SC104
INTRODUCTION TO CRIME, LAW AND SOCIETY
2008-2009
Lecture:
Fridays 11-12 (for classes see first year notice board)
Course Lecturers:
Dr Maggy Lee (Autumn Term)
Email: leem@essex.ac.uk
Dr Darren Thiel (Spring Term)
Email: djthiel@essex.ac.uk
LECTURES AND CLASSES
You are expected to attend (i) a weekly lecture and (ii) a weekly class. Absences must be reported. If
you have problems talk to your class tutor. If you don’t like the course, don’t just stay away – we’ll see
if you can change to another course etc.
Your class allocation is to be found on the First Year notice board in the Sociology Department with the
lecture time.
Note: you cannot change classes without approval! (It causes chaos.) You must see the First Year
Administrator to change classes.
Students are expected to attend all lectures and classes, and on average should schedule at least eight
hours per week for their own private study around the course.
PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE COLLECTED YOUR COPY OF THE FIRST
YEAR DEPARTMENTAL HANDBOOK (THE BLUE BOOK)
IT CONTAINS VITAL FIRST YEAR INFORMATION
AIMS OF THE COURSE
The first year Introduction to Crime, Law and Society course is offered in the Department of Sociology
as a full-year course. The key aim of this course is to provide a critical introduction to the problem of,
and responses to, crime. The course engages with taken-for-granted notions of the meaning and causes
of crime and ideas about criminals. In particular, it examines different forms of crime, the relationship
between the crime problem and wider questions of social order and power, the role of criminal justice,
and the effectiveness of both penal sanctions in dealing with crime and deviance.
By the end of the course, students should:
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(a) have an understanding of the social context of everyday crime and crime control;
(b) be familiar with and be able to critically assess the key sociological and criminological concepts that
have been used for studying crime, deviance and control;
(c) be aware of some of the key contemporary debates surrounding the politics, efficacy and images of
crime and control;
(d) identify the specific research tools that sociologists and criminologists have employed to study crime
and deviance, and be able to locate and critically evaluate crime data.
OUTLINE OF THE COURSE
Autumn Term
Week
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Everybody is Doing it: Crime and Criminology
Researching Crime and Crimes of the Record
An Overview of Criminological Perspectives
Crimes of the Wallet
Crimes of the Street
Crimes of the Home
Crime Victims and Victimization
Crimes of the Powerful
Drugs and Crime
Rethinking Everyday Crime
Spring Term
Week
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Understanding Everyday Crime
Key concepts in criminology
Introduction: Moral boundaries, anomie and strain
Youth, culture and subculture
Labelling theory 1: Labelling theory and social construction (Professor Ken Plummer)
Labelling theory 2: Moral panics and deviancy amplification
Social control and governance
Reading week
Punishment and the prison
Policing and the police
Bias in justice
Criminal justice alternatives
Summer Term
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Revision lecture
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ASSESSMENT
Students will be assessed by an equally-weighted mixture of coursework and ‘unseen’ examinations (a
three hour examination in May/June). You must submit your coursework assignments to the
Sociology office.
For coursework assessment, students are required to:


Produce three essays (up to 2,500 words each) chosen from the essay list below.
One essay is to be completed for the Autumn Term to be chosen from the Autumn Term essay title
list, one essay is to be completed for the Spring Term to be chosen from the Spring Term list, and
the final essay can be chosen from either list.
 Specific dates and rules for essay submission and guides for effective essay writing can be found
in the First Year Departmental Handbook, but essays should be typed, word processed, or neatly
hand-written in clear English on A4 paper with one and a half or double spacing.
ESSAY TITLES
Autumn Term
1. In what ways, if any, does the study of ‘crimes of the powerful’ challenge common sense
understanding of the problem of crime?
2. Is concern over street violence a ‘moral panic’? Discuss in relation to current debates and use
examples to illustrate your answer.
3. Does the British Crime Survey represent the full picture of crime victimization in Britain? Why or
why not?
4. Why might the family be a site of danger? Discuss with reference to the different types of crimes of
the home.
Spring Term
1. Critically discuss how the criminological concepts culture and subculture enlighten our
understanding of crime and control.
2. How do social reactions to crime and deviance socially construct crime and deviance?
3. What do prisons do?
4. What kinds of social processes introduce bias and discrimination into criminal convictions and how
do they do so?
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YOUR KEY READINGS
All assessed work should show clear evidence of familiarity with the relevant literature. There is no one
text that covers the whole course and some texts are much more specialised than others. The Essential
Texts listed below between them do cover the vast majority of the course. Students intending to take
criminology-related modules in the following years are highly recommended to buy at least one essential
text, and all students are expected to do at least one textbook reading before each class. You should also
consult the week-by-week reading list and track down additional sources by using the library. Don’t
forget to look at the Journals for past and current articles. Particularly useful for this and future courses
are: Crime, Law and Social Change; British Journal of Criminology; Howard Journal of Criminal
Justice; Policing and Society; Crime, History and Societies; Theoretical Criminology; International
Journal of the Sociology of Law; Deviant Behaviour; Social Justice; Journal of Criminal Law and
Criminology.
