Criminology and Sociology (Extended Degree) BSc (Hons)

In this module you will be introduced definitions of crime, a selection of crime types and to a wide range of explanationatory theories that been developed to explain why people commit crime and how we night effectively prevent and respond to criminality. Weekly lectures and seminars will provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to introduce you to theories and to understand their strengths, limitations and impacts in relation to how we understand crime and the criminal justice system. We will explore a variety of theories associated with rational actor, pre-destined actor and victimised actor explanations for crime. We will also explore explanations for green crime, integrated explanations that combine ideas from different perspectives, and explore explanations that have attempted to explain why different groups in society commit crime. We will explore the differences, commonalities and dynamic nature of these various explanations for crime , explore evidence to understand the explanatory power of the different explanatory theories and explore the policy and practice implications of the different theoretical explanations we cover... The module will also introduce to students to crime victimisation and operation of the criminal justice system.

This module will improve your quantitative literacy skills and aid you in conducting social research. It will begin by exploring the key philosophies and approaches associated with quantitative methods. It will then introduce the key steps in the process of conducting research, from developing a project idea, to writing research tools, collecting data, considering ethical issues, creating datasets, processing data via statistical software packages, interpreting and writing up results. The module will focus on practical skills but will also explore the theory behind basic statistical procedures.

The Criminal Justice System (CJS) comprises those institutions and agencies that are collectively responsible for managing a state’s response to crime and disorder. This module introduces the key agencies of the CJS in England and Wales. The aim is to understand the historical development of the CJS, what the agencies of the CJS do, and the constraints that they operate under. The focus will be on the history, role and function of the police service, prosecutors, courts, prisons, parole, youth justice, the probation service, and other relevant agencies. For example, students will learn about the early models of policing in Britain and its former colonies and the historical developments that led to the birth of the modern police force, before focusing on the role and function of the police and how the police role is perceived in the media and in popular imagination. Similarly, students will explore the role and emergence of the prison estate in England and Wales, considering how prisons have been designed and managed over time, the impact on prisoners and offenders of policy changes over the last 50 years, and how news about the state of prisons is communicated to the ‘outside’ world.

You will develop your understanding of academic conventions in UK higher education aligned to your level of study, including expectations around critical analysis, structure, argumentation, evidencing, and referencing. The module focuses on developing communication strategies that will help you express your ideas clearly and coherently in written assignments and spoken activities. You will also reflect on your current academic and language skills and develop strategies for development ahead of your assessments.

This module introduces some of the key figures in nineteenth century social theory and the founding figures in sociological theory. On this module, you will explore the meaning and application of a range of social theory, and the distinctiveness of thinking sociologically. You will examine key thinkers from sociology, and identify their contribution to understanding, and being able to address, some of the main problems and issues that frame sociology, such as those around social change, social identities, social divisions and power relationships.

Our aim is to have a practical approach to theory exploring how we can best use some of the ideas developed by early theorists to understand our own lives and the world in which we live. By the end of the module, you will be able to demonstrate the importance of theory in the understanding and explanation of the nature of the social world, understand the origins and development of key sociological theory, and introduce some of the main classical perspectives.

You will learn about how a range of twentieth century theorists have influenced the way we understand the world around us. You will learn about contemporary critiques of classical sociological theory and become confident in applying these ideas to issues such as social division, changing identity, migration, climate change and the shifting roles of the media, family, education, the body and emotions.

On this module you will learn to assess and evaluate competing approaches to theorising and analysing the relationship between the state, social problems, policy and citizens. You will evaluate a range of ideologies reflected in the formulation and implementation of social policies. You will also develop your knowledge of the role of the state in identifying, articulating and providing solutions to social problems. An important skill which you will also develop is the critical and reflective way in which you will evaluate the effectiveness of policy.

In the first instance you will learn to examine and assess a number of historical case studies concerning the theory and practice of social policy, for example The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, the Beveridge Report and The Suffragettes.

In the second part of the module you will explore post war austerity, the emergence of the welfare state and the contemporary welfare experience in the UK which has been referred to as a new age of austerity.

Structured around key themes of contemporary global transformations and political economy, the module offers insight into contemporary issues in criminality. Students will be introduced to a number of contemporary crime problems and will be encouraged to consider how the subjectivities, motivations, opportunities and modus operandi of perpetrators are shaped by contemporary structural, cultural and technological conditions. The module is research-led and will reflect departmental specialisms which currently include state crime, rural crime, organised crime, drugs, white-collar crime and migration.

