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3rd in the UK for research power

Understanding the society we live in and the minds of criminals within it.

Are you keen to grow your knowledge of criminological and sociological theories and concepts? Do you want to understand what makes these disciplines distinctive and explore social research methods through real world research?

Our Criminology and Sociology degree will develop your intellectual curiosity. You will explore the relationship between crime, justice and society on the one hand, and link individual actions to social structures on the other, all through an examination of contemporary theories, policies and practice.  As an active and responsible member of global society, you will use your knowledge to think independently, as well as to challenge the opinions and conduct of others. You will recognise the value of your discipline in shaping society, through critical evidence-based responses to crime and criminal justice problems.

What opportunities will you have in a Criminology and Sociology degree?

You will have the option to apply for a relevant work placement – for instance, in a prison or police station – and learn from lecturers who are also leading researchers in a variety of cutting-edge research fields in criminology and sociology.  You can take part in modules that speak to our other thought-provoking specialisms within criminology (e.g. victimisation, sex work) and sociology (e.g. happiness, international development), offering synergised breadth and depth across both disciplines.

Why choose Northumbria to study Criminology and Sociology?

On joining this course you will become part of an exciting, dynamic and distinctive university department which has received continued praise for their high quality, research-rich teaching and learning experience.  

Graduate Prospects: Sociology at Northumbria is ranked 2nd in the UK for Graduate Prospects (Guardian University Guide, 2024). This is because 82% of our graduates are in highly skilled employment or further study 15 months after graduation.

Research Power: Social Policy is ranked 3rd in the UK for research power in the UK out of 76 submissions (REF, 2021).

Student Rated: Over 96% of students studying Criminology & Sociology at Northumbria believed their course positively challenged them to achieve their best work (NSS, 2024).

To keep up to date with the latest from the department, follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/CriminologyNU and https://twitter.com/SociologyNU

See other similar courses you may be interested in, such as BSc (Hons) SociologyCriminology BSc and Criminology and Forensic Science BSc.

3rd in the UK for research power

Understanding the society we live in and the minds of criminals within it.

Are you keen to grow your knowledge of criminological and sociological theories and concepts? Do you want to understand what makes these disciplines distinctive and explore social research methods through real world research?

Our Criminology and Sociology degree will develop your intellectual curiosity. You will explore the relationship between crime, justice and society on the one hand, and link individual actions to social structures on the other, all through an examination of contemporary theories, policies and practice.  As an active and responsible member of global society, you will use your knowledge to think independently, as well as to challenge the opinions and conduct of others. You will recognise the value of your discipline in shaping society, through critical evidence-based responses to crime and criminal justice problems.

What opportunities will you have in a Criminology and Sociology degree?

You will have the option to apply for a relevant work placement – for instance, in a prison or police station – and learn from lecturers who are also leading researchers in a variety of cutting-edge research fields in criminology and sociology.  You can take part in modules that speak to our other thought-provoking specialisms within criminology (e.g. victimisation, sex work) and sociology (e.g. happiness, international development), offering synergised breadth and depth across both disciplines.

Why choose Northumbria to study Criminology and Sociology?

On joining this course you will become part of an exciting, dynamic and distinctive university department which has received continued praise for their high quality, research-rich teaching and learning experience.  

Graduate Prospects: Sociology at Northumbria is ranked 2nd in the UK for Graduate Prospects (Guardian University Guide, 2024). This is because 82% of our graduates are in highly skilled employment or further study 15 months after graduation.

Research Power: Social Policy is ranked 3rd in the UK for research power in the UK out of 76 submissions (REF, 2021).

Student Rated: Over 96% of students studying Criminology & Sociology at Northumbria believed their course positively challenged them to achieve their best work (NSS, 2024).

To keep up to date with the latest from the department, follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/CriminologyNU and https://twitter.com/SociologyNU

See other similar courses you may be interested in, such as BSc (Hons) SociologyCriminology BSc and Criminology and Forensic Science BSc.

Course Information

UCAS Code
LM39

Level of Study
Undergraduate

Mode of Study
3 years Full Time or 4 years with a placement (sandwich)/study abroad

Department
Social Sciences

Location
City Campus, Northumbria University

City
Newcastle

Start
September 2025

Fees
Fee Information

Modules
Module Information

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This course is eligible for a scholarship

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Department / Social Sciences

Our Department of Social Sciences is a community that equips you to make a positive social change, become a critical thinker, a problem solver, and to challenge what you think, see and hear.

Delve Deeper / Discover more about life at Northumbria

Book an Open Day / Experience Criminology and Sociology BSc (Hons)

Visit an Open Day to get an insight into what it's like to study Criminology and Sociology. Speak to staff and students from the course and get a tour of the facilities.

Entry Requirements 2024/25

Standard Entry

112 UCAS Tariff points

From a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A-level, T Level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas, or the International Baccalaureate.

Find out how many points your qualifications are worth by using the UCAS Tariff calculator: www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator

Northumbria University is committed to supporting all individuals to achieve their ambitions. We have a range of schemes and alternative offers to make sure as many individuals as possible are given an opportunity to study at our University regardless of personal circumstances or background. To find out more, review our Northumbria Entry Requirement Essential Information page for further details www.northumbria.ac.uk/entryrequirementsinfo

Subject Requirements:

There are no specific subject requirements for this course.

GCSE Requirements:

Applicants will need Maths and English Language at minimum grade 4/C, or an equivalent.

Additional Requirements:

There are no additional requirements for this course.

International Qualifications:

We welcome applicants with a range of qualifications which may not match those shown above.

If you have qualifications from outside the UK, find out what you need by visiting www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry

English Language Requirements:

International applicants should have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or an approved equivalent*).

*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades in our English Language section: www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications

Entry Requirements 2025/26

Standard Entry

112 UCAS Tariff points

From a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A-level, T Level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas, or the International Baccalaureate.

Find out how many points your qualifications are worth by using the UCAS Tariff calculator: www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator

Northumbria University is committed to supporting all individuals to achieve their ambitions. We have a range of schemes and alternative offers to make sure as many individuals as possible are given an opportunity to study at our University regardless of personal circumstances or background. To find out more, review our Northumbria Entry Requirement Essential Information page for further details www.northumbria.ac.uk/entryrequirementsinfo

Subject Requirements:

There are no specific subject requirements for this course.

GCSE Requirements:

Applicants will need Maths and English Language at minimum grade 4/C, or an equivalent.

Additional Requirements:

There are no additional requirements for this course.

International Qualifications:

We welcome applicants with a range of qualifications which may not match those shown above.

If you have qualifications from outside the UK, find out what you need by visiting www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry

English Language Requirements:

International applicants should have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or an approved equivalent*).

*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades in our English Language section: www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications

Fees and Funding 2024/25 Entry

UK Fee in Year 1: £9,250

* The maximum tuition fee that we are permitted to charge for UK students is set by government. Tuition fees may increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, these are subject to government regulations and in line with inflation.


International Fee in Year 1: £18,250


Please see the main Funding Pages for 24/25 scholarship information.

 


ADDITIONAL COSTS

There are no Additional Costs

Fees and Funding 2025/26 Entry

UK Fee in Year 1*: TBC

* Government has yet to announce 25/26 tuition fee levels. As a guide, 24/25 fees were £9,250 per year. 



International Fee in Year 1: £19,350

ADDITIONAL COSTS

Please note that CR6003 (Crime and Society in Newcastle and Amsterdam) has a limited number of places and can accommodate a maximum of 50 students. The fieldtrip to Amsterdam is an integral part of this module and does incur an additional financial cost of approximately £850 (this cost may vary).  Every student will be required to pay a £100 non-refundable deposit later in semester two of the second year, and then in semester one of the third year every student going will have to pay the remainder of the costs. Accordingly, please take special consideration when deciding whether to select this module.