Essential texts:
Carrabine, E., Iganski, P., Lee, M., Plummer, K. and South, N. (2004 or 2008), Criminology – A
Sociological Introduction (London: Routledge).
Newburn, T. (2007) Criminology (Cullompton: Willan).
Hale, C. Hayward, K., Wahidin, A., and Wincup, E. (2005) (eds) Criminology, (Oxford University
Press)
Useful as general texts: (*recommended)
*H. Croall (1998), Crime and Society in Britain (London: Longman).
*Marsh, Ian (2004) Criminal Justice – An Introduction to Philosophies, Theories and Practice, (Oxon
:Routledge)
*J. Muncie and E. McLaughlin (1996 or 2001, 2nd edition), The Problem of Crime (London: Sage).
*E. McLaughlin and J. Muncie (1996 or 2001, 2nd edition), Controlling Crime (London: Sage).
Downes, D. and Rock, P. (2007) Understanding Deviance
E. McLaughlin and J. Muncie (eds.) (2001/2006), The Sage Dictionary of Criminology (London: Sage).
M. Cavadino and J. Dignan (2002, 3rd Edition), The Penal System: An Introduction (London: Sage).
S. Walklate (1998), Understanding Criminology (Buckingham: Open University Press).
G. Vold et al. (2002), Theoretical Criminology (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
B. Hudson (1996), Understanding Justice (Buckingham: Open University Press).
M. Davies, H. Croall & J. Tyrer, (3rd. ed. 2005) Criminal Justice: An Introduction to the Criminal
Justice System in England & Wales, (London: Pearson Longman)
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A word of warning: cheating and plagiarism
Students found copying from unacknowledged sources are guilty of a serious academic offence, and
could even be open to expulsion. So always acknowledge your sources through references and notes. If
you wish to quote from a source, always:
- use quotation marks
- indent any long quotes
- cite page numbers of quotes
- use a standard referencing system
References and bibliography
For consistency, use the Harvard system of referencing (author, date: page number). This is simple and
makes your text more readable, and it saves time because it allows you to list your sources once only, in
the bibliography. In the bibliography, references should be systematically listed alphabetically:
- the name of the author; then (in brackets) the date of publication of the article or book
- title (articles in inverted commas; books italicised or underlined)
- then for an article, the title of the journal italicised or underlined, and the volume number, or the title
of the symposium it is in, and the page numbers
- then, for a book, the place of publication, the name of the publisher.
- look at a recent journal article from those listed above to see how they reference their material.
Late submission – please note:
The university operates a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on late submission, and coursework that is late is
subject to a penalty. If you have a problem, you must talk to your class tutor. If there is a good reason for
late work – e.g. illness - then you must complete the First Year Extension Request Form available in the
Sociology department and then pass this to your class tutor for records.
REFER TO THE FIRST YEAR
DEPARTMENTAL HANDBOOK
(THE BLUE BOOK)
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WEEK-BY-WEEK SUGGESTED READINGS
Autumn Term
WEEK 2
Understanding Everyday Crime
1. Everybody is Doing it: Crime and Criminology
In this introductory session, we will consider how the study of criminology can challenge some of our
common sense understandings of the problem of crime and punishment.
Key issues
What is ‘crime’ and who is a ‘criminal’?
Is crime a ‘public issue’ or ‘private trouble’?
*Gabor, T. (1994) Everybody Does It! Crime By the Public (Toronto: University of Toronto Press)
(‘Introduction’ pages 3-22).
Felson, M. (1994), Crime and Everyday Life, (2nd Edition) (Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press)
(especially Chapter 1: ‘Fallacies about crime’, pages 1-22).
H. Croall (1998), Crime and Society in Britain (London: Longman) (especially Chapter 1).
J. Muncie and E. McLaughlin (eds.) (1996) or (2001 second edition), The Problem of Crime (London:
Sage) (especially Chapter 1).
Carrabine, E. et al. (2002), Crime in Modern Britain (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
WEEK 3
2. Researching Crime and Crimes of the Record
In this session we will look at the various ways in which criminological research is conducted and
interpreted.
Key issues:
How can criminologists investigate hidden crime and hidden groups of criminals? Is crime increasing in
modern societies?
How are official crime statistics constructed?
What do we mean by research ethics?
*R.King & E.Wincup (2000) eds., Doing Research on Crime and Justice, )New York: Oxford
University Press) (chapter 2).
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*Hale,Chris; Hayward,Keith; Wahidin, Azrin and Wincup, Emma (2005) Criminology, (Oxford
University Press) (chapter 3)
S.Holdaway & P.Rock (1998) eds., Thinking about Criminology, (London: UCL Press) (esp. chapter 5).
