COMPARATIVE CRIMINOLOGY - 2023/4
Module code: SOCM067
Module Overview
This module brings together the theoretical and methodological aspects of comparative criminology, and applies them to relevant policy areas in criminal justice. It focuses on three distinct, yet related, areas: methodologically, it will consider crime data and statistics in a comparative perspective; substantially, it will look at crimes and the differing approaches
taken across different criminal justice systems to counter them. More specifically, students will be asked to reflect critically on how international crime rates and trends are calculated, how they differ from national data in terms of construction and scope, and what they can and cannot tell us. They will also analyse how different types of crime travel across borders and
jurisdictions and how policy responds to them. The last part of the module will consider how responses to crime also change across time and space.
Module provider
Sociology
Module Leader
MENICHELLI Francesca (Sociology)
Number of Credits: 15
ECTS Credits: 7.5
Framework: FHEQ Level 7
Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A
Overall student workload
Independent Learning Hours: 105
Lecture Hours: 10
Seminar Hours: 10
Guided Learning: 15
Captured Content: 10
Module Availability
Semester 1
Prerequisites / Co-requisites
NA
Module content
The following topics will be covered: Theories and methods for comparative criminology, Crime data and official statistics in a comparative perspective, Organised crime, drug and human trafficking, Intimate partner violence and sexual assault, Comparing police and policing, Comparing punitiveness and prison rates, Comparing crime prevention
Assessment pattern
| Assessment type | Unit of assessment | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Essay - 2000 words | 50 |
| Coursework | Research proposal for comparative research project - 2000 words | 50 |
Alternative Assessment
Student would undertake a resit paper in the first instance.
Assessment Strategy
The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate that they have (a) understood the basic principles behind comparative criminology and (b) that they can apply this knowledge to carry out their own analyses.
Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:
- one 2000 word essay on a methodological/theoretical/epistemological aspect of comparative criminology which will test students capacity to critically engage with the specificities of this field of inquiry;
- one 2000 words research proposal for a comparative research project on a criminal justice topic.
Formative assessment and feedback
Students will be asked to work in small groups in most sessions and then present and discuss ideas based on the topics covered for that week. Formal verbal feedback will be given at the end of the session.
Module aims
- Introduce the students to the field of comparative criminology
- Explore some of the theoretical, practical and technical issues associated with designing and implementing comparative research in criminology
- Analyse how crime stats are constructed
- Consider how crime and responses to crime change across time and space
Learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | ||
| 001 | Understand the basic epistemological and methodological principles underpinning | C |
| 002 | Understand the significance and limitations of international crime data | KT |
| 003 | Be able to consider crime and responses to it in an international perspective | KP |
| 004 | Consider how crime and responses to crime change across time and space | KP |
| 005 | Be able to carry out comparative research on a criminological topic | CP |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Methods of Teaching / Learning
The learning and teaching strategy is designed to encourage students to think critically about comparative research in criminology and to identify when and how it can be done.
The learning and teaching methods include:
- a weekly 2-hour seminar based around lectures, group work and open discussions, along with independent study.
Students are expected to critically engage with weekly topics and to participate actively to the sessions.
Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.
Reading list
https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: SOCM067
Other information
n/a
Programmes this module appears in
| Programme | Semester | Classification | Qualifying conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criminology MSc | 1 | Compulsory | A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module |
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2023/4 academic year.