University of Essex

SC204-5-FY-CO:
Sociology of Crime and Control

The details

Year: 2023/24

Department: Sociology and Criminology

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Full Year

Level: Undergraduate: Level 5

Status: Current

Start date: Thursday 05 October 2023

End date: Friday 28 June 2024

Credits: 30

Last updated: 14 September 2023

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): SC304

Key module for

BA M900 Criminology,
BA M901 Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
BA M903 Criminology (Including Foundation Year),
BA M904 Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA MT26 Criminology and American Studies (UK Study),
BA MT27 Criminology and American Studies (Including Year Abroad),
BA MT28 Criminology and American Studies (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA MT2R Criminology and American Studies,
BA MT3R Criminology and American Studies (Including Placement Year),
BA MT62 Criminology and American Studies (UK Study) (Including Placement Year),
BA L3C8 Criminology with Social Psychology,
BA L3H8 Criminology with Social Psychology (Including Placement Year),
BA LHC8 Criminology with Social Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BA MV91 History and Criminology,
BA MV92 History and Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA MV98 History and Criminology (Including Foundation Year),
BA MV9C History and Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
BA LM38 Sociology and Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA LM39 Sociology and Criminology,
BA LMH9 Sociology and Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
BA LMHX Sociology and Criminology (Including Foundation Year),
BA P550 Journalism and Criminology,
BA P551 Journalism and Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA P552 Journalism and Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
BA L333 Criminology with Counselling Skills,
BA L334 Criminology with Counselling Skills (Including Year Abroad),
BA L335 Criminology with Counselling Skills (Including Placement Year),
BA LM11 Criminology with Criminal Law,
BA LM12 Criminology with Criminal Law (Including Year Abroad),
BA LM13 Criminology with Criminal Law (Including Placement Year),
LLB MM00 Law with Criminology,
LLB MM01 Law with Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
LLB MM02 Law with Criminology (Including Placement Year),
LLB MM03 Law with Criminology (Including Foundation Year),
BA L620 Politics with Criminology,
BA L621 Politics with Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA L622 Politics with Criminology (Including Year Abroad)

Module description

This module offers students an opportunity to explore the theoretical debates that have developed within the field of criminology and consider their significance within contemporary social concerns about crime and deviance. The module examines key theories and trends in criminological thought, including the historical development of criminology and some of the more recent critiques.

The themes of causation, criminalisation, correction and control run throughout the theoretical perspectives and are considered alongside some specific examples of criminal activity and organisation. Such examples range from the individually-experienced through the structural inequalities relevant to understanding gender, ethnicity and crime, and global dimensions of crime and control.

Module aims

Introduction

This module is a compulsory second year component for all criminology students and it is available as an option to other second and third year sociology students and as an outside option if space allows.

Sociology of Crime and Control offers students an opportunity to explore the theoretical debates that have developed within the field of criminology and consider their significance within contemporary social concerns about crime and deviance. The module examines key theories and trends in criminological thought, including the historical development of criminology and some of the more recent critiques. The themes of causation, criminalisation, correction and control run throughout the theoretical perspectives and are considered alongside some specific examples of criminal activity and organisation. Such examples range from the individually-experienced through the structural inequalities relevant to understanding gender, ethnicity and crime, and global dimensions of crime and control.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, you should be able to:

understand key social ways of thinking critically about crime, deviance and control,

demonstrate a good understanding of some of the major criminological studies,

scrutinise broader criminological ‘texts’ (such as film, TV, press, internet) and make sense of them through the theories discussed,

be a confident and critical user of academic research tools such as specialist journals, the internet and secondary data.

Module information

This module is a compulsory second year component for all criminology students and it is available as an option to other second and third year sociology students and as an outside option if space allows.

Please click on the link below to view the Introduction videos to SC204 Sociology of Crime and Control

https://moodle.essex.ac.uk/mod/page/view.php?id=668555

Learning and teaching methods

Teaching approach As there are still restrictions related to COVID-19 in place, some of the teaching on most modules will take place online. Most modules in Sociology are divided into lectures of around 50 minutes and a class of around 50 minutes. Some are taught as a 2hr seminar, and others via a 50-minute lecture and 2-hr lab. For the majority of modules the lecture-type content will be delivered online – either timetabled as a live online session or available on Moodle in the form of pre-recorded videos. You will be expected to watch this material and engage with any suggested activities before your class each week. Most classes labs and seminars will be taught face-to-face (assuming social distancing allows this). Please note that you should be spending up to eight hours per week undertaking your own private study (reading, preparing for classes or assignments, etc.) on each of your modules (e.g. 32 hours in total for four 30-credit modules). This module SC204-5-FY will include a range of activities to help you and your teachers to check your understanding and progress. These are: weekly forums asking you to briefly answer a question, at times also after having watched short videos, or listened to podcasts. The lectures provide an overview of the substantive debates around the topic of the week, while the classes will give you the opportunity to reflect on your learning and actively engage with your peers to develop your understanding further. The weekly classes will take place face-to-face (unless there is a change in the current COVID safety measures). You are strongly encouraged to attend the classes as they provide an opportunity to talk with your class teacher and other students. The classes will be captured and available via Listen Again. However, if you want to gain the most you can from these classes it is very important that you attend and engage. Please note that the recording of classes is at the discretion of the teacher.

Bibliography

Carrabine, E. and Cox, A.L. (2020a) Criminology: a sociological introduction. Fourth Edition. New York: Routledge. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/570280.
Chamberlain, J.M. (2015b) Criminological theory in context. London: SAGE. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/169863.
Carrabine, E. and Cox, A.L. (2020c) Criminology: a sociological introduction. Fourth Edition. New York: Routledge. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/570280.
David Garland (1985) ‘The Criminal and His Science: A Critical Account of the Formation of Criminology at the End of the Nineteenth Century’, The British Journal of Criminology, 25, pp. 109–137. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23636966.

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam	Description	Coursework weighting
Coursework	Critical Review 1	30%
Coursework	Critical Review 2	30%
Coursework	Critical Book Review	40%
Exam	Main exam: In-Person, Open Book, 180 minutes during Summer (Main Period)
Exam	Reassessment Main exam: In-Person, Open Book, 180 minutes during September (Reassessment Period)

Exam format definitions

Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework	Exam
50%	50%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
50%	50%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Prof Eamonn Carrabine, email: eamonn@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Anna Di Ronco, email: a.dironco@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff: Professor Eamonn Carrabine, Dr Anna Di Ronco

Contact details: E-mail: socugrad@essex.ac.uk

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: Yes

Available to Outside Option: Yes

Available to Audit: Yes

External examiner

Name: Dr Emily Gray

Institution: University of Warwick

Academic role: Assistant Professor of Criminology

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording: Of 135 hours, 135 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

Further information

Department website: Sociology and Criminology

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Module Directory

SC204-5-FY-CO:Sociology of Crime and Control