L.Koffman (1996), Crime Surveys and Victims of Crime, (Cardiff: University of Wales Press).
V.Jupp, P.Davies, P Francis (2000), Doing Criminological Research, (London: Sage).
C.Coleman & J Moynihan (1996), Understanding Crime Data: Haunted by the Dark Figure,
(Buckingham: Open University Press).
On Crime Statistics
* Carrabine, E., Iganski, P., Lee, M., Plummer, K. and South, N. (2004), Criminology – A Sociological
Introduction (London: Routledge).
Walker, M. (1995) (ed.), Interpreting Crime Statistics (Oxford: Clarendon Press).
Coleman, C. and Moynihan, J. (1996), Understanding Crime Data (Buckingham: Open University
Press)
Koffman, L. (1996), Crime Surveys and Victims of Crime (Cardiff: University of Wales Press).
Nicholas, S., Kershaw, C. and Walker, A. (2007), Crime in England and Wales 2006/7, 4th edition,
London: Home Office.
See also various British Crime Surveys on the Home Office website - http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk
Week 4
3. An Overview of Criminological Perspectives
This week we examine the various explanations for criminality. Why do some people commit crimes,
when others do not? What are the main criminological approaches to understanding the crime problem?
Key issues
What are the main theoretical approaches to the study of crime?
What are the relative strengths and weaknesses of these traditions?
*S. Walklate (1998), Understanding Criminology (Buckingham: Open University Press).
Carrabine, E., Iganski, P., Lee, M., Plummer, K. and South, N. (2004), Criminology – A Sociological
Introduction (London: Routledge).
G. Vold et al. (2002), Theoretical Criminology (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
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D. Downes and P. Rock (1995, 2nd ed.), Understanding deviance : a guide to the sociology of crime and
rule-breaking (Oxford: Clarendon Press) (especially chapter 1).
S. Box (1981, 2nd ed), Deviance, Reality and Society (London ; New York : Holt, Rinehart and
Winston) (especially Chapters 1 and 2).
E. Durkheim (1964), The Rules of Sociological Method (first published 1895). Extract ‘The Normal and
the Pathological’ reprinted in J. Muncie et al. (eds.) (1996), Criminological Perspectives - A Reader
(London: Sage).
C. Lombroso and W. Ferrero (originally published in 1895), reprinted as ‘The criminal type in women
and its atavistic origin’ in J. Muncie et al. (eds.) (1996), Criminological Perspectives - A Reader
(London: Sage).
WEEK 5
4. Crimes of the Wallet
Property crime is the most frequently reported crime around the world. However, the distinction
between what is unambiguously criminal and what is culturally tolerated behaviour is not always so
clear-cut. This session aims to challenge some of the popular assumptions about property crime and
property crime offenders and to broaden our understanding of the crime problem.
Key issues
What can be identified as property crimes?
What do we know about the scale and patterns of property crime around the world?
How is the risk of victimization socially distributed?
* Carrabine, E., Iganski, P., Lee, M., Plummer, K. and South, N. (2004), Criminology – A Sociological
Introduction (London: Routledge).
Croall, H. (1998), Crime and Society in Britain (London: Longman)
Gabor, T. (1994), Everybody Does It! Crime By the Public (Toronto: University of Toronto Press).
Mawby, R. (2001), Burglary (Cullompton: Willan).
Gill, D. and Chippindale, C. (2002), ‘The Trade in Looted Antiquities and the Return of Cultural
Property: A British Parliamentary Inquiry’, International Journal of Cultural Property, Vol.11, No. 1,
pp.50-64.
Budd, T. (1999), Burglary of Domestic Dwellings. Findings from the British Crime Survey, Home
Office Statistical Bulletin 4/99 (London: Home Office).
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/hosb499.pdf
Kinshott, G. (2001), Vehicle related Thefts: Practice Messages from the British Crime Survey, Home
Office, PRC Briefing Note 6/01 (London: Home Office).
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/prgpdfs/brf601.pdf
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WEEK 6
5. Crimes of the Street
Crimes of violence often provoke most public concerns and calls for tougher sanctions. However, some
forms of violence are less hidden and defined as more serious than others. This session looks at some of
the highly visible forms of violence and the differential impact on individuals and communities.
Key issues
What do we know about the scale and patterns of crime of violence in Britain?
Why is it useful to think about perpetrator communities in the case of racial violence?
What do we know about violence committed by the state?
*H. Croall (1998), Crime and Society in Britain (London: Longman).
*Hale,Chris; Hayward,Keith; Wahidin, Azrin and Wincup, Emma (2005) Criminology, (Oxford
University Press).
Newburn, T. (2007) Criminology (Cullompton: Willan).
Carrabine, E. et al. (2002), Crime in Modern Britain (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Jones, S. (2000), Understanding Violent Crime (Buckingham: Open University Press).
Stanko, E. (2000), ‘Rethinking Violence, Rethinking Social Policy’, in G. Lewis, S. Gewirtz and J.
