Module Code - Title:
SO6082
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INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGICAL CRIMINOLOGY
Year Last Offered:
N/A
Hours Per Week:
Grading Type:
N
Prerequisite Modules:
Rationale and Purpose of the Module:
This module introduces the sociological study of crime and criminal offending. Initial attention focuses on the socio-historical dynamics of offending and how they reflect large scale patterns of social change. Next, it focuses on the emergence of sociological approaches and how they challenged existing explanatory frameworks (e.g., biological determinism, abnormal psychology, classical rational choice approaches). It then introduces the dominant sociological approaches - notably differential association, social strain, and control perspectives, as well as their contemporary expressions within developmental/life course frameworks. Finally, it interrogates contemporary crime control policies in relation to both theories and evidence with an eye towards better understanding of policy possibilities.
Syllabus:
This module introduces sociological approaches to crime and criminal offending. Themes and issues include:
* what is crime and how does it connect to culture, stratification, and law
* what are the important socio-historical trends in crime and how do these reflect large-scale social change
* what are the core sociological approaches to crime and offending and how do these relate to classical approaches
* how have the core perspectives been translated in the contemporary era within the framework of developmental/life course processes
* how do contemporary social policies around crime and crime control reflect or not reflect theories and evidence on offending and what does this signal about the efficacy or lack thereof of different policy approaches
Learning Outcomes:
Cognitive (Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis)
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of what crime is and how it relates to culture and law
Demonstrate an understanding of the socio-historical trends in crime and how this relates to large scale patterns of social change
Demonstrate an understanding of the key theoretical explanations of crime and offending, including both the classical accounts and the contemporary explanations that focus on developmental/life course patterns
Demonstrate an understanding of how theoretical account are consistent or inconsistent with different public policy responses to crime
Demonstrate and understanding of contemporary research and empirical evidence on crime, offending, and its relationship to public policy
Affective (Attitudes and Values)
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
Demonstrate an appreciation of how involvement in crime reflects real world processes and the lived experiences of people
Demonstrate an appreciation of stratification and social position and how this relates to variable involvement in crime and criminal activity
Demonstrate an appreciation of the need for empathy and reflexivity when thinking about the social processes implicated in crime and reactions to crime and how it shapes the experience of society for individuals
Psychomotor (Physical Skills)
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
NA
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 in-class lectures and tutorial exercises. It explicitly exposes students to the contemporary, cutting-edge research on crime and offending.
Research Findings Incorporated in to the Syllabus (If Relevant):
Prime Texts:
Marcus Felson and Susan Eckert (2021)
Crime and Everyday Life: A Brief Introduction 6th Edition
, Sage
Various ()
Select pieces from Criminology
,
Various ()
Select pieces from the British Journal of Criminology
,
Various ()
Select pieces from Law and Society Review
,
Various ()
Select pieces from other leading journals in criminology (e.g., Crime and Delinquency, Quantitative Journal of Criminology)
,
Other Relevant Texts:
Francis T. Cullen, Robert Agnew, & Pamela Wilcox (2021)
Criminological Theory: Past to Present: Essential Readings 6th Edition
, Oxford University Press
Programme(s) in which this Module is Offered:
MASOCITFA - SOCIOLOGY (APPLIED SOCIAL RESEARCH)
Semester(s) Module is Offered:
Spring
Module Leader:
Amanda.Haynes@ul.ie