SC655-7-SP-CO:
Current Controversies in Criminology
2023/24
Sociology and Criminology
Colchester Campus
Spring
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Monday 15 January 2024
Friday 22 March 2024
20
26 May 2023
Requisites for this module
(none)
SC555
(none)
(none)
(none)
MA M90012 Criminology,
MPHDML9048 Criminology,
PHD ML9048 Criminology
This module aims to provide students with an in-depth and critical understanding of contemporary criminological discourse and the role of criminology in today's understanding of different forms of crime, control and criminal justice policy in an increasingly globalised world.
Students will be introduced to various approaches to the interpretation and the governance of crime in order to critically examine criminological discourses and policies related to globalisation, migration, crimes of the powerful, online and offline media representation, mass incarceration, and state crimes. Criminology has undergone a striking expansion in recent years, giving rise to the development of a number of distinct specialisms and the invention of an entire tradition within the wider social sciences. This module explores the implications of such growth and differentiation, and the challenges these present.
This module aims to provide students with an in-depth and critical understanding of contemporary criminological discourse and the role of criminology in today’s understanding of different forms of crime, control and criminal justice policy in an increasingly globalised world.
The module will allow you to:
- engage with some of the most pressing challenges in contemporary criminological research and criminal justice practice
- analyse these at the local/global level and at the micro/macro level
- gain an insight into the range of contemporary advanced research methods used by practitioners, criminologists and other social scientists
- develop practical research skills (through weekly presentations and other structured seminar tasks) that you will be able to apply in your MA thesis
Lecture List
SPRING TERM
Seminar 1 - week 16 Public Criminology: Challenges, Issues and Prospects
Seminar 2 - week 17 Disreputable Pleasures: Transgression and the Subcultural Legacy
Seminar 3 - week 18 Punishment and Social Theory
Seminar 4 - week 19 Mass Incarceration and the New Penology
Week 20 - Reading Week – no seminar
Seminar 5 - week 21 Crime and the City
Seminar 6 - week 22 Geographies of Crime
Seminar 7 - week 23 Crimes of the Powerful
Seminar 8 - week 24 Crime, Media, and Popular Culture
Seminar 9 - week 25 Visual Criminology
Most modules at postgraduate level in Sociology are taught as a 2hr seminar. Most classes, labs and seminars will be taught face-to-face (assuming social distancing allows this). There may also be some online activities – either timetabled as a live online session or available on Moodle in the form of pre-recorded videos. You will be expected to watch this material and engage with any suggested activities before your seminar/class each week.
Please note that you should be spending up to ten hours per week undertaking your own private study (reading, preparing for classes or assignments, etc.) on each of your modules (e.g. 30 hours in total for three 20--credit modules).
You are strongly encouraged to attend the classes/seminars as they provide an opportunity to talk with your class teacher and other students. The classes/seminars will be captured and available via Listen Again. However, if you want to gain the most you can from these seminars/classes it is very important that you attend and engage. Please note that the recording of seminars/classes is at the discretion of the teacher.
-
Loader, I. and Sparks, R. (2010) ‘What is to be done with public criminology?’,
Criminology & Public Policy, 9(4), pp. 771–781. Available at:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1745-9133.2010.00669.x.
-
Rock, P. (2014) ‘The public faces of public criminology’,
Criminology & Criminal Justice, 14(4), pp. 412–433. Available at:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1748895813509638.
-
Blackman, S. (2014) ‘Subculture Theory: An Historical and Contemporary Assessment of the Concept for Understanding Deviance’,
Deviant Behavior, 35(6), pp. 496–512. Available at:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01639625.2013.859049.
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Hayward, K.J. (2016) ‘Cultural criminology: Script rewrites’,
Theoretical Criminology, 20(3), pp. 297–321. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/1362480615619668.
-
David Garland (no date) ‘Sociological Perspectives on Punishment’,
Crime and Justice, 14, pp. 115–165. Available at:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/1147460?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents.
-
Pratt, J. (2000) ‘Civilization and Punishment’,
Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 33(2), pp. 183–201. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/000486580003300206.
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 |
Report |
|
30% |
| Coursework |
Essay |
|
70% |
Additional coursework information
Please note that assessment information is currently showing for 2018-19 and will be updated in August 2019
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
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof Eamonn Carrabine, email: eamonn@essex.ac.uk.
Professor Eamonn Carrabine
socpgtad@essex.ac.uk
Yes
No
Yes
Prof Benjamin Bradford
University College London
Professor
Available via Moodle
Of 18 hours, 18 (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.
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