Clarke (eds.) Rethinking Social Policy (London: Open University Press/Sage).
Hallsworth, S. (2005), Street Crime (Cullompton: Willan).
Budd, T. and Sims, L. (2001), Antisocial Behaviour and Disorder: findings from the 2000 British Crime
Survey, Findings 145, Research Development and Statistics Directorate (London: Home Office).
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/r145.pdf
Mattinson, J. (2001), Stranger and Acquaintance Violence: Practice Messages from the British Crime
Survey, PRC Briefing Note 7/01 (London: Home Office).
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/prgpdfs/brf701.pdf
WEEK 7
6. Crimes of the Home
Violence that takes place in the family setting and crimes that are directed against children or the elderly
tend to be under-reported or else not seen as ‘real’ crimes by criminal justice agencies. This session
challenges some of the common sense assumptions about the family as a safe haven and looks at some
of the more recent approaches to understanding victims’ experiences of violence.
Key issues
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Do women and men experience violence differently and, if so, how?
What does a ‘continuum of sexual violence’ mean?
What are the limitations of current criminal justice responses to the problem of domestic violence?
*Kelly, L. (1987), ‘The Continuum of Sexual Violence’, in Hanmer, J. and Maynard, M. (eds), Women,
Violence and Social Control (Basingstoke: Macmillan) (especially pages 46-60).
E. Saraga (2001, 2nd edition), ‘Dangerous places: the family as a site of crime’ in J. Muncie and E.
McLaughlin (eds.), The Problem of Crime (London; Sage).
Stanko, E.A. (1990), Everyday Violence: How Women and Men Experience Sexual and Physical
Danger (London: Pandora).
Kelly, L. (1988), Surviving Sexual Violence (Cambridge: Polity Press).
Turton, J. (2008), Child abuse, gender and society, New York: Routledge.
Kelly, L., Lovett, J., Regan, L. (2005), A gap or a chasm? Attrition in reported rape cases, Home Office
Research Study 293, London: Home Office.
Gill, A. (2006), ‘Patriarchal Violence in the Name of “Honour”, International Journal of Criminal
Justice Sciences, Volume 1, Issue 1, 1-12.
Hearn, J. (1998), The Violences of Men: How Men Talk About and How Agencies Respond to Men’s
Violence to Women (London: Sage) (especially Chapter 2: ‘Definitions and Explanations of Men’s
Violence’, pages 14-39).
Mirrlees-Black, C. (1999), Domestic Violence: Findings From a new British Crime Survey SelfCompletion Questionnaire, Home Office Research Study 191 (London: Home Office).
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/hors191.pdf
WEEK 8
7. Crime Victims and Victimization
Victims of crime have been neglected by criminologists in the study of crime in the past – but not
anymore. This session looks at the recent proliferation of research studies on victims and victimization
and key debates of victim participation in the criminal justice process.
Key issues
What kinds of offences and their victims have been subject to most political and public attention, and
which overlooked?
How does the hierarchy of victimization relate to power differentials in society?
What is the role of victims in the criminal justice process?
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* Carrabine, E., Iganski, P., Lee, M., Plummer, K. and South, N. (2004), Criminology – A Sociological
Introduction (London: Routledge).
*Hale,Chris; Hayward,Keith; Wahidin, Azrin and Wincup, Emma (2005) Criminology, (Oxford
University Press).
K. Williams (2001, 4th edition), Textbook on Criminology (London: Blackstone).
Newburn, T. (2007) Criminology (Cullompton: Willan).
H. Croall (1998), Crime and Society in Britain (London: Longman).
E. Saraga (2001, 2nd edition), ‘Dangerous places: the family as a site of crime’ in J. Muncie and E.
McLaughlin (eds.), The Problem of Crime (London; Sage).
P. Davies, P. Francis and V. Jupp (eds.) (1996), Understanding Victimization: Themes and Perspectives.
R. Elias (1986), The Politics of Victimization: Victims, Victimology, and Human Rights (New York:
Oxford University Press).
Kershaw, C. et al. (2000), The 2000 British Crime Survey, Home Office Statistical Bulletin 18/00
(London: Home Office). http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/hosb1800.pdf
Dignan J. (2005) Understanding Victims and Restorative Justice, (Open University Press).
WEEK 9
8. Crimes of the Powerful
Contrary to popular assumptions, many perpetrators of crime and organizations that cause serious harm
and injury do not fit the profile of a ‘typical’ offender. This session looks at some of the high profile
examples of ‘crimes of the powerful’, which in turn raise interesting questions about ‘what is crime?’
and ‘who is a criminal?’.
Key issues
What is state crime, and how is it different from other conventional crimes?
What is the usefulness of the concept of ‘crimes of the powerful’?
What are the limits and possibilities of policing corporate crime?
* Carrabine, E., Iganski, P., Lee, M., Plummer, K. and South, N. (2004), Criminology – A Sociological
Introduction (London: Routledge).
