University of Essex

SC555-7-AU-CO:
Formative Debates in Criminology

The details

Year: 2024/25

Department: Sociology and Criminology

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Autumn

Level: Postgraduate: Level 7

Status: Current

Start date: Thursday 03 October 2024

End date: Friday 13 December 2024

Credits: 20

Last updated: 13 November 2024

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): SC655

Key module for

MA M90012 Criminology,
MSC L30812 Criminology and Socio-Legal Research,
MA MF9112 Organised Crime, Terrorism and Security,
MA L31812 Sociology and Criminology,
MPHDML9048 Criminology,
PHD ML9048 Criminology

Module description

This course deconstructs the development of criminology as a discipline by examining a series of key theoretical debates that have structured this field of research. Students will critically discuss the contemporary impact of the historical development of the field, and consider the socio-political strengths and limitations of the discipline in its current form. By thinking critically about the politics underpinning criminology and the problem of crime, and the relationship between crime, criminal justice, and power, students will learn to engage critically with conventional understandings about what crime is and how it might be controlled. A particular focus in later weeks will be asking how criminological knowledge is impacted by considering insights from a variety of marginalized perspectives, raising the question of how crime control itself relates to social marginalization and practices of inclusion and exclusion.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:

to broaden students’ awareness of key theoretical and empirical debates underpinning the discipline of criminology and the politics of crime control

to provide students with a theoretical toolkit for critically analyzing key academic texts, debates, and developments in the field.

Module learning outcomes

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

1. have a clear understanding of the development of criminology as an academic discipline,

2. have a clear understanding of the key debates that characterize its contemporary form,

3. critically analyze the relationship between crime, criminal justice, power, and social marginalization.

Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered as a 2 hour, face-to-face seminar each week. Attendance is expected.

Bibliography

Newburn, T. (2017) 'Crime and punishment in history', in Criminology. Third Edition. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. Available at: https://search-ebscohost-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1463513&site=ehost-live&authtype=sso&custid=s9814295.
Franko, K. (2019) Globalization and crime. Third edition. Los Angeles: SAGE. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/402893.
Liebling, A., Maruna, S. and McAra, L. (eds) (2023a) The Oxford handbook of criminology. 7th edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://doi-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/10.1093/he/9780198860914.003.0023.
Bosworth, M. and Hoyle, C. (2011) What is criminology? Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199571826.001.0001.
Liebling, A., Maruna, S. and McAra, L. (eds) (2017) The Oxford handbook of criminology. Sixth edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Rothe, D. and Kauzlarich, D. (2022) Crimes of the powerful: white-collar crime and beyond. Second edition. London, England: Routledge. Available at: https://doi-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/10.4324/9781003124603.
Xenakis, S. and Cheliotis, L.K. (2019) 'Whither neoliberal penality? The past, present and future of imprisonment in the US', Punishment & Society, 21(2), pp. 187–206. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1462474517751911.
Dal Santo, L. (2023) 'Mass incarceration in times of economic growth and inclusion? Three steps to understand contemporary imprisonment in Brazil', Theoretical Criminology [Preprint]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/13624806231169727.
Aas, K.F. (2012) '(In)security-at-a-distance: rescaling justice, risk and warfare in a transnational age', Global Crime, 13(4), pp. 235–253. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/17440572.2012.715391.
Bowling, B. (2009) 'Transnational Policing: The Globalization Thesis, a Typology and a Research Agenda', Policing, 3(2), pp. 149–160. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/police/pap001.
Terwiel, A. (2020) 'What Is Carceral Feminism?', Political Theory, 48(4), pp. 421–442. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0090591719889946.
Pérez, M. and Radi, B. (2020) 'Gender punitivism: Queer perspectives on identity politics in criminal justice', Criminology & Criminal Justice, 20(5), pp. 523–536. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1748895820941561.
Aliverti, A. et al. (2021) 'Decolonizing the criminal question', Punishment & Society, 23(3), pp. 297–316. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/14624745211020585.
Carrington, K. et al. (eds) (2018) Palgrave Handbook of Criminology and the Global South. Cham: Springer. Available at: https://link-springer-com.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/book/10.1007/978-3-319-65021-0.
Brisman, A. and South, N. (eds) (2020) Routledge international handbook of green criminology. Second edition. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Available at: https://doi-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/10.4324/9781315207094.
Lynch, M.J., Stretesky, P.B. and Long, M.A. (2018) 'Green criminology and native peoples: The treadmill of production and the killing of indigenous environmental activists', Theoretical Criminology, 22(3), pp. 318–341. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1362480618790982.
Liebling, A., Maruna, S. and McAra, L. (eds) (2023b) The Oxford handbook of criminology. Seventh edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://doi-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/10.1093/he/9780198860914.003.0037.
Barker, V. and Smith, P.S. (2021) 'This is Denmark: Prison Islands and the Detention of Immigrants', The British Journal of Criminology, 61(6), pp. 1540–1556. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azab016.
Singler, S. (2021) 'Biometric statehood, transnational solutionism and security devices: The performative dimensions of the IOM's MIDAS', Theoretical Criminology, 25(3), pp. 454–473. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/13624806211031245.
Carrabine, E. and Cox, A.L. (2020) Criminology: a sociological introduction. Fourth edition. New York: Routledge. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/570280.
Pali, B. and Schuilenburg, M. (2020) 'Fear and Fantasy in the Smart City', Critical Criminology, 28(4), pp. 775–788. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10612-019-09447-7.
Schuilenburg, M. (2024) Making Surveillance Public: Why You Should Be More Woke about AI and Algorithms. 1st ed. The Hague: Boom Uitgevers Den Haag. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=31017977.
Hall, S. and Winlow, S. (2012) New directions in criminological theory. 1st ed. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Available at: https://doi-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/10.4324/9780203117866.

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	Reading-based reflexive exercise	25/10/2024	20%
Coursework	Critical Review	22/11/2024	30%
Coursework	Essay	17/01/2025	50%

Additional coursework information

There are two assignments for this module: i) One critical review (see end of the outline for more guidelines on this assignment) of 1000 words maximum ii) An essay from the list provided (last page of this guide) of 3,000 words maximum.

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
100%	0%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
100%	0%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Dr Samuel Singler, email: samuel.singler@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff: Dr Samuel Singler

Contact details: Email: socpgtad@essex.ac.uk

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: Yes

Available to Outside Option: No

Available to Audit: Yes

External examiner

Name: Prof Benjamin Bradford

Institution: University College London

Academic role: Professor

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording: Of 26 hours, 26 (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

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Module Directory

SC555-7-AU-CO:Formative Debates in Criminology