Criminal Justice and Criminology - BA (Hons)

Legal Process will introduce the institutions and procedures of the English legal system, and the principles and doctrines on which it is based. Through consideration of the constitutional framework underpinning the legal system, there will be critical discussion concerning the development and operation of the English legal system in its social, economic and political context. A careful consideration of the sources of law will provide the basis for a sound understanding of the common law, legislation, European law, civil procedure and criminal procedure. The nature, extent and effectiveness of access to legal remedies in this country will be considered and students will be given the opportunity to develop certain general and legal skills, particularly legal research skills.

The purpose of Reading Law is to prepare non law students for the study of criminal law which may follow this module. The main sources of law will be carefully examined to enable students to find, read, understand and cite statutes, statutory instruments and law reports. In addition, secondary resources including books and journals will be located and utilised. The fundamental concepts of judicial precedent and statutory interpretation will be considered, along with sources of law emanating from the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Union.

This module introduces debates about the nature of social research methods principally in sociology, criminology, social history and psychology, with reference to social policy, politics and other social sciences. It will introduce students to social research from an interdisciplinary perspective. Students will develop key study and research skills for research methods module in Stage 2 and the dissertation in Stage 3.

Topics to be covered include: the history and politics of the social sciences; interdisciplinarity; what is reality/knowledge?; emotions and reason; positive, normative, moral and political thinking; critical thinking and reading; research skills; essay writing and presentation skills; use of documentary/archival and visual sources.

This introductory course in criminology and criminal justice will introduce students to the ways in which images and notions of crime are constructed and represented, including the links between crime and the key social divisions of age, gender and ethnicity. They will be introduced to the workings of the criminal justice system and its key agencies. Students would also receive lectures covering:

- The measurement of crime

- Media representations of crime

- The aims and justifications of punishment

- The structure and operation of the criminal justice system

This module follows on from Foundations in Social and Criminological Research 1 in developing students' skills in research and critical thinking. The emphasis in this module is on quantitative methods: evaluating the use of quantitative research in 'real life’ contexts, and developing skills in analysing quantitative data. Students will explore descriptive statistics, the evaluation of research designs and learn how to use SPSS to handle quantitative data.

The module will discuss classical and contemporary sociological perspectives (including Marxism, Weberianism, feminism and Bourdieusian), examining how they address key sociological debates, such as modernity, social order, conflict, agency and power. The module will also discuss key sociological concepts (such as class, gender and 'race'), explaining how they are used to understand social practices and structures in everyday life.

This module is designed to develop awareness and critical understanding of methodological issues and practices within sociology. It will give students both a theoretical and practical understanding of sociological approaches and techniques, with a particular emphasis on qualitative approaches. Students will be equipped to tackle research design, undertake research using specific techniques, and analyse and present their findings. They will be able to make judgements about appropriate matches between research questions, design and techniques, and claims about the knowledge produced in their own and other research. The course includes practical work for students to learn first-hand about the research process. The module builds on Stage 1 Foundations of Social and Criminological Research and further develops students' methodological and analytical skills as a preparation for their Dissertations in the final year of the degree programme.

This module offers an overview of the contemporary rationale, powers, procedures and practices of the criminal justice system. It starts by providing students with a theoretical foundation by which they can better understand the functions of the criminal justice system, before moving on to address to the social dimensions which affect its operation.

We then focus on some specific forms of crime and deviance that have perplexed both the public and policy makers. What is a 'hate crime'? How should the Government address the problem of domestic violence? What specific problems does the emergence of the night-time economy pose to the operation of the criminal justice system?

The position of the victim in the criminal justice system is then analysed, looking at the rise of the 'victim movement' and broadening our understanding of what we mean by the term ‘victim’. We also tackle the role that restorative justice plays in challenging our conventional understanding that ‘criminal justice’ should operate as an adversarial system, in which the victim and offender take opposing sides.

Finally, the module addresses social responses to crime and deviance, and looks at some of the technologies of social control. Crime is increasingly becoming a political issue and the general public’s ‘fear of crime’ is arguably on the rise. We look at how the Government attempts to tackle the ‘problem’ of crime and disorder, and the implications that this has for social control.

This module aims to provide a broad introduction to social ethics. It will give students moral frameworks with which to address contemporary issues affecting social and professional practices and relationships. The module explores how everyday encounters and practices have ethical dimensions, which are often neglected in sociological accounts. A range of topics will be examined, including euthanasia, abortion, capital punishment, prostitution, cannibalism, lying, charity and fair wage. It will draw upon several ethical perspectives, such as utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, feminist ethics and theories of justice, to understand these topics.