If you’d like to receive the latest updates from Northumbria about our courses, events, finance & funding then enter your details below.

* At Northumbria we are strongly committed to protecting the privacy of personal data. To view the University’s Privacy Notice please click here

How to Apply

Please use the Apply Now button at the top of this page to submit your application.

Certain applications may need to be submitted via an external application system, such as UCAS, Lawcabs or DfE Apply.

The Apply Now button will redirect you to the relevant website if this is the case.

You can find further application advice, such as what to include in your application and what happens after you apply, on our Admissions Hub Admissions | Northumbria University



Modules

Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.

CR4001 -

Explaining Crime (Core,20 Credits)

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.

More information

CR4012 -

Real World Research 1 (Core,20 Credits)

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 mechanisms and approaches associated with quantitative methods of data collection and analysis. The module will then explore the theory behind basic statistical procedures while simultaneously practicing that knowledge in lab-based session using a statistical software package.

More information

CR4015 -

The Criminal Justice System 1 (Core,20 Credits)

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, and the probation service. 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. Taking us up to the present day, the module will provide students with a firm basis to go on to explore the modern day CJS in global and comparative context in the follow-up Level 5 module The Criminal Justice System 2.

More information

SO4003 -

Thinking Sociologically 1 (Core,20 Credits)

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.

More information

SO4004 -

Thinking Sociologically 2 (Core,20 Credits)

Following on from Thinking Sociologically 1 in Semester 1, this module focuses on early twentieth century theorists and addresses how they have influenced the way we understand the world around us. You will be introduced to contemporary critiques of classical sociological models through a consideration of how ideas evolved and challenged sociological thinking and approaches. We will apply a range of theory to contemporary social problems and debates, such as social division, changing identity, and investigate the shifting roles of the media, family, education, the body and emotions.

More information

SO4006 -

Social Problems: Myths and Realities (Core,20 Credits)

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.

More information

YC5001 -

Academic Language Skills for Humanities and Social Sciences (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.

More information

AD5019 -

Social Sciences Study Abroad (60 credit) (Optional,60 Credits)

The Study Abroad module is a semester based 60 credit module which is available on degree courses which facilitate study abroad within the programme. You will undertake a semester abroad at a partner university equivalent to 60 UK credits. This gives you access to modules from your discipline taught in a different learning culture and so broadens your overall experience of learning. The course of study abroad will be constructed to meet the learning outcomes for the programme for the semester in question, dependent on suitable modules from the partner and will be recorded for an individual student on the learning agreement signed by the host University, the student, and the home University (Northumbria). The module will be assessed by conversion of graded marks from the host University.

Learning outcomes on the year-long modules on which the student is unable to attend the home institution must be met at the host institution, and marks from the host are incorporated into the modules as part of the overall assessment.

More information

CR5007 -

Sex Work: Theory, Practice, Regulation (Optional,20 Credits)

Ever wondered how a brothel operates? Where media representations and opinions about the sex industry originate from? If people who sell sex enjoy it, or if they are being exploited? If legal frameworks and policing affect how, when and where people sell sex? By engaging with cutting edge research, you will explore these issues and more in Sex Work: Theory, Practice, Regulation.

The module is split into three parts:

In Part 1 you will learn about the diversity of the sex industry and competing theoretical perspectives exploring sex work. We will explore the arguments of academics and scholars, as well as the lived experiences of sex workers.

Part 2 concentrates on the practice of selling sex and will explore the empirical, theoretical and sex worker written literature to answer questions like - what strategies do sex workers and clients use to manage the sale and purchase of sex, why do people sell sex, why do people buy sex, and who are the clients?

Part 3 explores key regulatory issues including: violence and sexual safety, policing and national/international regulatory frameworks.

Workshops will explore and include case studies such as Sweden - where the purchase of sex is criminalised but not the sale, and New Zealand where sex work is decriminalised. You will use your emerging criminological knowledge to explore the theoretical underpinnings of these frameworks, as well as the impact they have on the practice, health and safety of sex workers.

More information

CR5008 -

Youth, Crime and Deviance (Optional,20 Credits)

Youth crime, acts of deviance and public and political attitudes towards young people are hugely contemporary issues and this makes youth crime a fascinating area of criminological study and one of much importance. Through this module, we will critically discuss key trends in youth crime and deviance, the historical development of the concept of youth, public perceptions of young people, both classical and contemporary theories and perspectives of youth crime and deviance, the development of the youth justice system over time, and serious youth violence, which includes an exploration of issues such as knife crime, gangs, drug and county lines. In addition to gaining robust knowledge and understanding of youth crime, and developing key academic and transferable personal skills, the module aims to inspire the next generation of academics, policymakers and practitioners dedicated to improving the lives of some of the most disadvantage young people in our society.

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CR5019 -

Contemporary Issues in Criminality (Core,20 Credits)

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 reflects upon the definitions and implications of processes such as globalisation 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 this context 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 forces which shape these realities.

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CR5020 -

The Criminal Justice System 2 (Core,20 Credits)

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.

More information

CR5021 -

Crime and Media (Optional,20 Credits)

On this cutting-edge module, you will explore the important relationship between crime and media. The module explores the content, context and consequences of mediated representations of crime, policing and punishment. It draws on academic debates in criminology and beyond and is interested in both factual and fictional forms of media, from television news to crime drama, social media to newspapers. The module pays close attention to film. Scrutinising classic and contemporary films, it considers their production techniques, themes, symbols, characterisation and their messages about crime and justice.

More information

CR5022 -

Drugs, Crime and Society (Optional,20 Credits)

How are drugs produced, traded and distributed? How are patterns of drug use, misuse and dependency changing? How is this all shaped by patterns of public, private and criminal power? This module provides some of the answers by equipping students with the interdisciplinary knowledge, understanding and critical skills to analyse drug use and drug markets in the twenty-first century.

The first half of the module introduces students to key themes and debates in drug studies, with an emphasis on the relationship between drugs, crime, society, culture, technology and political economy. We will cover cross-disciplinary theoretical, conceptual and policy debates, taking the study of drugs beyond mainstream approaches. We will explore the impact of drug use and drug markets on contemporary society, including challenges relating to power, inequality, globalisation and new technologies.

The second half of the module covers several contemporary drug issues. It offers in-depth examinations of drug use, supply, trafficking and manufacture on global and local levels, as well as responses from policy makers and practitioners involved in drug enforcement, regulation and harm reduction. The module is designed to provide students with the opportunity to acquire expert knowledge of contemporary drug issues by drawing upon cutting-edge research. Content will change annually to provide up-to-date research-led teaching and learning. Current areas of expertise include: technology and online drug dealing; drug cultures and identities; health inequalities and harm reduction; narcopolitics and narcostates; and global and local markets in cocaine, heroin, cannabis, pharmaceutical drugs, image- and performance-enhancing drugs (IPEDs), and novel psychoactive substances (NPS).

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SO5003 -

Contemporary Social Theory (Core,20 Credits)

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.

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SO5009 -

Sex and Gender in Society (Optional,20 Credits)

On this module we will examine the social construction and representation of gender in historical and contemporary society. The early classes will cover scholarship about the social construction of gender, and key themes such as the significance of the private/public binary in constructing gender. We will explore how the private/public binary has been used in the construction of gender, and how this binary impacts on lived realities of women and men, girls and boys. Later classes will examine a number of case studies, to enable students to study the operationalization of gender in culture, political institutions, and social structures. The case studies will explore the gendered aspects of, for example: intimacy, family and sexual relations; paid and unpaid work; formal and informal political life; representations of gender in the media. They will help you problematize the private/public binary and study in depth the social construction and lived realities of gender in contemporary society.

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SO5011 -

Real World Research 2 (Core,20 Credits)

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.

