- UCAS course code
- VL53
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Arts (BASS)
BASS Philosophy and Criminology
Duration: 3 or 4 years
Year of entry: 2025
UCAS course code: VL53 / Institution code: M20
- Key features:
Study abroad
Industrial experience
- Typical A-level offer: ABB including specific subjects
- Typical contextual A-level offer: BBC including specific subjects
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: BBC including specific subjects
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 34 points overall with 6,5,5 at HL, including specific subjects
Course unit details:
Explaining Crime and Deviance
| Unit code | CRIM20412 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 20 |
| Unit level | Level 2 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
This course explores the many ways in which academic criminologists - and their colleagues in the social and psychological sciences - have tried to explain the non-random distribution of crime in society.
Indicative content: (1) What is theory for?; (2) Urbanisation; (3) Strain, control and the reasoning criminal; (4) Labelling and reintegration; (5) Ideology, social control and state crime; (6) Left realism and cultural criminology; (7) Feminism, gender and the masculinities turn; (8) Lifecourse, desistance and the psychosocial; (9) Globalisation and border criminology; (10) Public criminology and the good society.
Aims
The unit aims to (1) introduce students to different theoretical approaches to explaining crime and deviance; (2) promote critical engagement with that theory; (3) locate crime and deviance within a wider social, legal and policy context.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this unit successful students will be able to: (1) differentiate between key theoretical perspectives to crime and grasp their (often common) origins; (2) understand the relationships between these theoretical perspectives, the ways in which crime is constructed politically and in popular culture, and the policy ‘solutions’ that tend to follow from them; (3) Critically evaluate the level of fit between theoretical concepts and data about crime and deviance; (4) outline the strengths and limitations of key criminological theories.
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching and learning across course units consists of: (1) preparatory work to be completed prior to teaching sessions, including readings, pre-recorded subject material and online activities; (2) a weekly whole-class lecture or workshop; (3) a tutorial; and (4) one-to-one support via subject specific office hours.
Employability skills
- Other
- (i) analyse, critique and(re-)formulate a problem or issue; (ii) plan, structure and present arguments in a variety of written formats, to a strict word limit, iii) express ideas verbally and work effectively in small teams for a variety of written and oral tasks; (iv) obtain, manipulate and (re-)present different forms of data; (iv) reflect on and improve performance through feedback. (v) understand the difference between writing for policymakers and academic audiences.
Assessment methods
This unit is summatively assessed by a 1000-word policy briefing (worth 20% of the mark) and 2000-word essay (worth 80%).
Feedback methods
Formative feedback (both individual and collective) will be given on (1) on tasks and contribution in class, (2) essay plans. Summative feedback will be given on the submitted assessments via Blackboard (Grademark).
Recommended reading
Lilly, J., Cullen, F. and Ball, R. (2019) Criminological Theory: Context & Consequences.(7th edition), London: Sage.
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 20 |
| Tutorials | 10 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 70 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| William Floodgate | Unit coordinator |
Additional notes
Across their course units each semester, full-time students are expected to devote a ‘working week’ of around 30-35 hours to study. Accordingly each course unit demands around 10-11 hours of study per week consisting of (i) 3 timetabled teacher-led hours, (ii) 7-8 independent study hours devoted to preparation, required and further reading, and note taking.
Information
Restricted to: LLB (Law with Criminology) if not choosing CRIM20692 or CRIM20452. BA Crim. Students within Humanities.
This course is available to incoming study abroad students university wide.
Pre-requisites: None.
Timetable
See personalised timetable