This module provides an introduction to the study of women's relationships with the criminal justice system. The subject is analysed in both its historical and contemporary contexts and there will be a strong emphasis on theoretical understanding of gender, on feminist theory and on inter-disciplinary approaches. Amongst the topics under consideration are: feminist criminology; media representations of women; crime and justice; women offenders and the criminalisation of women; female victims of crime; women in penal institutions; women as prosecutors; and women in criminal justice employment.

The correctional services are fundamental to the exercise of criminal justice and to the punitive bite of the criminal justice system. This module offers students the opportunity to examine critically the complex contemporary role, use, and work of prisons and probation in England and Wales and their sometimes ability to enable the rehabilitation of serious offenders. Besides its focus on the Prison and Probation Services, the module considers prisoners' experiences of being 'behind bars’, models of offender rehabilitation and methods of working with serious (violent and sexually violent) offenders to help them to change, risk assessment and parole, the resettlement of former prisoners in the community, and why and how people stop committing crime. Seminar discussions include debate about the merits and demerits of prison privatization and the use of ‘real life’ examples of exercises undertaken with offenders to challenge their thinking and case studies of released prisoners who re-offended.

Please note: This module requires, at times, explicit discussion of sexual offending and the treatment needs of sexual offenders. Students who think they will find these topics uncomfortable or upsetting are advised not to take this module.

This module examines the changes and continuities in the provision of social welfare in Britain from the early nineteenth century to the present day, with an emphasis on the period after 1945. It considers the context of policy and policy reform, as well as the processes. The module will proceed chronologically, using specific major developments as a framework, e.g. the New Poor Law, the Liberal Reforms, the Second World War and reconstruction, the rise of free market ideologies from the 1970s. Within these milestones, students will engage with changes in claims to citizenship and the economy over this period, and how these have impacted on the direction of policy. Students will also look at the mechanics of the policy process, examining such topics as the decline of the Royal Commission, the rise of single-issue campaigning groups etc. Through the historical case studies to be examined, students will also engage with micro, meso and macro policy analysis and its application.

This module addresses many of the issues that have shaped the modern practice of policing in recent times. It traces the way in which landmark events have served to mould and shape the daily practice of policing, and the implications that these have for police discretion. The module encourages students to think critically about these issues and to analyse the repercussions that their legacies have had for the routine, everyday social world of police officers and the communities that they serve. Topics include: police-race relations; stop-and-search practice; police cultures; corruption allegations; policing of riots and public disorder; policing of gendered and sexual violence; the rise of police privatisation and vigilantism and the development of performance based cultures.

This module, Young People and Violence, approaches the study of interpersonal violent crime as it relates to young people. It will explore violence experienced in everyday life paying particular interest to the social context in which it can occur; for example urban spaces, schools, familial setting and 'gang, gun and knife culture'. The concern with youth, crime and violence is critically appraised in the context of shifting political focus on disaffected young people. It will seek to understand violence within the context of youth in late modernity. One of the primary objectives of this module will be to engage students in analytical debates on crime and violence as experienced by young people as perpetrators and victims. It will examine and apply criminological theory to youth violence exploring the connection between crime and violence through the intersection of race, gender, ethnicity and class. In particular, the module will investigate the link between structure and agency. In this module, students will have the opportunity to review the impact of changing political and criminal justice responses to the youth crime problem. The module will have a national as well as international focus.

Exceptionally high levels of incarceration and prevailing fear of crime and anti-social disorder have prompted a review of traditional systems of dealing with offenders. After years of prison expansion concerted efforts are being put in place in many Western countries to reduce the number of people in custody. There is a range of alternative forms of managing offenders including restorative justice, community punishments and drug courts. The main aim of this module is to provide students with a critical understanding of these alternative models in a wider historical and cross cultural context. It will explore key values, issues and debates set in the context of theoretical arguments and criminal justice policy and practice.

For much of its history criminology has been concerned with the offender and the victim was largely absent from criminological discourse, research and the criminal justice process. It was not until the early 20th century that criminologists [re] discovered the victim and began to consider the role they played in the commission of crime. From these initial investigations, the victim became the central focus of academic scholarship from which the discipline 'victimology' emerged. The victim is no longer considered to be ‘a bit part player’ in understanding crime. They are deemed to be central to crime detection and the prosecution of criminal acts. This module charts the birth and growth of victimology and considers some of its major theoretical concepts. It will explore the nature and extent of criminal victimisation in society and critically examine it from a number of different perspectives. The module will also examine the changing role of the victim within the criminal justice system.

This module encourages students to take an international view of social policy, beyond the national state, and to develop understanding of the global links and comparisons that can be used to consider welfare in this way. It is recommended that students take this in their third year having studied one or both of the second year social policy modules (SO545 or SO749).

Introductory lectures and seminars will introduce the challenges and risks facing contemporary welfare regimes, including neoliberalism, globalisation and financial uncertainty, and the notion of mixed economies of welfare. Another block of learning will provide accounts of comparative approaches to welfare and explore histories and contemporary dynamics of welfare in the US and in mainland Europe. Finally a series of welfare topics on migration, care, work and citizenship will be introduced in order to explore issues and policy responses within a global framework.