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SO5012 -

Growing Up: Youth and Education (Optional,20 Credits)

You will be introduced to key issues and debates in the sociology of education such as the emergence of education systems and how recent reforms have impacted on patterns of attainment. We examine explore some traditional questions such as the role of class, race and gender in schools as well as taking a biographical approach to the analysis of learning across the life course. We investigate the way that education can shape identities and how learning is implicated in wider patterns of social injustice.

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SO5013 -

Families and Households: Value, Place and Culture (Optional,20 Credits)

In this module, you will examine the family, as a key social institution, evaluate sociological and ideological perspectives of the ‘family’ as well as develop your knowledge and understanding of changes in family structures and roles. You will also examine the role of the state and its policies in influencing and supporting families, developing skills in finding, using, evaluating and presenting information.

You will assess and evaluate theoretical constructs, applying them to an analysis of the contemporary family, compare and evaluated aspects of international perspectives on the family and reflect upon and assess issues and debates concerning current and future family changes and public policy.

In this module, you will also develop a range of transferable skills, reading, note taking, data gathering, time management, presentation skills, group working, essay writing, effective referencing, interpreting evidence.

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SO5014 -

Activism and Advocacy (Optional,20 Credits)

On this module you will explore the ways individuals and communities come together to challenge injustice and inequalities. The module is particularly concerned with the ways ordinary people try to challenge and resist the powerful and advocate for and develop more just ways of organising society. You will critically explore both contemporary and historical ways of understanding and theorising activism and resistance, including studying historical and more contemporary social movements, such as the Civil Rights Movement, Anti-War Movement and Guerrilla Gardening. A variety of case study examples will be examined each year, such as analysing anti-corporate activism and boycotts, environmental activism, and diverse forms of feminist activism. You will analyse how and why people choose to take stand and what impact it has on them, as well as exploring different strategies of protest and resistance, such as violent and non-violent protest, activism via social media, and creativity as a form of activism and resistance. Cutting across North-South boundaries, you will engage with both UK and international examples to analyse the extent to which individuals and communities have been able to challenge the powerful, and the impacts this has had both immediately, and over time.

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SO5016 -

Live Project: Sociology in Action (Optional,20 Credits)

This module is based on experiential learning, or ‘learning through doing’.

In this module, through engagement with a partner organisation which seeks to create social change in relation to social inequality, marginalisation, and exclusion, you will develop and apply a range of sociological ideas, concepts, and skills, to address real world problems and challenges facing that organisation. In doing so you will reflect critically on the discipline of sociology and on your own skills, knowledge and abilities. The partner organisation will be identified by the module leader and engagement with that organisation will be facilitated by the module leader.

This module enables you, as new sociologists, to apply and test your skills, knowledge, and abilities in relation to ‘real world’ contemporary problems through engagement with a Live Project and to produce outcomes for organisations which will have a real impact on the work they do. You will apply your disciplinary practice and expertise through inquiry into and/or the resolution of real world/contemporary problems which are experienced by a third-party partner. You will produce solutions, services, material, or new perspectives which are of benefit to the third-party partner/s which may be from the public, private or not for profit sector.

Through engagement with the module you will develop and deepen effective workplace skills and your own interpersonal and discipline skills in supporting the partner organisation to overcome challenges that they experience and which they present to you within the module. Your engagement with this module will produce real and deliverable outcomes for partner organisations through the application of sociological skills and knowledge. The strategies/research/solutions/outcomes developed by students will be shared with partner organisations to make effective change and meet contemporary needs within those organisations.

You will be supported and supervised by the sociology teaching team within the Department of Social Sciences. The sociology team is comprised of staff who are accomplished academics and researchers, who also have a wide range of experience of the application of sociology in paid employment, activism and advocacy. The teaching team has been active in research and data analysis, funding and bidding applications, policy development in a range of public, private, charity, not for profit and campaigning settings both in the UK and overseas.

This module is a key aspect of the development of employability skills and forms part of thread of ‘learning through doing’ which is a core element of undergraduate sociology programmes within the University of Northumbria at each level of learning.

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YC5001 -

Academic Language Skills for Humanities and Social Sciences (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.

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AD5017 -

Social Sciences Work Placement Year (Optional,120 Credits)

The Work Placement Year module is a 120 credit year-long module available on degree courses which include a work placement year, taken as an additional year of study at level 5 and before level 6 (the length of the placement(s) will be determined by your programme but it can be no less than 30 weeks. You will undertake a guided work placement at a host organisation. This is a Pass/Fail module and so does not contribute to classification. When taken and passed, however, the Placement Year is recognised in your transcript as a 120 credit Work Placement Module and on your degree certificate in the format – “Degree title (with Work Placement Year)”. The learning and teaching on your placement will be recorded in the work placement agreement signed by the placement provider, the student, and the University.

Note: Subject to placement clearance; this is a competitive process and a place on the module cannot be guaranteed.

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AD5018 -

Social Sciences Study Abroad Year (Optional,120 Credits)

The Study Abroad Year module is a full year 120 credit module which is available on degree courses which include a study abroad year which is taken as an additional year of study at level 5 and before level 6. You will undertake a year abroad at a partner university equivalent to 120 UK credits. This gives you access to modules from your discipline taught in a different learning culture and so broadens your overall experience of learning. The course of study abroad will be dependent on the partner and will be recorded for an individual student on the learning agreement signed by the host University, the student, and the home University (Northumbria). Your study abroad year will be assessed on a pass/fail basis. It will not count towards your final degree classification but, if you pass, it is recognised in your transcript as a 120 credit Study Abroad Module and on your degree certificate in the format – “Degree title (with Study Abroad Year)”.

Note: Subject to placement clearance; this is a competitive process and a place on the module cannot be guaranteed.

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CR6002 -

Contemporary Policing and Security (Optional,20 Credits)

From being a relatively marginal political issue, modern policing and security has risen rapidly up the social and political agendas of western societies. As inequalities have increased, so the actual and perceived risks of crime and other social ills have grown rapidly for all sections of society: the management of crime has become a central concern.

In this module you will develop your critical understanding, analysis and interpretation of the key themes, theories, issues and political debates concerning the development and contemporary nature of modern policing and the delivery of security in England and Wales. Where appropriate, you will be directed to comparative material from other countries and our discussions will draw upon these comparative dimensions to contemporary policing and security.

Given the ‘contemporary’ nature of this module and the continually evolving nature of policing and security, the content of this module is revised each year. Examples of topics covered in previous years include:
• The changing role and function of the police
• Policing and Mental Health
• Terrorism and Insecurity
• Technology, Surveillance and Society
• Policing Globalisation
• Victimology and Policing
• Conducting Research in Policing and Security Settings

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CR6003 -

Crime and Society in Newcastle and Amsterdam (Optional,20 Credits)

On this cutting-edge module you will explore two important cities – Newcastle and Amsterdam – to compare and contrast key criminological and sociological issues in both places. The module offers important insights into the city in which you study (Newcastle) and, in Amsterdam, a city that features regularly in the media and academic literature – a place often portrayed as innovative, liberal, sometimes controversial and somewhere other cities could learn lessons from . On the module you will consider several important issues such as the way in which both cities have developed and evolved; the relations between both cities; the way crime and society operates in both cities; and how crime and other social issues are governed. A key part of the module is the Amsterdam fieldtrip where you visit Amsterdam, be taken on tours of the city, and conduct small group fieldwork on an important issue in the city (for instance, sex work, drugs, policing, the night-time economy, and tourism), and consider whether Newcastle should emulate ‘Amsterdam-style’ policies.

