| Unit name | A Sociology of Crime and Justice |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SOCI30047 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Naughton |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
What is 'crime'? What causes it? Is the criminal justice system fair? Does it deal with the most significant forms of behaviour or activities that cause us/society the most harm? Is imprisonment an appropriate or effective remedy in the fight to reduce crime? These are the kind of questions explored by this unit. It looks at how public discourses fail to distinguish between 'crime' and 'justice'. A more sociological approach, however, emphasises the way in which not only criminal activity, but also the State's response to it, and our ways of thinking about it, are socially produced and constructed. The wider category of 'justice' requires attention to other significant causes of harm, some of which are created by the criminal justice system itself.
The Unit will:
By the end of this unit, students should be able to:
Option 1 – A 1hr lecture and 2 hour seminar
Option 2 – A 3 hr seminar
Assessment: two summative essays depending on year group as follows:
Detailed guidance will be provided to students in relation to each of these assessments so that they are clear about how to perform well in those assessments. The student will also receive a detailed feedback sheet for the first essay.