*Hale, Hayward, Wahidin and Wincup (2005) Criminology, (Oxford University Press) (chapter 13)
Carrabine, E. et al. (2002), Crime in Modern Britain (Oxford: Oxford University Press) (especially
Chapter 4).
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Newburn, T. (2007) Criminology (Cullompton: Willan).
Green, P. and Ward, T. (2004), State Crime: Governments, violence and corruption, London: Pluto.
Box, S. (1983), Power, Crime and Mystification (London: Tavistock).
Croall, H. (1998), Crime and Society in Britain (London: Longman) (especially Chapters 15 and 16).
J. Muncie and E. McLaughlin (eds.), The Problem of Crime (London: Sage) (especially Chapter 6).
Pearce, F. and Snider, L (1995) Corporate Crime: Contemporary Debates (Toronto: University of
Toronto Press).
Punch, M. (1996), Dirty Business: Exploring Corporate Misconduct (London: Sage).
Slapper, G. and Tombs, S. (1999), Corporate Crime (London: Longman).
WEEK 10
9. Drugs and Crime
Key issues
To what extent is the drugs problem socially constructed?
What is the link between drugs and crime?
* Carrabine, E., Iganski, P., Lee, M., Plummer, K. and South, N. (2004), Criminology – A Sociological
Introduction (London: Routledge).
Hammersley, R. (2008), Drugs and Crime (Polity Press).
Newburn, T. (2007) Criminology (Cullompton: Willan).
Dingwall, G. (2005), Alcohol and Crime (Cullompton, Willan).
South, N. (1999) ‘Debating drugs and everyday life: normalisation, prohibition and
‘‘otherness’’ ’, in N. South (ed.) Drugs: Cultures, Controls and Everyday Life. London:
Sage.
South, N. (2007 ‘Drugs, alcohol and crime’, in M. Maguire et al. (eds) The Oxford
Handbook of Criminology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Simpson, R. et al. (2007) (eds), Drugs in Britain (Basingstoke: Palgrave).
WEEK 11
10. Rethinking Everyday Crime
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This session concludes the first term by providing a review of the different dimensions of the crime
problem, different traditions in understanding crime and criminality, and the future directions in the
criminological project.
* Carrabine, E., Iganski, P., Lee, M., Plummer, K. and South, N. (2004), Criminology – A Sociological
Introduction (London: Routledge).
Spring Term
WEEK 16
Key concepts in criminology
11. Introduction: Moral boundaries, anomie and strain
This session introduces the second part of the module in which key criminological concepts are explored
and assessed. Following the introduction, this first session will discuss the continuing influence of
functionalism on criminological thinking in terms of theories about both the commission and
punishment of crimes.
Textbook readings:
Downes, D. and Rock, P. (2007) Understanding Deviance – chapter 4.
Newburn, T. (2007) Criminology – chapter 8.
Classic readings:
Clinard, M. (1964) (ed.) Anomie and Deviant Behavior
Davis, K. (1937) ‘The Sociology of Prostitution’, American Sociological Review, 2(5): 744-755.
Durkheim, E. (1964 [1895]) The Rules of Sociological Method (chapter 3 ‘The Normal and the
Pathological’)
Erikson (1966) Wayward Puritans
*Merton, R. (1938) ‘Social Structure and Anomie’, American Sociological Review 3(5): 672-682.
Merton, R. (1957) Social Theory and Social Structure
Scott, R. (1972) ‘A Proposed Framework for Analysing Deviance as a Property of Social Order’, in R.
Scott and J. Douglas (eds) Theoretical Perspectives on Deviance
Contemporary studies:
Garland, D. (1990) Punishment and Modern Society (Chapters 2 & 3)
Nightingale, C. (1993) On the Edge
Young, J. (1999) ‘Cannibalism and Bulimia’ in J. Young The Exclusive Society
Young, J. (2003) ‘Merton with Energy, Katz with Structure: The Sociology of Vindictiveness and the
Criminology of Transgression’, Theoretical Criminology 7(3): 389-414.
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WEEK 17
12. Youth, culture and subculture
This session traces the development of youth as a criminological concern and critically discusses how
the concepts culture and subculture have impacted criminological thinking about the activities of young
people.