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CR6007 -

Mentally Disordered Offenders (Optional,20 Credits)

Mentally disordered offenders: “mad, bad and dangerous to know”? During this module you will begin to explore who ‘they’ are, what ‘they’ do, why we are afraid of ‘them’, how we identify ‘them’ and what we are doing about ‘them’.
You will learn about and critique mentally disordered offender theory and practice, including: developing a critical understanding to the concept of ‘mentally disordered offenders’; the links between mental disorder and crime; the links between the mass media and the public in the development of the concept of the ‘dangerous offender’; the development of Forensic Psychiatry and its impact on the concept of ‘risk’ and ‘risk assessment’; and a critical assessment of the impact of policy developments on approaches to the care and/or control of mentally disordered offenders.

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CR6009 -

Work Experience Dissertation (Optional,40 Credits)

The module provides an opportunity for you to independently pursue your own piece of research based on work experience with an agency or organisation such as a police force, prison, youth offending team or voluntary sector organisation. You can also gain experience of research by working with a member of academic staff. With the support of a dissertation supervisor, you will seek to answer a research question either by collecting your own data, using existing data sets or by engaging in an analysis of the research literature. Your chosen topic will be linked to your work experience. You will draw on and develop your research skills and on completion of the module you will be able to demonstrate the following: an extensive knowledge on your chosen dissertation topic, successful execution of a research project, the ability to set and explore a focused research question, the capacity to develop a structured and analytical argument; an aptitude for the application of theory and methodology; and an understanding of the ethical considerations of conducting your own research.

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CR6018 -

Crime, Animals and the Environment (Optional,20 Credits)

Is there a relationship between violence against animals and violence against humans? Why is it okay to kill certain animals, but a crime to kill others? How do large corporations get away with polluting the planet? How can we address crimes against animals and the environment? These are all questions we will attempt to address on this module. As part of your studies you will learn about the emerging and competing perspectives and frameworks regarding the neglected topic of crimes and harms against animals and the environment. In a module offered at very few universities, you are introduced to the philosophies and perspectives of Green Criminology and Critical Animal Studies. You will develop skills that enable you to critically analyse notions of crime and harm, and social and ecological justice in relation to animal abuse, deforestation, wildlife, pollution and many other areas that pertain to green and environmental crime and victimisation. While honing verbal and written skills, this module will give you the working knowledge to discuss the type, scope, and impacts of green and animal-related crimes and harms and how this is different from street and ‘traditional’ volume crimes. This module provides a fresh new area of criminological scholarship which you will contribute to in discussion and debate with the module tutors and fellow students - examining crime from new and cutting edge perspectives.

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CR6021 -

Life after Crime (Optional,20 Credits)

Do children who break the law always turn into adult offenders? What might help someone change their behaviour? Is it always the impact of a criminal justice intervention that makes someone desist from crime? This module will look at all of these questions.

The first part will track the nature and complexity of criminal careers. It will demonstrate different ways in which offenders come to be engaged in crime and the extent to which starting early is a predictor of a criminal career. After considering the different ways in which criminal careers are sustained and developed, you will look at the interventions criminal justice and aligned organisations put in place to change offenders’ behaviour.

We will investigate forms of restorative justice and reparation, and question whether, and how, they might fit within different criminal justice systems around the world. For example, what might the role of ‘circles of support’ be in a risk adverse society? The module will also look at whether some activities in prison might have a role in desistance after release. For example, are creative, artistic, spiritual and sporting activities a hook for changing offending behaviour after release?

Throughout the module we will consider UK and international criminal justice practice, and question the impact of social, political and cultural contexts of restoration, rehabilitation and desistance. You will be encouraged to explore all of these elements from cultural and critical criminological perspectives.

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CR6025 -

Crime, Technology and Surveillance (Optional,20 Credits)

This course aims to enhance the students’ understanding of surveillance, esp. the role of technology here, and their link to crime and social order. What is the meaning of technology and of surveillance in society? How do we conceptualise contemporary surveillance strategies? How have technologies been developed and used for such purposes? The students will reflect on such questions and engage with critical discussions from the fields of surveillance studies, science and technology studies, and social studies of forensic science.

Throughout this module, the students will be looking at different issues that relate to surveillance and crime control practices in an age of uncertainty; namely how contemporary surveillance strategies and technologies shape notions of identity and lead to (new/old) forms of inclusion and exclusion. By adopting a critical position, we will explore the impacts of a range of technologies in Criminal Justice settings and in societies more widely.

For instance, with the development of emerging technologies and crime control practices in a global world, we must critically engage with the notion of global surveillance and the various forms of technological innovation (for example, the process of border control and the use of biometrics). The module will also consider the wider significance of analysing the impacts of surveillance not only on specific criminal justice related-contexts (such as policing) but also on our everyday lives. This will help us to better understand the social, legal and ethical issues that arise with the use of surveillance technologies in different settings.

Module content will be updated annually in order to provide up-to-date research-led teaching and learning.

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CR6026 -

Social Harm (Optional,20 Credits)

Since the late 1990s, the study of legal-but-harmful social, cultural, environmental, and political-economic practices has exploded. Some of the most significant problems facing contemporary society not only lie beyond the present scope of legal prohibition but are thoroughly normalized and integral to the functioning of liberal-capitalist political economy. Our current period in history is one beset by a range of interconnected and overlapping crises. Climate change; crises in housing, employment, and homelessness; resource wars; a libertarian financial elite generating widening gaps of inequality both globally and domestically; global pandemics; and a socially corrosive consumer culture generating harsh interpersonal competition, indebtedness and significant mental health issues. These issues are, for the most part, not criminal or caused by criminal behaviour. They are normalised social harms that are, in various ways, embedded within and caused by our current political-economic, cultural, and ecological way of life. Consequently, social harm is one of the most potentially potent and transformative concepts currently available to the social sciences.

The first part of the module will equip students with a detailed understanding of the criminological and philosophical underpinnings of the concept of social harm, how it can be deployed, and how it is rapidly expanding the boundaries of criminology as a discipline. The second part of the module will then focus on various specific areas of social harm, attempting to understand what is causing them, and considering on what grounds we can legitimately call these things harmful. Harms such as climate change; housing crises; unemployment and precarious hyper-exploitative employment; food poverty; indebtedness; mass depression and anxiety; and a self-destructive and socially corrosive consumer culture. In the third part of the module, we will consider what political, economic, and cultural changes are required to address these issues, and what tools are already available to us. Overall, the module endeavours to equip students with a better understand of the world they live in and some of the frustrations and harms that blight our collective lives.

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SO6002 -

Social Sciences Dissertation (Optional,40 Credits)

This module will provide you will with an opportunity to independently pursue your own piece of research on a criminological or sociological topic of your choice. With the support of a dissertation supervisor, you will seek to develop and answer a research question either by collecting your own data, using existing data sets or by engaging in an analysis of the research literature.

As a result, you will draw on and develop your research skills and on completion of the dissertation module you will be able to demonstrate the following:
• an extensive knowledge of your dissertation topic
• having successfully executed a research project
• an ability to ask and respond to a focused research question
• the capacity to develop a structured and analytical argument
• an aptitude for the use of theory and methodology
• an understanding and experience of the ethical considerations of conducting research.

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SO6004 -

Radical Ideas in Sociology (Optional,20 Credits)

This module demonstrates the distinctive character and power of Sociology as a discipline for understanding, critically analysing and intervening within the most pressing and contemporary social issues, such as ‘new terrorism’, human migration, the global financial crisis and contemporary human slavery. You will explore theoretical and empirical sociological material, delivered by the module team, and a range of (other) eminent sociologists from the UK, lying at the cutting-edge of contemporary sociology will be discussed and critically analysed in terms of its significance for understanding, and intervening, within contemporary society and social life.

