| Unit name | An International Analysis of Crime, Harm and Justice |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPOLM1065 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Pantazis |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Globalisation has fomented conditions which are facilitating the development, re-configuration, and proliferation of crime and social harm. Whilst national states continue to play a central role in dealing with crime and social harm they are, at the same time, increasingly over-shadowed by international processes and the involvement of international institutions and organisations. This unit provides students with an analysis of crime, social harm and justice from both national and international perspectives. It begins by exploring the contested nature of these concepts. It then focuses on different case studies of crime and social harm (e.g. gender-based violence, drugs, and corporate harm) in order to understand both their nature and distribution, as well as national and international responses to them. A key emphasis of the unit is to understand the theoretical frameworks underpinning responses, and the drivers (e.g. political, social, and economic) for policy. Specifically, the unit aims to:
a) equip students with an understanding of the concepts of crime, social harm and justice
b) examine the nature and distribution of harm through cases studies such as corporate harm, drugs, and gender-based violence
c) consider both national and international responses to a selected number of cases studies
d) understand the drivers for policy and theoretical frameworks underpinning policy responses
By the end of the unit, students will be able to demonstrate that they have:
a) a critical appreciation of the contested nature of crime, social harm and justice
b) an understanding of the nature and distribution of a selected number of crimes and social harms
c) a good knowledge of national and international policy developments with respect to a number of case studies
d) a critical analysis of what is driving policy change
The unit will be delivered in 10 sessions of one and half hours through a combination of lectures and seminars.
4,000 word essay. The assessment will assess all learning outcomes.
Key readings
Hillyard, P., Pantazis, C., Gordon, D., and Tombs, S. (2004) Beyond Criminology: Taking Harm Seriously, London: Sage
Muncie, J., Talbot, D., and Walters, R. (2010) Crime: Local and Global, Devon: Willan
Drake, D., Muncie, J., & Westmarland, L. (2010) Criminal Justice: Local and Global, Devon: Willan
Pemberton, S. (2015) Harmful societies: understanding society, Bristol: The Policy Press