Textbook readings:
Brown, S. (1998) Understanding Youth and Crime (Chapters 1 & 2 in particular)
Downes, D. and Rock, P. (2007) Understanding Deviance - Ch. 6
Ferrell, J. (2005) ‘Crime and Culture’ in Hale, C. et al. (2005) Criminology
Newburn, T. (2007) Criminology – chapter 9
Classic Readings:
Cloward, R. and Ohlin, L. (1960) Delinquency and Opportunity
Downes, D. (1966) The Delinquent Solution
Hall, S. and Jefferson, T. (1975) (eds.) Resistance Through Rituals
Matza, D, (1964) Delinquency and Drift
Parker, H. (1974) A View from the Boys
Willis, P. (1977) Learning to Labour (Chapter 2: ‘Elements of a Culture’)
Willis, P. (1978) Profane Culture
See also: Gelder, K. and Thornton, S. (1997) (eds) The Subcultures Reader - reprints of a number of
classic articles – see particularly: A. Cohen; Irwin; P. Cohen; Clarke et al.; McRobbie and Garber;
Willis; Hebdige; and S. Cohen)
Contemporary readings:
Collinson, M. (1996) ‘In Search of the High Life: Drugs, Crime, Masculinities and Consumption’
British Journal of Criminology (1996)
Ferrell, J. (1996) Crimes of Style: Urban Graffiti and the Politics of Criminal Cultures
Katz, J. (1988) Seductions in Crime
Malbon, B. (1999) Clubbing: Dancing, Ecstasy and Vitality
Redhead, S. et al. (1998) (eds) Clubcultures Reader: Readings in Popular Cultural Studies (chapters 6,
9, 12 and 13)
*Wilson, A. (2007) Northern Soul: Music, Drugs and Subcultural Identity
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WEEK 18
13. Professor Ken Plummer: Labelling theory and social construction
In this lecture Professor Ken Plummer will outline the origins of the theory, the questions it poses, its
popularity for several decades in the late twentieth century, and its wider implications for what is now
often called social constructionism. A number of wider issues will also be raised – issues that cannot be
resolved easily and which permeate all research, theory and policies around crime and deviance: like the
problem of stereotyping, stigma, shame, boundary classifications, the self and recidivism.
Textbook readings:
Carrabine, E. et al. (2003) Criminology - Ch 5
Downes, D. and Rock, P. (2007) Understanding Deviance - Ch 7
Newburn, T. (2007) Criminology - Ch 10
Roger Hopkins Burke (2005) An Introduction to Criminological Theory - Chapter 8
Classical readings:
Becker, H (1963) Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance
Downes, D. and Rock, P. (1979) (eds) Deviant Interpretations (see in particular Ken Plummer:
‘Misunderstanding Labelling Perspectives’ pp. 85-121)
*Goffman, E. (1963) Stigma
Goffman, E. (1968) Asylums
Lemert, E. (1951) Social Pathology
Matza, D. (1969) Becoming Deviant
Rubington, E. and Weinberg, M. (2001 – 7th edition) (eds) Deviance: The Interactionist Perspective
Schur, E (1965) Crimes without victims
Contemporary studies:
Anderson, E. (1999) Code of the Street
Laub, J. et al. (2003) Shared Beginnings, Divergent Lives: Delinquent Boys to Age 70
Loseke, D. (2003) Thinking about social problems (2nd edition)
Plummer, K. (2007) ‘The flow of boundaries: gays, queers and intimate citizenship’ in D. Downes et al.
Crime, Social Control and Human Rights. pp. 379-93: (But look at many of the essays in this volume)
Snodgrass, J. (1984) The Jack Roller at 70
You may also like to look at Howard S Becker’s web site at: http://home.earthlink.net/~hsbecker/, but
watch out for other internet essays on labelling theory, which generally are very poor!
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WEEK 19
14. Labelling theory 2: Moral panics and deviancy amplification
This session focuses on an enduring perspective within labelling theory examining how particular social
reactions to perceptions of crime and deviance (moral panics) can both construct social problems (folk
devils) and exacerbate them (amplification), which frequently leads to the introduction of austere
legislation and social controls.
Please note: as none of the recommended general criminology textbooks adequately cover this or
next week’s session, at the start of the Spring term, two relevant chapters (see ** below) will be
left in the Sociology Student Resource Centre (Room 5A. 307) for you to photocopy. Please
return these to the room when you have photocopied them. Copies are also available from the
library.
Textbook readings:
Goode, E and Ben Yehuda, N. (1994) Moral Panics: The Social Construction of Deviance
Thompson, K. (1998) Moral Panics
Classic Readings:
**Cohen, S. (2002 [1972]) Folk Devils and Moral Panics: The Creation of the Mods and Rockers (see
the new introduction to the third edition ‘Moral Panics as Cultural Politics’ in particular)
Hall, S, Chritcher, C., Jefferson, T., Clarke, J., and Robert, B. (1978) Policing the Crisis
Pearson, G. (1983) Hooligan: A History of Respectable Fears
Young, J. (1971) ‘The Role of the Police as Amplifiers of Deviancy’, in S. Cohen (ed) Images of
Deviance
Contemporary studies:
Garland, D. (2008) ‘On the Concept of Moral Panic’, Crime, Media, Culture 4(1): 9-30.
Hacking, I. (2000) The Social Construction of What?
McRobbie, A. and Thornton, S. (1995) ‘Re-thinking Moral Panics for Multi-Mediated Social Worlds’,
British Journal of Sociology 46(4): 559-574.