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SO6007 -

Workers and 'Chavs': The British Working Class (Optional,20 Credits)

The British working class has long been of fascination to Social Scientists from Marx and Durkheim to Bourdieu and Gorz – each in turn have focussed on the question who and what is the working class and what is their likely part in the making of human history? This module critically and theoretically explores the origins of this class, its diversity and evolution and the efforts of that class to bring about social change. It critically explores the changing composition, organisation and power of that class in the 20th and early 21st century. This is a cutting edge module as it examines contemporary debates led by cultural commentators, politicians, researchers and theorists surrounding the nature and existance of class itself. Specifically the module seeks to explore the contemporary cultural and political assault on the working class, its power and legitimacy and questions how the class has gone from a cultural portrayal as ‘salt of the earth’ to ‘scum of the earth’ (Jones, 2011). This is achieved through an examination of the nature and impact of a neoliberal assault on the existance of the notion of social class on working class power, identity and organisation and on the working class experience of work and employment.

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SO6008 -

Making Sense of Happiness and Wellbeing (Optional,20 Credits)

You will be introduced to the sociological study of happiness and wellbeing, posing questions about how we analyse notions of a good life and the efforts people make to flourish. We draw on sociological research as well as work from psychology, economics and philosophy to explore the significance of happiness for people’s identities and life course transitions. We discuss some of the traditional concerns of sociology such as social divisions and inequality (working through class, gender, ‘race’ and sexuality) relating these to the experience of happiness and the structuring of wellbeing. We draw on several case studies (such as wellbeing in other cultures, aging and young people) to illustrate how happiness functions as a social process that can be a site of struggle and conflict that features in many different aspects of life through families, friendships, intimacy, work and leisure.

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SO6011 -

Gender, Violence and Abuse (Optional,20 Credits)

On this module we will examine the connections between gender, violence and abuse. These are topics that have come to the fore of public debate in recent years, especially because of the #MeToo movement and high profile cases such as Harvey Weinstein's and Jeffrey Epstein’s. However, gender-based violence (GBV) has a much longer history; in this module we will study that history and why it is only recently that wider publics have become aware of GBV. The early classes will cover issues around terminology, definitions, and theoretical frameworks for understanding GBV. Later classes will cover a series of 'case studies', such as: rape and sexual violence; intimate partner violence; online abuse and image-based violence; GBV in higher education. For each case study we will examine the nature of the problem as well as the responses and remedies to it. This will include examination of the activism and social movements that have developed in response to GBV, as well as the state and agency responses. Overall, this module will give you knowledge and understanding about this highly topical issue; it will also introduce you to opportunities for employment and activism in the field, should you wish to pursue your interest in the topic after graduation.

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SO6012 -

Bodies in Social Worlds (Optional,20 Credits)

Sociology has, in recent years, grappled with the social nature of the body, showing that the examination of bodies belongs as much to sociology as to the biomedical and natural sciences. On this module you will learn about how social worlds shape bodies and bodies shape social worlds. You will critically and creatively examine the body in ways that allow you to engage with and develop rich sociological understandings about how social worlds, and the web of relations that create them, shape the ways people live in and manage human bodies.

You will look at how social worlds stratified by intersecting differences and inequalities of ‘race’, gender, class, disability, health, age, and sexuality inform how bodies come to ‘matter’ and how bodies get ranked along lines of appearance, fitness, form, and ability. You will explore the social worlds - the relational and discursive spaces (such the media, schools and workspaces, gyms, beauty therapists, toilets, and care settings) - that shape how bodies get used, styled, scrutinised, policed, or catered to, and ask how social worlds create possibilities for different bodily performances and practices as they establish differing conventions of bodily comportment, appearance, productiveness, affect and style. You will be supported to engage in theoretical discussions about how people ‘live’ with, in, and as bodies as sites of action, expression, and feeling at the same time as bodies are sites of medical, legal, cultural, and social regulation.

A core theme that you will address across the module, linked to discussions of inequalities, differences, and the regulation of diverse embodiments, is the intimate politics and practices associated with the social shaping of bodies, asking how bodies matter, which bodies thrive and flourish, and which bodies feel the weight of an uncaring social world. An additional thread throughout the module will be how media images and representations of bodies, and their currency in everyday interactions, influence - but do not necessarily always determine - our understanding of them and their diversity within social worlds.

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YC5001 -

Academic Language Skills for Humanities and Social Sciences (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.

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Modules

Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.

CR4001 -

Explaining Crime (Core,20 Credits)

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.

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CR4012 -

Real World Research 1 (Core,20 Credits)

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 mechanisms and approaches associated with quantitative methods of data collection and analysis. The module will then explore the theory behind basic statistical procedures while simultaneously practicing that knowledge in lab-based session using a statistical software package.

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CR4015 -

The Criminal Justice System 1 (Core,20 Credits)

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, and the probation service. 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. Taking us up to the present day, the module will provide students with a firm basis to go on to explore the modern day CJS in global and comparative context in the follow-up Level 5 module The Criminal Justice System 2.

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SO4003 -

Thinking Sociologically 1 (Core,20 Credits)

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.

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SO4004 -

Thinking Sociologically 2 (Core,20 Credits)

Following on from Thinking Sociologically 1 in Semester 1, this module focuses on early twentieth century theorists and addresses how they have influenced the way we understand the world around us. You will be introduced to contemporary critiques of classical sociological models through a consideration of how ideas evolved and challenged sociological thinking and approaches. We will apply a range of theory to contemporary social problems and debates, such as social division, changing identity, and investigate the shifting roles of the media, family, education, the body and emotions.

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SO4006 -

Social Problems: Myths and Realities (Core,20 Credits)

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.

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YC5001 -

Academic Language Skills for Humanities and Social Sciences (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.

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AD5019 -

Social Sciences Study Abroad (60 credit) (Optional,60 Credits)

The Study Abroad module is a semester based 60 credit module which is available on degree courses which facilitate study abroad within the programme. You will undertake a semester abroad at a partner university equivalent to 60 UK credits. This gives you access to modules from your discipline taught in a different learning culture and so broadens your overall experience of learning. The course of study abroad will be constructed to meet the learning outcomes for the programme for the semester in question, dependent on suitable modules from the partner and will be recorded for an individual student on the learning agreement signed by the host University, the student, and the home University (Northumbria). The module will be assessed by conversion of graded marks from the host University.

Learning outcomes on the year-long modules on which the student is unable to attend the home institution must be met at the host institution, and marks from the host are incorporated into the modules as part of the overall assessment.

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CR5007 -

Sex Work: Theory, Practice, Regulation (Optional,20 Credits)

Ever wondered how a brothel operates? Where media representations and opinions about the sex industry originate from? If people who sell sex enjoy it, or if they are being exploited? If legal frameworks and policing affect how, when and where people sell sex? By engaging with cutting edge research, you will explore these issues and more in Sex Work: Theory, Practice, Regulation.

The module is split into three parts:

In Part 1 you will learn about the diversity of the sex industry and competing theoretical perspectives exploring sex work. We will explore the arguments of academics and scholars, as well as the lived experiences of sex workers.

Part 2 concentrates on the practice of selling sex and will explore the empirical, theoretical and sex worker written literature to answer questions like - what strategies do sex workers and clients use to manage the sale and purchase of sex, why do people sell sex, why do people buy sex, and who are the clients?

Part 3 explores key regulatory issues including: violence and sexual safety, policing and national/international regulatory frameworks.

Workshops will explore and include case studies such as Sweden - where the purchase of sex is criminalised but not the sale, and New Zealand where sex work is decriminalised. You will use your emerging criminological knowledge to explore the theoretical underpinnings of these frameworks, as well as the impact they have on the practice, health and safety of sex workers.

