The module takes traditional and contemporary areas of criminological debate and seeks to facilitate students’ engagement with these theoretical paradigms. Students will have to show higher level knowledge and understanding of the contours of contemporary criminology and its theoretical proponents. This understanding will culminate in their ability to analyse, apply, and reflect on the relevance and application of these emergent paradigms to a topic of criminological interest for them. The key criminological concepts covered on the module include:
Classical Criminology, Positivist Criminology, Interactionist and Critical Criminology, Feminist Criminology, Cultural Criminology and Deviant Leisure, Ultra-Realism, Social Harm, The Global South, Green Criminology, Life Course Criminology and Desistance Studies, Big Data and Administrative Criminology.

The lectures/seminars are set around themes and issues that deal with emergent topics and fields of interest, and the studied perspectives are clearly linked and do cross over. However, during the module, students will deal not only with theory, but consider emergent areas and topics that are at the centre of criminology, which will be combined with discussion of emerging cases and examples. These will include:
Terrorism and domestic extremism, homicide, borders and immigration, human trafficking, global warming, gangs and youth crime, wildlife crime, environmental harms, COVID-19, financial crimes, and a range of ‘street’ crimes.

Students will be required to write a 4000-word assignment whereby they select a theoretical perspective from the taught content and relate it to a criminological issue. This issue might be a type of crime, a prominent social issue, a case study of a particular crime, a particular representation in the news or media, or an emerging official response such as a new policing initiative.

They will combine the criminological perspective with the topic and write a 4000-word simulated journal article. The assignment should contain a title, 4-5 key words, and be referenced in the Harvard style.

The assessment will be based on submission in the style of an academic journal article, hopefully aiding students to develop a written form and style that meet the high standards of academic criminology, which may in the long-term assist those who are seeking professional roles to better understand writing for academic audiences.

Learners have the opportunity to submit formative coursework, in the form of a short essay plan. They will receive formative feedback on their submission

Out of 200 hours, 26 hours will be class contact delivered in a lecture/seminar format, and 174 hours will be self-guided, independent study.

1. On completion of this module, you will be able to explain the core components of criminological theory.

Knowledge and understanding, Learning

2. On completion of this module, you will be able to critique the application of the perspective under discussion to issues of policy in relation to crime control and regulation.

Application

3. On completion of this module, you will be able to assess the contribution of a criminological perspective to an important social issue.

Analysis, Reflection

4. On completion of this module, you will be able to develop a high-quality written analysis of a contemporary criminological perspective to a crime-related topic that shows wider knowledge and understanding in the field of theoretical criminology.

Knowledge and understanding, Problem-solving

The University library
The Blackboard virtual learning environment
Full-text journals database for criminology (SAGE)

Brisman, A., Carrabine, E., and South, N. (2017) The Routledge Companion to Criminological Theory and Concepts. London: Routledge.

Chamberlain, J.M. (2015) Criminological Theory in Context. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Hopkins-Burke, R. (2018) An Introduction to Criminological Theory. 5th edn. London: Routledge.

Tibbetts, S.G. (2018) Criminological Theory: The Essentials. 3rd edn. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Treadwell, J. (2013) Criminology: The Essentials. London: SAGE.

Additional reading available from the online reading list.

TBC