Criminological Imaginations: Understanding Criminality

Description

This course will introduce students to the canon of criminology and map the key theoretical frameworks that have been advanced to explain individual criminality and deviance. The course will encourage students to engage their 'criminological imaginations' to understand the causes of criminal offending and the infraction of social norms and values. The course will begin by examining how deviancy and criminality is socially constructed. We will then explore the various historical perspectives that have been developed to try and explain crime and deviance. Beginning with the classical school of criminology, the course will explore how our understanding of individual criminal behaviour has developed and advanced. The course will require students to critically engage with the theories presented, and to critique their value in explaining crime in contemporary society. Current-day issues and research will be drawn upon throughout the course to bring to life the application of the criminological imagination. Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to: demonstrate an understanding of the key theories explaining criminal behaviour and the societal response to crime; critique the value and utility of different theories and approaches to the understanding of crime and deviance in contemporary society; source relevant research publications on crime and justice, and interpret that information appropriately; and articulate and critique complex theories in a succinct and comprehensible manner.