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CR5008 -

Youth, Crime and Deviance (Optional,20 Credits)

Youth crime, acts of deviance and public and political attitudes towards young people are hugely contemporary issues and this makes youth crime a fascinating area of criminological study and one of much importance. Through this module, we will critically discuss key trends in youth crime and deviance, the historical development of the concept of youth, public perceptions of young people, both classical and contemporary theories and perspectives of youth crime and deviance, the development of the youth justice system over time, and serious youth violence, which includes an exploration of issues such as knife crime, gangs, drug and county lines. In addition to gaining robust knowledge and understanding of youth crime, and developing key academic and transferable personal skills, the module aims to inspire the next generation of academics, policymakers and practitioners dedicated to improving the lives of some of the most disadvantage young people in our society.

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CR5019 -

Contemporary Issues in Criminality (Core,20 Credits)

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 reflects upon the definitions and implications of processes such as globalisation 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 this context 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 forces which shape these realities.

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CR5020 -

The Criminal Justice System 2 (Core,20 Credits)

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.

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CR5021 -

Crime and Media (Optional,20 Credits)

On this cutting-edge module, you will explore the important relationship between crime and media. The module explores the content, context and consequences of mediated representations of crime, policing and punishment. It draws on academic debates in criminology and beyond and is interested in both factual and fictional forms of media, from television news to crime drama, social media to newspapers. The module pays close attention to film. Scrutinising classic and contemporary films, it considers their production techniques, themes, symbols, characterisation and their messages about crime and justice.

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CR5022 -

Drugs, Crime and Society (Optional,20 Credits)

How are drugs produced, traded and distributed? How are patterns of drug use, misuse and dependency changing? How is this all shaped by patterns of public, private and criminal power? This module provides some of the answers by equipping students with the interdisciplinary knowledge, understanding and critical skills to analyse drug use and drug markets in the twenty-first century.

The first half of the module introduces students to key themes and debates in drug studies, with an emphasis on the relationship between drugs, crime, society, culture, technology and political economy. We will cover cross-disciplinary theoretical, conceptual and policy debates, taking the study of drugs beyond mainstream approaches. We will explore the impact of drug use and drug markets on contemporary society, including challenges relating to power, inequality, globalisation and new technologies.

The second half of the module covers several contemporary drug issues. It offers in-depth examinations of drug use, supply, trafficking and manufacture on global and local levels, as well as responses from policy makers and practitioners involved in drug enforcement, regulation and harm reduction. The module is designed to provide students with the opportunity to acquire expert knowledge of contemporary drug issues by drawing upon cutting-edge research. Content will change annually to provide up-to-date research-led teaching and learning. Current areas of expertise include: technology and online drug dealing; drug cultures and identities; health inequalities and harm reduction; narcopolitics and narcostates; and global and local markets in cocaine, heroin, cannabis, pharmaceutical drugs, image- and performance-enhancing drugs (IPEDs), and novel psychoactive substances (NPS).

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SO5003 -

Contemporary Social Theory (Core,20 Credits)

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.

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SO5009 -

Sex and Gender in Society (Optional,20 Credits)

On this module we will examine the social construction and representation of gender in historical and contemporary society. The early classes will cover scholarship about the social construction of gender, and key themes such as the significance of the private/public binary in constructing gender. We will explore how the private/public binary has been used in the construction of gender, and how this binary impacts on lived realities of women and men, girls and boys. Later classes will examine a number of case studies, to enable students to study the operationalization of gender in culture, political institutions, and social structures. The case studies will explore the gendered aspects of, for example: intimacy, family and sexual relations; paid and unpaid work; formal and informal political life; representations of gender in the media. They will help you problematize the private/public binary and study in depth the social construction and lived realities of gender in contemporary society.

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SO5011 -

Real World Research 2 (Core,20 Credits)

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.

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SO5012 -

Growing Up: Youth and Education (Optional,20 Credits)

You will be introduced to key issues and debates in the sociology of education such as the emergence of education systems and how recent reforms have impacted on patterns of attainment. We examine explore some traditional questions such as the role of class, race and gender in schools as well as taking a biographical approach to the analysis of learning across the life course. We investigate the way that education can shape identities and how learning is implicated in wider patterns of social injustice.

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SO5013 -

Families and Households: Value, Place and Culture (Optional,20 Credits)

In this module, you will examine the family, as a key social institution, evaluate sociological and ideological perspectives of the ‘family’ as well as develop your knowledge and understanding of changes in family structures and roles. You will also examine the role of the state and its policies in influencing and supporting families, developing skills in finding, using, evaluating and presenting information.

You will assess and evaluate theoretical constructs, applying them to an analysis of the contemporary family, compare and evaluated aspects of international perspectives on the family and reflect upon and assess issues and debates concerning current and future family changes and public policy.

In this module, you will also develop a range of transferable skills, reading, note taking, data gathering, time management, presentation skills, group working, essay writing, effective referencing, interpreting evidence.

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SO5014 -

Activism and Advocacy (Optional,20 Credits)

On this module you will explore the ways individuals and communities come together to challenge injustice and inequalities. The module is particularly concerned with the ways ordinary people try to challenge and resist the powerful and advocate for and develop more just ways of organising society. You will critically explore both contemporary and historical ways of understanding and theorising activism and resistance, including studying historical and more contemporary social movements, such as the Civil Rights Movement, Anti-War Movement and Guerrilla Gardening. A variety of case study examples will be examined each year, such as analysing anti-corporate activism and boycotts, environmental activism, and diverse forms of feminist activism. You will analyse how and why people choose to take stand and what impact it has on them, as well as exploring different strategies of protest and resistance, such as violent and non-violent protest, activism via social media, and creativity as a form of activism and resistance. Cutting across North-South boundaries, you will engage with both UK and international examples to analyse the extent to which individuals and communities have been able to challenge the powerful, and the impacts this has had both immediately, and over time.

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SO5016 -

Live Project: Sociology in Action (Optional,20 Credits)

This module is based on experiential learning, or ‘learning through doing’.

In this module, through engagement with a partner organisation which seeks to create social change in relation to social inequality, marginalisation, and exclusion, you will develop and apply a range of sociological ideas, concepts, and skills, to address real world problems and challenges facing that organisation. In doing so you will reflect critically on the discipline of sociology and on your own skills, knowledge and abilities. The partner organisation will be identified by the module leader and engagement with that organisation will be facilitated by the module leader.

This module enables you, as new sociologists, to apply and test your skills, knowledge, and abilities in relation to ‘real world’ contemporary problems through engagement with a Live Project and to produce outcomes for organisations which will have a real impact on the work they do. You will apply your disciplinary practice and expertise through inquiry into and/or the resolution of real world/contemporary problems which are experienced by a third-party partner. You will produce solutions, services, material, or new perspectives which are of benefit to the third-party partner/s which may be from the public, private or not for profit sector.

Through engagement with the module you will develop and deepen effective workplace skills and your own interpersonal and discipline skills in supporting the partner organisation to overcome challenges that they experience and which they present to you within the module. Your engagement with this module will produce real and deliverable outcomes for partner organisations through the application of sociological skills and knowledge. The strategies/research/solutions/outcomes developed by students will be shared with partner organisations to make effective change and meet contemporary needs within those organisations.

You will be supported and supervised by the sociology teaching team within the Department of Social Sciences. The sociology team is comprised of staff who are accomplished academics and researchers, who also have a wide range of experience of the application of sociology in paid employment, activism and advocacy. The teaching team has been active in research and data analysis, funding and bidding applications, policy development in a range of public, private, charity, not for profit and campaigning settings both in the UK and overseas.

This module is a key aspect of the development of employability skills and forms part of thread of ‘learning through doing’ which is a core element of undergraduate sociology programmes within the University of Northumbria at each level of learning.

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YC5001 -

Academic Language Skills for Humanities and Social Sciences (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.