This course aims to introduce many of the core principles of criminal law and to aid students to think critically about the subject, contextualising it and recognising its place in, and impact on, society.

Students will already be familiar with the legal system within which the criminal law operates from their studies in Legal Process, and the sources of criminal law, including statutes and case law, from their studies in Reading Law. This module builds on this existing knowledge by focusing on the following substantive topics: homicide (murder and manslaughter), non-fatal offences (including various degrees of assault), sexual offences, public order offences, theft offences (including robbery, burglary and fraud), general defences (such as insanity, intoxication and self-defence) and inchoate offences (including attempts to commit offences and joint enterprise). This module will encourage students to engage in the wider debate in respect of the place of criminal law in the social context, the definitions of 'harm' and the boundaries of criminal law.

The module will introduce students to the application of law to case facts and the use of statute and case precedent to justify assessment of criminal liability. It aims to engage students in practical application of their knowledge, through consideration of criminal law problem questions, and encourage critical debate of the issues raised. Moreover, it aims to provide the opportunity to students to develop research and presentation skills through case notes and class presentations.

A key benefit of the Summer School is the opportunity for intense learning in situ. We will make the most of this by conducting teaching in the city as well as in the classroom. The Summer School will be highly interactive and combine lecture time and in class discussion, formal visits and walks, and informal exploration.

Provisional timetable (subject to change)

SUNDAY Welcome dinner

MONDAY

Seeing and sensing: the practice of ethnography

Visit to tourist space: the tourist gaze vs ethnographic observation

TUESDAY

Religious and cultural difference

Colonial representations and contestations: museum visit

WEDNESDAY

Grasping the rhythms of the city

Everyday rhythms on the street: practical exercise

Talk from French ethnographer and reception

THURSDAY

Student project work

Multisensory ethnography in contested spaces

Ethnography on the move: guided walk

FRIDAY

Student presentations

Discussion of projects for assessment

Conclusions and feedback

Farewell dinner

This course aims to introduce many of the core principles of criminal law and to aid students to think critically about the subject, contextualising it and recognising its place in, and impact on, society.

Students will already be familiar with the legal system within which the criminal law operates from their studies in Legal Process, and the sources of criminal law, including statutes and case law, from their studies in Reading Law. This module builds on this existing knowledge by focusing on the following substantive topics: homicide (murder and manslaughter), non-fatal offences (including various degrees of assault), sexual offences, public order offences, theft offences (including robbery, burglary and fraud), general defences (such as insanity, intoxication and self-defence) and inchoate offences (including attempts to commit offences and joint enterprise). This module will encourage students to engage in the wider debate in respect of the place of criminal law in the social context, the definitions of 'harm' and the boundaries of criminal law.

The module will introduce students to the application of law to case facts and the use of statute and case precedent to justify assessment of criminal liability. It aims to engage students in practical application of their knowledge, through consideration of criminal law problem questions, and encourage critical debate of the issues raised. Moreover, it aims to provide the opportunity to students to develop research and presentation skills through case notes and class presentations.

This module encourages students to take an international view of social policy, beyond the national state, and to develop understanding of the global links and comparisons that can be used to consider welfare in this way. It is recommended that students take this in their third year having studied one or both of the second year social policy modules (SO545 or SO749).

Introductory lectures and seminars will introduce the challenges and risks facing contemporary welfare regimes, including neoliberalism, globalisation and financial uncertainty, and the notion of mixed economies of welfare. Another block of learning will provide accounts of comparative approaches to welfare and explore histories and contemporary dynamics of welfare in the US and in mainland Europe. Finally a series of welfare topics on migration, care, work and citizenship will be introduced in order to explore issues and policy responses within a global framework.

For much of its history criminology has been concerned with the offender and the victim was largely absent from criminological discourse, research and the criminal justice process. It was not until the early 20th century that criminologists [re] discovered the victim and began to consider the role they played in the commission of crime. From these initial investigations, the victim became the central focus of academic scholarship from which the discipline 'victimology' emerged. The victim is no longer considered to be ‘a bit part player’ in understanding crime. They are deemed to be central to crime detection and the prosecution of criminal acts. This module charts the birth and growth of victimology and considers some of its major theoretical concepts. It will explore the nature and extent of criminal victimisation in society and critically examine it from a number of different perspectives. The module will also examine the changing role of the victim within the criminal justice system.

Exceptionally high levels of incarceration and prevailing fear of crime and anti-social disorder have prompted a review of traditional systems of dealing with offenders. After years of prison expansion concerted efforts are being put in place in many Western countries to reduce the number of people in custody. There is a range of alternative forms of managing offenders including restorative justice, community punishments and drug courts. The main aim of this module is to provide students with a critical understanding of these alternative models in a wider historical and cross cultural context. It will explore key values, issues and debates set in the context of theoretical arguments and criminal justice policy and practice.

