
- Gained a basic understanding of the relationship between theoretical work and problem solving/policy making.
The course will consist of formal lectures followed by quizzes/question and answer sessions, group-work, field trips and guest lectures.
There is NO set textbook for this course (week-by-week readings will be provided). However, the following books will be useful as background reading
Newburn, T. (2017) Criminology, Third Edition, London: Routledge.
Newburn, T. (2017) Key Readings in Criminology, London: Routledge.
Hale, C, Hayward, K, Wahidin, A, and Wincup, E. (2013) Criminology, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
McLaughlin, E and Muncie, J. (2013) The Sage Dictionary of Criminology, London: Sage.
Liebling, A. Maruna, S. and McAra, L (2017) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lippens, R (2009) A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book about Studying Criminology, London: Sage.
Case, S. et al (2017) Criminology, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Carrabine, E. et al (2009) Criminology: A Sociological Introduction, Abingdon: Routledge.
Walklate, S. (2007) Understanding Criminology, Milton Keynes: Open University Press.
Good command of English, ready and willing participation, critical analytical abilities, open-mindedness. Willingness to challenge received knowledge.
The feedback will be both formative (i.e. undertaken through quizzes and small group seminar discussion), and summative (via a final written essay/assessment). Students will receive oral feedback in response to class/seminar work, and written feedback on their final assignment.
Reconciliation of Expectations will be performed at the start of the course and reassessed in the concluding lecture.
- Students enrolled at Faculty of Law: Self Service at KUnet
- Professionals: Single subject application form (tuition fee apply)
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Written assignment
- Type of assessment details
- Individual written assignment
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Single subject courses (day)
- Category
- Hours
- Preparation
- 171,25
- Seminar
- 35
- English
- 206,25
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- JJUB55168U
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Bachelor
Bachelor choice
- Duration
-
1 semester
- Placement
- Autumn
- Price
-
- Students enrolled at Faculty of Law: No tuition fee
- Professionals: Please visit our website
- Schedulegroup
-
Please see timetable for teaching time
- Studyboard
- Law
Contracting department
- Law
- Department of Sociology
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Law
Course Coordinator
- Keith John Hayward (13-706a6e796d336d667e7c667769456f7a7733707a336970)
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