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AD5017 -

Social Sciences Work Placement Year (Optional,120 Credits)

The Work Placement Year module is a 120 credit year-long module available on degree courses which include a work placement year, taken as an additional year of study at level 5 and before level 6 (the length of the placement(s) will be determined by your programme but it can be no less than 30 weeks. You will undertake a guided work placement at a host organisation. This is a Pass/Fail module and so does not contribute to classification. When taken and passed, however, the Placement Year is recognised in your transcript as a 120 credit Work Placement Module and on your degree certificate in the format – “Degree title (with Work Placement Year)”. The learning and teaching on your placement will be recorded in the work placement agreement signed by the placement provider, the student, and the University.

Note: Subject to placement clearance; this is a competitive process and a place on the module cannot be guaranteed.

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AD5018 -

Social Sciences Study Abroad Year (Optional,120 Credits)

The Study Abroad Year module is a full year 120 credit module which is available on degree courses which include a study abroad year which is taken as an additional year of study at level 5 and before level 6. You will undertake a year abroad at a partner university equivalent to 120 UK credits. This gives you access to modules from your discipline taught in a different learning culture and so broadens your overall experience of learning. The course of study abroad will be dependent on the partner and will be recorded for an individual student on the learning agreement signed by the host University, the student, and the home University (Northumbria). Your study abroad year will be assessed on a pass/fail basis. It will not count towards your final degree classification but, if you pass, it is recognised in your transcript as a 120 credit Study Abroad Module and on your degree certificate in the format – “Degree title (with Study Abroad Year)”.

Note: Subject to placement clearance; this is a competitive process and a place on the module cannot be guaranteed.

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CR6002 -

Contemporary Policing and Security (Optional,20 Credits)

From being a relatively marginal political issue, modern policing and security has risen rapidly up the social and political agendas of western societies. As inequalities have increased, so the actual and perceived risks of crime and other social ills have grown rapidly for all sections of society: the management of crime has become a central concern.

In this module you will develop your critical understanding, analysis and interpretation of the key themes, theories, issues and political debates concerning the development and contemporary nature of modern policing and the delivery of security in England and Wales. Where appropriate, you will be directed to comparative material from other countries and our discussions will draw upon these comparative dimensions to contemporary policing and security.

Given the ‘contemporary’ nature of this module and the continually evolving nature of policing and security, the content of this module is revised each year. Examples of topics covered in previous years include:
• The changing role and function of the police
• Policing and Mental Health
• Terrorism and Insecurity
• Technology, Surveillance and Society
• Policing Globalisation
• Victimology and Policing
• Conducting Research in Policing and Security Settings

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CR6003 -

Crime and Society in Newcastle and Amsterdam (Optional,20 Credits)

On this cutting-edge module you will explore two important cities – Newcastle and Amsterdam – to compare and contrast key criminological and sociological issues in both places. The module offers important insights into the city in which you study (Newcastle) and, in Amsterdam, a city that features regularly in the media and academic literature – a place often portrayed as innovative, liberal, sometimes controversial and somewhere other cities could learn lessons from . On the module you will consider several important issues such as the way in which both cities have developed and evolved; the relations between both cities; the way crime and society operates in both cities; and how crime and other social issues are governed. A key part of the module is the Amsterdam fieldtrip where you visit Amsterdam, be taken on tours of the city, and conduct small group fieldwork on an important issue in the city (for instance, sex work, drugs, policing, the night-time economy, and tourism), and consider whether Newcastle should emulate ‘Amsterdam-style’ policies.

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CR6007 -

Mentally Disordered Offenders (Optional,20 Credits)

Mentally disordered offenders: “mad, bad and dangerous to know”? During this module you will begin to explore who ‘they’ are, what ‘they’ do, why we are afraid of ‘them’, how we identify ‘them’ and what we are doing about ‘them’.
You will learn about and critique mentally disordered offender theory and practice, including: developing a critical understanding to the concept of ‘mentally disordered offenders’; the links between mental disorder and crime; the links between the mass media and the public in the development of the concept of the ‘dangerous offender’; the development of Forensic Psychiatry and its impact on the concept of ‘risk’ and ‘risk assessment’; and a critical assessment of the impact of policy developments on approaches to the care and/or control of mentally disordered offenders.

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CR6009 -

Work Experience Dissertation (Optional,40 Credits)

The module provides an opportunity for you to independently pursue your own piece of research based on work experience with an agency or organisation such as a police force, prison, youth offending team or voluntary sector organisation. You can also gain experience of research by working with a member of academic staff. With the support of a dissertation supervisor, you will seek to answer a research question either by collecting your own data, using existing data sets or by engaging in an analysis of the research literature. Your chosen topic will be linked to your work experience. You will draw on and develop your research skills and on completion of the module you will be able to demonstrate the following: an extensive knowledge on your chosen dissertation topic, successful execution of a research project, the ability to set and explore a focused research question, the capacity to develop a structured and analytical argument; an aptitude for the application of theory and methodology; and an understanding of the ethical considerations of conducting your own research.

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CR6018 -

Crime, Animals and the Environment (Optional,20 Credits)

Is there a relationship between violence against animals and violence against humans? Why is it okay to kill certain animals, but a crime to kill others? How do large corporations get away with polluting the planet? How can we address crimes against animals and the environment? These are all questions we will attempt to address on this module. As part of your studies you will learn about the emerging and competing perspectives and frameworks regarding the neglected topic of crimes and harms against animals and the environment. In a module offered at very few universities, you are introduced to the philosophies and perspectives of Green Criminology and Critical Animal Studies. You will develop skills that enable you to critically analyse notions of crime and harm, and social and ecological justice in relation to animal abuse, deforestation, wildlife, pollution and many other areas that pertain to green and environmental crime and victimisation. While honing verbal and written skills, this module will give you the working knowledge to discuss the type, scope, and impacts of green and animal-related crimes and harms and how this is different from street and ‘traditional’ volume crimes. This module provides a fresh new area of criminological scholarship which you will contribute to in discussion and debate with the module tutors and fellow students - examining crime from new and cutting edge perspectives.

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CR6021 -

Life after Crime (Optional,20 Credits)

Do children who break the law always turn into adult offenders? What might help someone change their behaviour? Is it always the impact of a criminal justice intervention that makes someone desist from crime? This module will look at all of these questions.

The first part will track the nature and complexity of criminal careers. It will demonstrate different ways in which offenders come to be engaged in crime and the extent to which starting early is a predictor of a criminal career. After considering the different ways in which criminal careers are sustained and developed, you will look at the interventions criminal justice and aligned organisations put in place to change offenders’ behaviour.

We will investigate forms of restorative justice and reparation, and question whether, and how, they might fit within different criminal justice systems around the world. For example, what might the role of ‘circles of support’ be in a risk adverse society? The module will also look at whether some activities in prison might have a role in desistance after release. For example, are creative, artistic, spiritual and sporting activities a hook for changing offending behaviour after release?

Throughout the module we will consider UK and international criminal justice practice, and question the impact of social, political and cultural contexts of restoration, rehabilitation and desistance. You will be encouraged to explore all of these elements from cultural and critical criminological perspectives.

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CR6025 -

Crime, Technology and Surveillance (Optional,20 Credits)

This course aims to enhance the students’ understanding of surveillance, esp. the role of technology here, and their link to crime and social order. What is the meaning of technology and of surveillance in society? How do we conceptualise contemporary surveillance strategies? How have technologies been developed and used for such purposes? The students will reflect on such questions and engage with critical discussions from the fields of surveillance studies, science and technology studies, and social studies of forensic science.

Throughout this module, the students will be looking at different issues that relate to surveillance and crime control practices in an age of uncertainty; namely how contemporary surveillance strategies and technologies shape notions of identity and lead to (new/old) forms of inclusion and exclusion. By adopting a critical position, we will explore the impacts of a range of technologies in Criminal Justice settings and in societies more widely.

