BASS Social Anthropology and Philosophy

This course unit introduces some of the central issues and concepts involved in a critical consideration of punishment and penal systems. We will explore the main theoretical perspectives and apply these to some contemporary problems in the field.

Indicative content: (1)  The aim of punishment and societal structure (i); (2) The political economy of punishment (ii); (3) Punishment and discipline (iii); (4) Punishment and culture (iv); (5) Probation, electronic monitoring and risk  (v); (6) Restorative Justice  (i); (7) Prison (ii); (8) The death penalty and life imprisonment (iii); (9) Fines and Intersectionality (iv); (10) Wrap up and essay guidance.
 

None, though prior knowledge of theoretical approaches to explaining crime and deviance would be an advantage. 

The course unit aims to provide a thorough understanding of the main theoretical perspectives as well as justifications and explanations on punishment and their application to current issues in penal policy. 

On completion of the course unit, successful students will be able to: (1) demonstrate knowledge on the main theoretical frameworks and explanations of punishment; (2) apply them to critically explain contemporary issues in punishment and penal policy; (3) accurately summarise and use complex material to address practical and policy problems in punishment.

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. 

• 3000 word essay (worth 90%);
• Online question/quizzes (worth 10%);

Formative feedback (both individual and collective) will be given  (1) on tasks and contribution in class, (2) developing essay plans. Detailed summative feedback will be given on the submitted essay via Blackboard (Grademark).

Garland, D. (1990) Punishment & Modern Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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 LAWS20452 or LAWS20412 and BA (Criminology) for which this subject is compulsory. LLB (Law), BA/LLB (Law with Politics) and BA Social Sciences (BASS).
Other students from the Faculty of Humanities as approved by the Course Unit Director.

This course  is available to incoming study abroad students university wide.

Pre-requisites: None.

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2027 will be £10,050 per annum. Tuition fees for international students will be £29,200 per annum.

For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships and bursaries, including the Manchester Bursary , are available to eligible home/EU students.

Some undergraduate UK students will receive bursaries of up to £2,000 per year, in addition to the government package of maintenance grants.

You can get information and advice on student finance to help you manage your money.