Criminology II

Course Objectives

The objective of the course is to build on and apply the theoretical models studied in the previous criminology course. Students will study Conflict, Radical, Feminist, Critical and Post-Modern theories of crime and criminality. These ideas, along with the Rational, Predestined and Victimized Models studied in the previous course will be applied to the study of White Collar Crime and the Serial Killer. The final three subject areas will introduce the history of crime and policing in the United Kingdom since the Eighteenth Century, the history and theories of Penology and Victimology.

The course will be offered as an option to Pre-Masters students wishing to specialize in sociology or law, who have already taken Introduction to Criminology I in the second semester, in their third semester and will be examined.

Key Learning Outcomes

The aim of this course is build on and apply the theories introduced in the previous course and apply these theories to the questions of White Collar Crime and the Serial Killer. The last three lectures will study the history of crime and policing in the United Kingdom from the Eighteenth Century, the history of the prison and subject of Penology and will introduce Victimology.

The key learning outcomes from the course are set out below. Students who complete the course will:

• Have a basic understanding of theories of crime and criminality presented by the “New Criminology”, Radical, Critical and Post-Modern Approaches to Criminology
• Have a basic understanding of theories of crime and criminality presented by the Feminist and Gender Approaches to Criminology
• Appreciate how politics and ideology play a role in criminological theory: Social Control Theories of Criminology
• Understand the nature of White Collar Crime, and attitude of law enforcement agencies towards this type of crime. Can it be argued that the Corporation is fundamentally criminal?
• Appreciate the phenomenon of the serial killer; categories and explanations
• Have an introductory understanding of the development of policing, penology and victimology
• Be aware of the limitations and critiques of the theoretical explanations of crime and criminality

Course Structure

The structure of the Introduction to Criminology II course is set out below.

Conflict, the New Criminology and Radical Theories of Criminology:

• Conflict theories, class and crime
• The “New Criminology”, Radical theories and their critiques

Feminist and Gender Theories of Crime:

• Outline of Feminist approaches
• The Feminist critique of criminology
• Women and crime, Gender and crime

Social Control Theories of Criminology:

• Origins and early Social Control theories
• Contemporary Social Control theories
• A General Theory of Crime; critiques of Social Control theories

Critical and Postmodernist Theories of Crime:

• What is Critical Criminology,
• Crimes of the poor and powerful
• What is Postmodernism?
• Postmodernism and Criminology

The Serial Killer:

• What is a Serial Killer?
• Categories of Serial Killer
• Is the Serial Killer a Twentieth and Twenty-First century problem?

White Collar Crime:

• Development of White Collar crime
• Types of White Collar crime
• The corporation
• White Collar Crime and law enforcement and the law

History and development of Policing the United Kingdom:

• Victorian Crime
• Crime in the Twentieth Century
• Development of the Police in the United Kingdom

Penology:

• History of imprisonment in the United Kingdom
• The modern prison
• Sociology of the prison
• Purpose of prison regimes

Victimology:

• Studies of Victimology
• Fear of crime
• Impact of Victimization
• Victims in the criminal justice process and Restorative justice.

Assessment and Minimum Standards

The method of assessment for the Introduction to Criminology II course will be one piece of coursework in the form of a 1500-2000 word essay and a final exam. The coursework will be 30% of the final mark and the exam 70%. In the final exam the student will be required to answer two questions, from six, in a three hour paper. Each question will consist of two short answer questions, of 5 marks each, and an essay question of 40 marks, total 100 marks. The pass mark for the course will be 40%.

At the end of the course the minimum standards expected of students who have completed the course will be to:

• have a basic understanding of the theories of crime and criminality presented by the “New Criminology”, Radical, Critical and Post-Modern Approaches to Criminology
• have a basic understanding of the theories of crime and criminality presented by the Feminist and Gender Approaches to Criminology
• appreciate how politics and ideology play a role in criminological theory: Social Control Theories of Criminology
• understand the nature of White Collar Crime and the attitude of law enforcement agencies towards it. Is the Corporation fundamentally criminal?
• understand the phenomenon of the Serial Killer, categories and explanations
• understand the key concepts, historical background and ideas that provide the framework for the study of Policing and Penology
• be aware of the limitations and critiques of the theoretical explanations of crime and criminality
• observe how Quantitative Methods can be applied in the Social Sciences to test theoretical propositions
• employ academic skills and research methods in writing and presenting coursework

Books Recommended for the Course

Coleman, C. & Norris, C., (2001). Introducing Criminology. Devon: William Publishing

Hopkins Burke, R., (2005). An Introduction to Criminological Theory. (2nd Edition), Devon: William Publishing.

Maguire, M. Morgan, R. & Reiner, R. (eds.), (2007). The Oxford Handbook of Criminology. (4th Edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Williams, K. S., (2008). Textbook on Criminology. (6th Edition), Oxford: Oxford University Press.