LL272      Half Unit
Outlines of Modern Criminology

This information is for the 2019/20 session.

Teacher responsible

Prof Nicola Lacey

Availability

This course is available on the BA in Anthropology and Law and LLB in Laws. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course is available to General Course students.

Pre-requisites

None, but some familiarity with sociological or psychological literature would be an advantage.

Course content

This half-unit course is a general introduction to the study of modern criminology. The course is highly selective and every effort is made to hold the reading requirements within reasonable limits. It is suitable for General Course students, and a limited number may be admitted on application.



The main focus is on the classical and contemporary theories developed over the past two hundred years to explain and predict criminal behaviour in society. The propositions, assumptions, empirical validity, and policy implications of these criminological theories, as well as the social context in which they were developed, will be examined. Other significant issues in criminology – such as the measurement and extent of crime, the role of demographics (age, race, gender, social class) in the causation of and reaction to crime, the influence of the media and political regimes, and the changing boundaries of criminological research – will also be discussed.



Course content:

Teaching

20 hours of seminars in the MT.

Formative coursework

The formative coursework consists one in class presentation (in groups) and a short review of literature in a relevant topic.  Feedback on the literature review will help prepare students for the summative assessment.

Indicative reading

The texts for this course are:



Recommended Readings

Assessment

Essay (100%, 5000 words) in the LT.

Key facts

Department: Law

Total students 2018/19: 15

Average class size 2018/19: 15

Capped 2018/19: No

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills