Module Code - Title:
SO4238
-
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Year Last Offered:
2025/6
Hours Per Week:
Grading Type:
N
Prerequisite Modules:
Rationale and Purpose of the Module:
This module is designed to introduce students to sociological understandings of the criminal justice system and of the criminal legal process. The module will provide the student with the conceptual tools to critically reflect upon the manner in which the criminal legal process interacts with and impacts upon social inequalities. The module will attend in particular to the institutions of the police, the courts, and prison, and to the manner in which access to, experiences in, and outcomes of the criminal justice system are shaped by race, class and gender.
Syllabus:
Students will address such issues as: Sociological approaches to crime; models of criminal justice; policing strategies; differential policing; access to justice; inequalities in criminal justice outcomes; alternatives to prison; intersectionality; trust and legitimacy; victims in the criminal justice process, diversity among criminal justice professionals.
Learning Outcomes:
Cognitive (Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis)
On successful completion of this module, students will:
- Be aware of sociological approaches to criminal justice.
- Know about a range of manifestations of inequality in the criminal justice system.
- Understand the impact of unequal access to justice on trust and legitimacy.
Affective (Attitudes and Values)
On successful completion of this module, students will:
- Be aware of the ethical issues arising in respect to unequal access to justice.
Psychomotor (Physical Skills)
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
N/a
How the Module will be Taught and what will be the Learning Experiences of the Students:
The module will be taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials. The approach will encourage students to clarify their understanding through application of their newly acquired knowledge to real world examples. The ethos of the module will encourage critical thinking and civic awareness, while the methods will encourage confident and articulate self-expression.
Research Findings Incorporated in to the Syllabus (If Relevant):
Prime Texts:
Flichtenburg, A. (2019)
Criminal (In)Justice: A Critical Introduction
, Sage
Mallicoat, S. (2019)
Crime and Criminal Justice: Concepts and Controversies
, Sage
Okada, D., Maguire, M. Sardina, A. (2018)
Critical Issues in Crime and Justice: Thought, Policy, and Practice
, Sage
Other Relevant Texts:
Clair, M (2020)
Privilege and Punishment
, Princeton University Press
Belknap, J. (2019)
The Invisible Woman: Gender, Crime, and Justice
, Sage
Fichtelberg, A. (2019)
Criminal (In)Justice: A Critical Introduction
, Sage
Fitzgibbon, K. and Walklate, S. (2018)
Gender, Crime and Criminal Justice
, Sage
Williams, J. and Kniffley, S. (2019)
Black Males and the Criminal Justice System
, Routledge
Kubrin, C. and Stucky, T. (2013)
Introduction to Criminal Justice: A Sociological Perspectives
, Stanford University Press
Haynes, A. and Schweppe, J. (2018)
Haynes, Amanda and Schweppe, Jennifer (2018) Gendered policing and policing gender: The Trans Community and An Garda Síochána, Dublin: TENI.
, TENI
Haynes, A. and Schweppe, J. (2017)
Lifecycle of a Hate Crime: Country Report for Ireland
, ICCL
Programme(s) in which this Module is Offered:
BSSOSCUFA - SOCIAL SCIENCES
BAULARUFA - ARTS
Semester(s) Module is Offered:
Spring
Module Leader:
Amanda.Haynes@ul.ie