Rothe, D. and Muzzatti, S. (2004) ‘Enemies from Everywhere: Terrorism, Moral Panic, and US Civil
Society’, Critical Criminology 12: 327-350
Welch, M. (2007) ‘Moral Panic, Denial and Human Rights’, in D. Downes et al (eds) Crime, Social
Control and Human Rights (other chapters also)
Listen online to the 2007 British Academy lectures: ‘Moral Panics: Than and Now’ by Stan Cohen,
David Garland and Stuart Hall at http://britac.studyserve.com/home/default.asp
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WEEK 20
15. Social control and governance
In this session we look at different types and forms of social control and critically evaluate the
effectiveness of social control as a criminological concept (which is a different concept and idea to
‘control theory’). We also examine ‘governance’ as a form of social control, discuss what this means
and consider why it has become a salient concept in contemporary criminological theory.
Textbook readings:
Chriss, J. (2007) Social Control: An Introduction
Hudson, B. (1997) ‘Social Control’ in Maguire, M. et al The Oxford Handbook of Criminology (second
edition)
**Innes, M. (2003) Understanding Social Control (particularly chapters 1-3)
General readings:
Cohen, S. and Scull, A. (1983) (eds.) Social Control and the State (particularly the introduction)
Foucault, M. ([1975] 1991) Discipline and Punish: The birth of the Prison (‘Panopticism’ pp. 195-228)
*Horwitz, A. (1990) (ed.) The Logic of Social Control (chapter 1 ‘Introduction’, and chapter 13)
Janowitz, M. (1975) ‘Sociological Theory and Social Control’, American Journal of Sociology 81(1):
82-108.
Rose, N. (2000) ‘Government and control’, in D. Garland and C. Sparks (eds) Criminology and Social
Theory
Further reading:
Black, D. (1998) The Social Structure of Right and Wrong
Cohen, S. (1979) ‘The Punitive City: Notes on the Dispersal of Social Control’ Contemporary Crises,
3(4): 339-363.
Cohen, S. (1995) Visions of Social Control
Foucault, M. ([1975] 1991) Discipline and Punish: The birth of the Prison
Foucault, M. (1978+) The History of Sexuality (three short volumes but see vol. 1 specifically)
Garland, D. (2001) The Culture of Control
Lyon, D. (2001) Surveillance Society
Rose, N. (1999) Governing the Soul
Szasz, T. (1996) Cruel Compassion: Psychiatric Control of Society's Unwanted
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WEEK 21
Reading week
There is no lecture or class this week which gives students the opportunity to read - it is not a week off!!
If you have not done so already, this is a good time to familiarise yourself with the short-loan collection
in the library, the reference section (dictionaries and encyclopedias), the main sociology and
criminology sections, and the electronic journal system on the library website.
WEEK 22
16. Punishment and the prison
Punishment can take numerous forms but for all Western societies it is based on and/or upheld by the
existence of a particular form of modern prison system. This session examines society’s organised
methods of punishment and considers why prisons are a dominant and expanding form.
Textbook readings:
Carrabine, E. et al. (2004) Criminology – chapters 13 and 16
Newburn, T. (2007) Criminology – chapters 22 and 28
Morgan, R. and Liebling, A. (2007) ‘Imprisonment: An Expanding Scene’ in M. Maguire et al. (eds)
The Oxford Handbook of Criminology (Fourth Edition).
General reading:
*Cavadino, M. and Dignan, J. (2002) The Penal System: an Introduction
Hudson, B. (2003) Understanding Justice
Matthews, R. (1999) Doing Time: An Introduction to the Sociology of Imprisonment
Jewkes, Y. (2007) (ed.) Handbook on Prisons
Further reading:
Cohen, S. and Taylor, I. (1972) Psychological Survival: The Experience of Long-Term Imprisonment
Cohen, S. (1995) Visions of Social Control (Ch. 1: ‘The Master Patterns’)
Downes, D. (2001) ‘The Macho Penal Economy: Mass Incarceration in the United States – A European
Perspective’, Punishment and Society 3(1): 61-80.
Foucault, M. ([1975] 1991) Discipline and Punish: The birth of the Prison
Goffman, E. (1961) Asylums: Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates
Garland, D. (1991) Punishment and Modern Society: A Study in Social Theory
Garland, D. and Young, P. (1983) (eds) The Power to Punish
Garland, D. (2001) (ed.) Mass Imprisonment: Social Causes and Consequences
Sykes, G. (1958) The Society of Captives: A Study of a Maximum Security Prison
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WEEK 23
17. Policing and the police
The police are the most visible agents of state-based social control. In this lecture we examine what the
police do, how they do it and what this means for society. We will also look at the changing role of the
police in contemporary Britain.
Textbook readings:
Carrabine et al. (2004) Criminology – chapter 15
Newburn, T. (2007) Criminology – chapter 25
Newburn, T. and Reiner, R. (2007) ‘Policing and the Police’, in M. Maguire et al. (eds) The Oxford
Handbook of Criminology (Fourth Edition).