For instance, with the development of emerging technologies and crime control practices in a global world, we must critically engage with the notion of global surveillance and the various forms of technological innovation (for example, the process of border control and the use of biometrics). The module will also consider the wider significance of analysing the impacts of surveillance not only on specific criminal justice related-contexts (such as policing) but also on our everyday lives. This will help us to better understand the social, legal and ethical issues that arise with the use of surveillance technologies in different settings.

Module content will be updated annually in order to provide up-to-date research-led teaching and learning.

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CR6026 -

Social Harm (Optional,20 Credits)

Since the late 1990s, the study of legal-but-harmful social, cultural, environmental, and political-economic practices has exploded. Some of the most significant problems facing contemporary society not only lie beyond the present scope of legal prohibition but are thoroughly normalized and integral to the functioning of liberal-capitalist political economy. Our current period in history is one beset by a range of interconnected and overlapping crises. Climate change; crises in housing, employment, and homelessness; resource wars; a libertarian financial elite generating widening gaps of inequality both globally and domestically; global pandemics; and a socially corrosive consumer culture generating harsh interpersonal competition, indebtedness and significant mental health issues. These issues are, for the most part, not criminal or caused by criminal behaviour. They are normalised social harms that are, in various ways, embedded within and caused by our current political-economic, cultural, and ecological way of life. Consequently, social harm is one of the most potentially potent and transformative concepts currently available to the social sciences.

The first part of the module will equip students with a detailed understanding of the criminological and philosophical underpinnings of the concept of social harm, how it can be deployed, and how it is rapidly expanding the boundaries of criminology as a discipline. The second part of the module will then focus on various specific areas of social harm, attempting to understand what is causing them, and considering on what grounds we can legitimately call these things harmful. Harms such as climate change; housing crises; unemployment and precarious hyper-exploitative employment; food poverty; indebtedness; mass depression and anxiety; and a self-destructive and socially corrosive consumer culture. In the third part of the module, we will consider what political, economic, and cultural changes are required to address these issues, and what tools are already available to us. Overall, the module endeavours to equip students with a better understand of the world they live in and some of the frustrations and harms that blight our collective lives.

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SO6002 -

Social Sciences Dissertation (Optional,40 Credits)

This module will provide you will with an opportunity to independently pursue your own piece of research on a criminological or sociological topic of your choice. With the support of a dissertation supervisor, you will seek to develop and answer a research question either by collecting your own data, using existing data sets or by engaging in an analysis of the research literature.

As a result, you will draw on and develop your research skills and on completion of the dissertation module you will be able to demonstrate the following:
• an extensive knowledge of your dissertation topic
• having successfully executed a research project
• an ability to ask and respond to a focused research question
• the capacity to develop a structured and analytical argument
• an aptitude for the use of theory and methodology
• an understanding and experience of the ethical considerations of conducting research.

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SO6004 -

Radical Ideas in Sociology (Optional,20 Credits)

This module demonstrates the distinctive character and power of Sociology as a discipline for understanding, critically analysing and intervening within the most pressing and contemporary social issues, such as ‘new terrorism’, human migration, the global financial crisis and contemporary human slavery. You will explore theoretical and empirical sociological material, delivered by the module team, and a range of (other) eminent sociologists from the UK, lying at the cutting-edge of contemporary sociology will be discussed and critically analysed in terms of its significance for understanding, and intervening, within contemporary society and social life.

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SO6007 -

Workers and 'Chavs': The British Working Class (Optional,20 Credits)

The British working class has long been of fascination to Social Scientists from Marx and Durkheim to Bourdieu and Gorz – each in turn have focussed on the question who and what is the working class and what is their likely part in the making of human history? This module critically and theoretically explores the origins of this class, its diversity and evolution and the efforts of that class to bring about social change. It critically explores the changing composition, organisation and power of that class in the 20th and early 21st century. This is a cutting edge module as it examines contemporary debates led by cultural commentators, politicians, researchers and theorists surrounding the nature and existance of class itself. Specifically the module seeks to explore the contemporary cultural and political assault on the working class, its power and legitimacy and questions how the class has gone from a cultural portrayal as ‘salt of the earth’ to ‘scum of the earth’ (Jones, 2011). This is achieved through an examination of the nature and impact of a neoliberal assault on the existance of the notion of social class on working class power, identity and organisation and on the working class experience of work and employment.

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SO6008 -

Making Sense of Happiness and Wellbeing (Optional,20 Credits)

You will be introduced to the sociological study of happiness and wellbeing, posing questions about how we analyse notions of a good life and the efforts people make to flourish. We draw on sociological research as well as work from psychology, economics and philosophy to explore the significance of happiness for people’s identities and life course transitions. We discuss some of the traditional concerns of sociology such as social divisions and inequality (working through class, gender, ‘race’ and sexuality) relating these to the experience of happiness and the structuring of wellbeing. We draw on several case studies (such as wellbeing in other cultures, aging and young people) to illustrate how happiness functions as a social process that can be a site of struggle and conflict that features in many different aspects of life through families, friendships, intimacy, work and leisure.

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SO6011 -

Gender, Violence and Abuse (Optional,20 Credits)

On this module we will examine the connections between gender, violence and abuse. These are topics that have come to the fore of public debate in recent years, especially because of the #MeToo movement and high profile cases such as Harvey Weinstein's and Jeffrey Epstein’s. However, gender-based violence (GBV) has a much longer history; in this module we will study that history and why it is only recently that wider publics have become aware of GBV. The early classes will cover issues around terminology, definitions, and theoretical frameworks for understanding GBV. Later classes will cover a series of 'case studies', such as: rape and sexual violence; intimate partner violence; online abuse and image-based violence; GBV in higher education. For each case study we will examine the nature of the problem as well as the responses and remedies to it. This will include examination of the activism and social movements that have developed in response to GBV, as well as the state and agency responses. Overall, this module will give you knowledge and understanding about this highly topical issue; it will also introduce you to opportunities for employment and activism in the field, should you wish to pursue your interest in the topic after graduation.

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SO6012 -

Bodies in Social Worlds (Optional,20 Credits)

Sociology has, in recent years, grappled with the social nature of the body, showing that the examination of bodies belongs as much to sociology as to the biomedical and natural sciences. On this module you will learn about how social worlds shape bodies and bodies shape social worlds. You will critically and creatively examine the body in ways that allow you to engage with and develop rich sociological understandings about how social worlds, and the web of relations that create them, shape the ways people live in and manage human bodies.

You will look at how social worlds stratified by intersecting differences and inequalities of ‘race’, gender, class, disability, health, age, and sexuality inform how bodies come to ‘matter’ and how bodies get ranked along lines of appearance, fitness, form, and ability. You will explore the social worlds - the relational and discursive spaces (such the media, schools and workspaces, gyms, beauty therapists, toilets, and care settings) - that shape how bodies get used, styled, scrutinised, policed, or catered to, and ask how social worlds create possibilities for different bodily performances and practices as they establish differing conventions of bodily comportment, appearance, productiveness, affect and style. You will be supported to engage in theoretical discussions about how people ‘live’ with, in, and as bodies as sites of action, expression, and feeling at the same time as bodies are sites of medical, legal, cultural, and social regulation.

A core theme that you will address across the module, linked to discussions of inequalities, differences, and the regulation of diverse embodiments, is the intimate politics and practices associated with the social shaping of bodies, asking how bodies matter, which bodies thrive and flourish, and which bodies feel the weight of an uncaring social world. An additional thread throughout the module will be how media images and representations of bodies, and their currency in everyday interactions, influence - but do not necessarily always determine - our understanding of them and their diversity within social worlds.

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YC5001 -

Academic Language Skills for Humanities and Social Sciences (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)

Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.

The topics you will cover on the module include:

• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Speed reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.

More information

To start your application, simply select the month you would like to start your course.

Criminology and Sociology BSc (Hons)

Home or EU applicants please apply through UCAS

International applicants please apply using the links below

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Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.  

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