At the end of this module students will be able to:
Higher Education Foundation Course
CRIMINOLOGY
This module provides students with an opportunity to study the principles
and applications of Criminology at an advanced further education level
(Level 3).
Unit 1 will focus on understanding what criminology is and how we make
sense of the types, levels and trends in criminal activity. Learners will be
encouraged to question their preconceived notions of crime and deviance in
society and the role of the criminal justice system.
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Unit 2 will focus upon victims of crime and deviance and the inequality in
victimisation and offending patterns with a particular focus upon age,
gender, social class and race. The unit will also focus on particular types of
offending (e.g. sexual, violent, organised and volume crime).
summarise criminological theories, concepts, research and evidence.
analyse the consequences of crime
evaluate the findings from investigation
appreciate the different perspectives within criminology
obtain information from relevant sources using multiple search criteria as
appropriate
read and synthesise information from at least two documents about the
same subject
make a formal presentation
recognise the influence of relevant criminologists in chosen areas of study
assess the nature of sociological explanations of crime
demonstrate a basic relationship between themes and application of
criminological knowledge
express ideas clearly and accurately
Assessment
Assessment in Unit 1 is by a Project of 1500 words and an end of unit
test of 1.5 hours
Module Content
The module is split into two units:
Unit 1:
9 credits
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Defining crime and deviance.
Sources of knowledge.
Characteristics of the development of Criminology.
Methodological issues in criminological research.
Unit 2:
9 credits
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The contribution of a range of theorists.
General principles.
Sub-cultural theories.
Interactionist perspectives.
Assessment in Unit 2 is by a book review of 1000 words (with a 5 minute
presentation) and a written examination of 1.5 hours.
The Higher Education Foundation Course is open to anyone and no
formal qualifications are needed for entry to the course. However
achievement in numeracy and literacy at Level 2 or equivalent would be
advantageous, and in some cases expected, where specific skills are
required.
Course information and contact details can be found on
www.northumbria.ac.uk/hefc