| Unit name | Punishment in Society |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPOL20052 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Staples |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit examines punishment in society. It draws on sociological, historical, and penal theory to understand how societies punish for criminal wrong-doing. The unit begins by introducing students to key ideas, concepts, and justifications for punishment as well as abolitionist critiques against the use of punishment as a response to crime. Students are also introduced to sociological perspectives in order to understand the nature of punishment and shifts in punishment styles. The substantive part of the unit focuses on contemporary uses of punishment including imprisonment, corporal punishment, the death penalty, and community punishment. The relationship between imprisonment as a mode of punishment and political economy is assessed through an examination of country/regional case studies including, for example, the US experiment with mass incarceration.
The unit will provide an overview of the development of past and contemporary penal policy both nationally and internationally. It will review the main justifications for punishment and evaluate different theoretical explanations for the evolution of punishment in society. It will examine key developments in contemporary penal policy, and understand the drivers for these shifts, and explore key debates concerning society's use of punishment.
By the end of the unit, students will be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through blended learning involving a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions, including weekly lectures, practical activities supported by study-group sessions, and self-directed exercises. Narrated power point presentations will cover more conceptual and theoretical aspects of the unit, whilst case-examples and other applied learning will take the form of self-paced, material delivered electronically, and undertaken individually or supported by pair and group work, and involving elements of tutor feedback and peer-assessment. Feedback will be provided for formal assessments, preparation for which will be supported through online activities and in weekly study-group sessions.
Part 1: Presentation (max 10 minutes) (40%) (Assessing ILOs 1, 2 and 6)
Part 2: Essay (2000 words) (60%) (Assessing ILOs 3,4, and 5)
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SPOL20052).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
