University of Essex

SC104-4-FY-CO:
Introduction to Crime, Law and Society

The details

Year: 2024/25

Department: Sociology and Criminology

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Full Year

Level: Undergraduate: Level 4

Status: Current

Start date: Thursday 03 October 2024

End date: Friday 27 June 2025

Credits: 30

Last updated: 27 September 2024

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): (none)

Key module for

BA M900 Criminology,
BA M901 Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
BA M903 Criminology (Including Foundation Year),
BA M904 Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA MT26 Criminology and American Studies (UK Study),
BA MT27 Criminology and American Studies (Including Year Abroad),
BA MT28 Criminology and American Studies (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA MT2R Criminology and American Studies,
BA MT3R Criminology and American Studies (Including Placement Year),
BA MT62 Criminology and American Studies (UK Study) (Including Placement Year),
BA L3C8 Criminology with Social Psychology,
BA L3H8 Criminology with Social Psychology (Including Placement Year),
BA LHC8 Criminology with Social Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BA MV91 History and Criminology,
BA MV92 History and Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA MV98 History and Criminology (Including Foundation Year),
BA MV9C History and Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
BA LM38 Sociology and Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA LM39 Sociology and Criminology,
BA LMH9 Sociology and Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
BA LMHX Sociology and Criminology (Including Foundation Year),
BA LL36 Social Anthropology,
BA LL3P Social Anthropology (Including Year Abroad),
BA LL6P Social Anthropology (Including Placement Year),
BA P550 Journalism and Criminology,
BA P551 Journalism and Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA P552 Journalism and Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
BA L333 Criminology with Counselling Skills,
BA L334 Criminology with Counselling Skills (Including Year Abroad),
BA L335 Criminology with Counselling Skills (Including Placement Year),
BA LM11 Criminology with Criminal Law,
BA LM12 Criminology with Criminal Law (Including Year Abroad),
BA LM13 Criminology with Criminal Law (Including Placement Year),
LLB MM00 Law with Criminology,
LLB MM01 Law with Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
LLB MM02 Law with Criminology (Including Placement Year),
LLB MM03 Law with Criminology (Including Foundation Year),
BA L620 Politics with Criminology,
BA L621 Politics with Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA L622 Politics with Criminology (Including Year Abroad)

Module description

This introductory module aims to provide a brief history of criminological ideas, an overview of the criminal justice system in Britain, and an examination of the current debates in crime and control.

The module engages with taken-for-granted notions about the meaning and causes of crime and ideas about criminals. In particular, it examines different forms of crime, the relationship between the crime problem and wider questions of social order and power, the role of criminal justice, and the effectiveness of penal sanctions in dealing with crime and deviance.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:

to have an understanding of the social context of everyday crime and crime control;

to be familiar with and be able to critically assess the key sociological and criminological concepts that have been used for studying crime, deviance and control;

to be aware of some of the key contemporary debates surrounding the politics, efficacy and images of crime and control;

to identify the specific research tools that sociologists and criminologists have employed to study crime and deviance, and be able to locate and critically evaluate crime data.

The first year Introduction to Crime, Law and Society course is offered in the Department of Sociology as a full-year course. The key aim of this course is to provide a critical introduction to the problem of, and responses to, crime. The course engages with taken-for-granted notions of the meaning and causes of crime and ideas about criminals. In particular, it examines different forms of crime, the relationship between the crime problem and wider questions of social order and power, the role of criminal justice, and the effectiveness of both penal sanctions in dealing with crime and deviance.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. have an understanding of the social context of everyday crime and crime control;

2. be familiar with and be able to critically assess the key sociological and criminological concepts that have been used for studying crime, deviance and control;

3. be aware of some of the key contemporary debates surrounding the politics, efficacy and images of crime and control;

4. identify the specific research tools that sociologists and criminologists have employed to study crime and deviance, and be able to locate and critically evaluate crime data.

Module information

The module assumes no prior knowledge and is open to students from a wide range of academic backgrounds.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered via:

one lecture per week and a one class (face-to-face).
Class and lecture times should appear on your teaching timetable.

There will also be various quizzes and readings added to the SC104 Moodle page. Please familiarise yourself with Moodle as this will be your central resource for studying all of your modules.

The lectures provide an overview of the substantive debates around the topic of the week, while the classes will give you the opportunity to reflect on your learning and actively engage with your peers to develop your understanding further.

You are strongly encouraged to attend the classes as they provide an opportunity to talk with your class teacher and other students. The classes will be captured and available via Listen Again. However, if you want to gain the most you can from these classes it is very important that you attend and engage. Please note that the recording of classes is at the discretion of the teacher.

You are also strongly advised to do the allocated reading each week before you attend class. Please note that you should be spending up to eight hours per week undertaking your own private study (reading, preparing for classes or assignments, etc.) on each of your modules (e.g. 32 hours in total for four 30-credit modules).

Bibliography

Carrabine, E. and Cox, A.L. (2020) Criminology: a sociological introduction. Fourth Edition. New York, NY: Routledge. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/570280.
Newburn, T. (2017a) Criminology. Third Edition. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/141030.
Hale, C. (2013) Criminology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://www-oxfordlawtrove-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/view/10.1093/he/9780199691296.001.0001/he-9780199691296.
Carrabine, E. (2020b) 'Introduction', in Criminology: a sociological introduction. Fourth edition. London: Routledge, pp. 3–11. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/570280?page=3.
Carrabine, E. (2020e) 'Researching Crime', in Criminology: a sociological introduction. Fourth edition. London: Routledge, pp. 29–50. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/570280?page=29.
Carrabine, E. (2020f) 'The Enlightenment and Early Traditions', in Criminology: a sociological introduction. Fourth Edition. New York: Routledge, pp. 52–69. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/570280?page=52.
Carrabine, E. (2020a) 'Early sociological thinking about crime', in Criminology: a sociological introduction. Fourth edition. London: Routledge, pp. 70–92. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/570280?page=70.
Carrabine, E. (2020d) 'Radicalising Traditions: Marxism, Feminism and Foucault', in Criminology: a sociological introduction. Fourth edition. New York, NY: Routledge, pp. 93–122. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/570280?page=93.
Chriss, J.J. (2013b) Social control: an introduction. Second edition. Cambridge: Polity. Available at: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=1101614.
Carrabine, E. (2020g) 'Thinking about punishment', in Criminology: a sociological introduction. Fourth Edition. New York: Routledge, pp. 363–389. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/570280?page=363.

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam	Description	Deadline	Coursework weighting
Coursework	Assignment 1: Criminological Imagination	11/12/2024	50%
Coursework	Assignment 2 Essay	19/03/2025	50%
Exam	Main exam: In-Person, Open Book, 180 minutes during Summer (Main Period)
Exam	Reassessment Main exam: In-Person, Open Book, 180 minutes during September (Reassessment Period)

Exam format definitions

Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework	Exam
50%	50%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
50%	50%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Dr Johanna Romer, email: johanna.romer@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Darren Thiel, email: djthiel@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff: Dr Darren Thiel & Dr Johanna Romer

Contact details: email: socugrad (Non essex users should add @essex.ac.uk to create the full email address)

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: Yes

Available to Outside Option: Yes

Available to Audit: Yes

External examiner

No external examiner information available for this module.

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording: Of 36 hours, 36 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

Further information

Department website: Sociology and Criminology

Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements, industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.

Module Directory

SC104-4-FY-CO:Introduction to Crime, Law and Society