This module traces the way in which criminal justice and criminal justice policy have become increasingly politicised in recent years. It utilises key examples, such as terrorism, dangerous offenders, and capital punishment to highlight the interaction between popular opinion, research, policy formation and the criminalisation of particular groups within society. The module will analyse how and why crime has become such an important issue on the political agenda, as well as examining the important role that pressure groups (such as NACRO and the Howard League for Penal Reform) have played in mediating political rhetoric and policy.

Topics covered within the module include the criminalization of social policy; terrorism; 'dangerous' offenders; penal populism; and the politics of risk.

This module, Young People and Violence, approaches the study of interpersonal violent crime as it relates to young people. It will explore violence experienced in everyday life paying particular interest to the social context in which it can occur; for example urban spaces, schools, familial setting and 'gang, gun and knife culture'. The concern with youth, crime and violence is critically appraised in the context of shifting political focus on disaffected young people. It will seek to understand violence within the context of youth in late modernity. One of the primary objectives of this module will be to engage students in analytical debates on crime and violence as experienced by young people as perpetrators and victims. It will examine and apply criminological theory to youth violence exploring the connection between crime and violence through the intersection of race, gender, ethnicity and class. In particular, the module will investigate the link between structure and agency. In this module, students will have the opportunity to review the impact of changing political and criminal justice responses to the youth crime problem. The module will have a national as well as international focus.

This module addresses many of the issues that have shaped the modern practice of policing in recent times. It traces the way in which landmark events have served to mould and shape the daily practice of policing, and the implications that these have for police discretion. The module encourages students to think critically about these issues and to analyse the repercussions that their legacies have had for the routine, everyday social world of police officers and the communities that they serve. Topics include: police-race relations; stop-and-search practice; police cultures; corruption allegations; policing of riots and public disorder; policing of gendered and sexual violence; the rise of police privatisation and vigilantism and the development of performance based cultures.

This module examines the changes and continuities in the provision of social welfare in Britain from the early nineteenth century to the present day, with an emphasis on the period after 1945. It considers the context of policy and policy reform, as well as the processes. The module will proceed chronologically, using specific major developments as a framework, e.g. the New Poor Law, the Liberal Reforms, the Second World War and reconstruction, the rise of free market ideologies from the 1970s. Within these milestones, students will engage with changes in claims to citizenship and the economy over this period, and how these have impacted on the direction of policy. Students will also look at the mechanics of the policy process, examining such topics as the decline of the Royal Commission, the rise of single-issue campaigning groups etc. Through the historical case studies to be examined, students will also engage with micro, meso and macro policy analysis and its application.

The aim of the Dissertation is to enable students to undertake independent research. In the course of their projects, students will deepen their critical understanding of research design and the application of specific techniques, and will further develop theoretical and practical understandings of the approaches of the relevant discipline.

The correctional services are fundamental to the exercise of criminal justice and to the punitive bite of the criminal justice system. This module offers students the opportunity to examine critically the complex contemporary role, use, and work of prisons and probation in England and Wales and their sometimes ability to enable the rehabilitation of serious offenders. Besides its focus on the Prison and Probation Services, the module considers prisoners' experiences of being 'behind bars’, models of offender rehabilitation and methods of working with serious (violent and sexually violent) offenders to help them to change, risk assessment and parole, the resettlement of former prisoners in the community, and why and how people stop committing crime. Seminar discussions include debate about the merits and demerits of prison privatization and the use of ‘real life’ examples of exercises undertaken with offenders to challenge their thinking and case studies of released prisoners who re-offended.

Please note: This module requires, at times, explicit discussion of sexual offending and the treatment needs of sexual offenders. Students who think they will find these topics uncomfortable or upsetting are advised not to take this module.

This module provides an introduction to the study of women's relationships with the criminal justice system. The subject is analysed in both its historical and contemporary contexts and there will be a strong emphasis on theoretical understanding of gender, on feminist theory and on inter-disciplinary approaches. Amongst the topics under consideration are: feminist criminology; media representations of women; crime and justice; women offenders and the criminalisation of women; female victims of crime; women in penal institutions; women as prosecutors; and women in criminal justice employment.

This module aims to provide a broad introduction to social ethics. It will give students moral frameworks with which to address contemporary issues affecting social and professional practices and relationships. The module explores how everyday encounters and practices have ethical dimensions, which are often neglected in sociological accounts. A range of topics will be examined, including euthanasia, abortion, capital punishment, prostitution, cannibalism, lying, charity and fair wage. It will draw upon several ethical perspectives, such as utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, feminist ethics and theories of justice, to understand these topics.