The module initially introduces a conceptual framework to understand the transformations that societies have undergone in the last few decades, including processes such as globalisation, consumer culture and neoliberalisation in order to consider the logic underpinning our current global order. Consideration of the way in which global flows, power dynamics and economic culture manifest within global and local contexts will form the basis of students’ analysis of contemporary criminality.

Throughout the module, students will be introduced to a number of key issues in criminality in a way that aims to consider the broad spectrum of criminal actors. Moving beyond the narrow confines of a ‘traditional criminological focus’, students will be introduced to the criminal and harmful behaviours of those operating at various levels within society and they will consider the way in which criminal and harmful behaviours are shaped and facilitated by the contours of contemporary society. The module thus aims to offer substantive knowledge around the nature, scope and dynamics of contemporary criminal behaviour but also to offer students a theoretical framework capable of capturing the wider structural forces which shape these realities.

Revisiting but developing on the introductory module The Criminal Justice System 1, this module offers students a view of the modern day criminal justice system, comprised as it now of both state agencies (such as the police, courts, prisons and the probation service) and non-state agencies (such as voluntary/third sector and private/social enterprise agencies). Students will appreciate how the criminal justice system currently works with a range of offenders and victims, both at the statutory and non-statutory level. As well as looking at the system in England and Wales, other comparative examples will be included to widen students’ knowledge of how justice systems operate in the global context. For example, students will be introduced to some key contemporary issues in policing, focusing on recent trends in pluralisation, private security, and the increase in surveillance technology, as well as police governance and accountability in the era of Black Lives Matter. Similarly, further in-depth examination of prisons and punishment will focus not only on the modern prison in England and Wales but also on policies and practices in Europe (including Nordic exceptionalism), the ‘Americanisation’ of the penal system, the role of privatisation on prisons and community sentences, and the effectiveness of retributive vs restorative justice practices and policies. The module will also engage practitioners working in the criminal justice field where possible as a way of extending students’ knowledge and developing concrete ideas for pathways into employment and/or ongoing study.

You will develop your understanding of academic conventions in UK higher education aligned to your level of study, including expectations around critical analysis, structure, argumentation, evidencing, and referencing. The module focuses on developing communication strategies that will help you express your ideas clearly and coherently in written assignments and spoken activities. You will also reflect on your current academic and language skills and develop strategies for development ahead of your assessments.

On this module you will come to understand the relevance of social theory and to evaluate a range of theories which seek to make sense of contemporary society and human lived experience. Key debates in sociological theory are examined as it seeks to grapple with the central features of contemporary society. How can social theory help us to understand contemporary inequalities, identities, culture and change ? Do we need new theories for a new age? When addressing these questions, there is a focus upon particular contemporary social theorists, whose work is at the cutting edge of contemporary sociology, criminology and cultural studies. We are not considering and evaluating theory for its own sake – if we can understand and analyse some of the key features, issues and problems of contemporary society and culture, we can more successfully intervene to influence social and cultural change.

Building on your learning from the previous year around critical thinking skills and research methods, the aim of this module is to enable you to become an effective qualitative social researcher.

First, we will revisit some of the key stages of the research process, including research design, planning a research project, writing a literature review, and the ethics and politics of social research.

Second, we will focus on the philosophies and methods used by qualitative researchers in a real-world context. We will cover ‘traditional’ qualitative methods such as interviews, focus groups and ethnography, as well ‘contemporary’ methods including qualitative mapping, visual and digital methods.

Third, we will put that learning into practice. In groups you will plan and carry out a qualitative research project focusing on a key social issue in Newcastle upon Tyne. This will involve formulating research questions, planning a data collection strategy, collecting data, analysing data, and writing up your results. In addition, you will also complete a research risk assessment and an ethics form – all essential components of the research process.

Learning from this module will support you next year as you embark on your dissertation project, as well as in future employment where research, people and analytical skills are much needed.

You will develop your understanding of academic conventions in UK higher education aligned to your level of study, including expectations around critical analysis, structure, argumentation, evidencing, and referencing. The module focuses on developing communication strategies that will help you express your ideas clearly and coherently in written assignments and spoken activities. You will also reflect on your current academic and language skills and develop strategies for development ahead of your assessments.