Jones, T. (2005) ‘Policing’, in C. Hale et al. Criminology
Classic readings:
Bittner, E. (1970) The Functions of Police in Modern Society
Banton, M. (1964) The Policeman in the Community
Black, D. (1980) The Manners and Customs of the Police
Manning, P. (1977) Police Work
Sanders, W. (1977) Detective Work: A Study of Criminal Investigation
Skolnik, J. (1966) Justice Without Trial: Law Enforcement in a Democratic Society
See also: T. Newburn (2005) (ed) Policing Key Readings (Part B ‘The Role and Function of the Police’
especially chapters by Banton, Manning, and Skolnik)
Contemporary studies:
Jones, T. and Newburn, T. (2002) ‘The Transformation of Policing? Understanding Current Trends in
Policing Systems’, British Journal of Criminology 42(1): 129-146.
McLaughlin, E. (2006) The New Policing
McLaughlin, E. (1996) ‘Police, Policing and Policework’, in E. McLaughlin & J. Muncie (eds)
Controlling Crime
Newburn, T. (2008) (ed) The Handbook of Policing (various chapters, in particular Newburn’s
introduction and conclusion)
Rawlings, P. (2002) Policing: A Short History
*Reiner, R. (2000) The Politics of the Police
Waddington, P.A.J. (1999) ‘Police (Canteen) Subculture: An Appreciation’ British Journal of
Criminology 39(2): 286-308.
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WEEK 24
18. Bias in justice
This session describes the actions of the police, Crown Prosecution Service and the courts in bringing
offenders to justice. It focuses upon the phenomenological and institutional processes involved and how
they produce biases and discrimination throughout the criminal justice process.
Textbook readings:
Carrabine, E. et al. (2004) Criminology – chapter 14
Downes, D. and Rock, P. (2007) Understanding Deviance – chapter 8
Newburn, T. (2007) Criminology – chapters 26 & 27
Saunders, A. and Young, R. (2007) ‘From Suspect to Trial’ in M. Maguire et al. (eds) The Oxford
Handbook of Criminology (forth edition)
Classic readings:
Baldwin, J. and McConville, M. (1977) Negotiated Justice
Black, D. (1980) The Behaviour of Law
Cicourel, A. (1964) The Social Organization of Juvenile Justice
McBarnet, D. (1983) Conviction: Law, the State and the Construction of Justice
Contemporary studies:
Borg, M. and Parker, K. (2001) ‘Mobilizing Law in Urban Areas: The Social Structure of Homicide
Clearance Rates’ Law and Society Review, 35: (2): 435-466.
Chambliss, W. (1994) ‘Policing the Ghetto Underclass: The Politics of Law and Law Enforcement’,
Social Problems 41(2): 177-194.
Cooney, M. (1994) ‘Evidence as Partisanship’ Law and Society Review 28(4): 833-858.
Ericson, R. (1981) Making Crime: A Study of Detective Work
Gelsthorpe,L. (2001), ‘Critical Decisions and Processes in the Criminal Courts’, in E. McLaughlin and
J. Muncie (eds) Controlling Crime (second edition).
Kalunta-Crumpton, A. (1999) Race and Drug Trials: The Social Construction of Guilt and Innocence
*McConville, M. Leng, R. and Saunders, A. (1991) The Case for the Prosecution
Waegel, W. (1981) ‘Case Routinization in Investigative Police Work’ Social Problems 28(3).
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WEEK 25
19. Criminal justice alternatives: reparation, restoration and reintegration
This session discusses possible alternatives to existing dominant Western criminal justice and the prison
systems. We look at various programmes that aim to restore and repair wrong-doing rather than
punishing it, examining their potential benefits, problems and practicalities.
Textbook readings:
Newburn, T. (2007) Criminology – chapter 30
Worrall, A. (2005) ‘Punishment in the Community’, in C. Hale et al. Criminology
General readings:
*Braithwaite, J. (1989) Crime, Shame and Reintegration
Dignan, J. (2005) Understanding Victims and Restorative Justice
Johnstone, G. (2002) Restorative Justice: Ideas, Values, Debates
McLaughlin, E. (2003) (ed.) Restorative Justice: Critical Issues (introduction and part 1 in particular)
Raynor, P. and Vanstone, M. (2002) Understanding Community Penalties (chapter 7).
Further readings:
Carlen, P. (1990) Alternatives to women’s imprisonment
Christie, N. (1981) Limits to Pain
Johnstone, and Van Ness, D. (2006) (eds) Handbook of Restorative Justice
Mathieson, T. (1990) Prison on Trial
Roche, D. (2004) (ed.) Restorative Justice (various, but specifically see chapters by Braithwaite,
Ashworth, Zedner and Asmal.)
Strang, H. (2002) Repair or Revenge: Victims and Restorative Justice
Summer Term
WEEK 31
Revision lecture
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