ASOK15404U Criminology NB! This course is closed for further registration
MA Theory and Themes (MSc Curriculum 2015)
Course package (MSc Curriculum 2015): Welfare, inequality and
mobility, Knowledge, organisation and politics, Culture, lifestyle
and everyday life
MA thematic course (MSc Curriculum 2005)
Specialiseringslinje: Kultursociologi
BA-Undergraduates from foreign countries can sign up for this
course.
This course is an introduction to criminology, i.e., the measurement, prediction, explanation and prevention of crime. The course begins with an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the four primary measures of crime (police data, victim surveys, self-report surveys, emergency room statistics) and then examines the volume of crime cross-nationally and over time within these measurement contexts. Criminal events (crimes) are distinguished from criminal propensity (criminality) and the distributions of both are discussed in terms of their primary correlates (e.g., age, gender, social class, prior history) and manifestations in criminal careers. Theories concerning the causes of crime and criminality are examined from their 18th century Classical roots (e.g., Bentham, Beccaria) through 20th century sociological positivism (e.g., Merton, Sutherland, Hirschi), as well as within biological and Neo-Classical perspectives. The history of punishment is outlined and its stated philosophical aims (deterrence, incapacitation, rehabilitation, retribution) are considered in terms of logic and effectiveness. The Danish prison system is described in an international context and argued to be just as effective, yet far more humane, than many of its non-Scandinavian counterparts. A class tour of a Danish prison brings these discussions to life by highlighting the qualitatively different nature of “Scandinavian exceptionalism” as seen from an international perspective. The relationship between drugs, alcohol and crime is discussed, and anti-drug policies are considered in light of both abolitionist and harm reduction philosophies. The “criminal careers of places” are compared to those of persons both epidemiologically and in terms of amenability to treatment. Possibilities for crime prevention are discussed from a standpoint of reducing offender motivation, reducing the pool of motivated offenders, and/or reducing the physical opportunities for crime (e.g., Situational Crime Prevention; CPTED). The lectures consistently compare Scandinavian aspects of crime and crime policy to conditions and practices in the USA and other countries. This is done partly because of the diversity of student backgrounds and partly because of the unique nature of the Scandinavian criminological context, which is characterized by high social cohesion, low socio-economic disparity and very low rates of imprisonment.
By the end of the course, students will have
KNOWLEDGE of
- the measurement and causes of crime and
- the aims and effectiveness of punishment
SKILLS to
- critically evaluate the primary methods used to measure crime volume
- to explain the historical evolution of criminology as a science
- to apply the most recent theories regarding the causes of crime
- to distinguish the underlying aims of punishment
- to express an evidence-based opinion on the effectiveness of punishment
- and to articulate the scientific and philosophical obstacles to effective crime prevention.
COMPETENCE to
- think critically about crime and its causes and
- to evaluate the logic and effectiveness of criminal justice responses.
ECTS 7,5 students are responsible for circa 650 pages of reading.
ECTS 10 students are responsible for circa 800 pages of reading.
Readings are comprised of peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and occassional newspaper clippings.
WORKLOAD
The number of lecture hours are the same for both 7,5 and 10 ECTS courses.
10 ECTS:
Lectures: 28
Course preparation: 120
Project work: 20
Exam Preparation: 107
Total: 275
- Category
- Hours
- Course Preparation
- 90
- Exam Preparation
- 68
- Lectures
- 28
- Project work
- 20
- Total
- 206
Registration deadline for courses is June 1 for Autumn semester and December 1 for Spring semester.
Registration deadline for Summer school is June 1.
When registered you will be signed up for exam.
Exchange students must sign up by filling in an application form
which you find
here:
course registration
Meritstuderende:
klik her
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Written assignmentIndividual/group. Free written take-home essays are assignments for which students define and formulate a problem within the parameters of the course and based on an individual exam syllabus. The free written take-home essay must be no longer than 10 pages. For group assignments, an extra 5 pages is added per additional student. Further details for this exam form can be found in the Curriculum and in the General Guide to Examinations at KUnet.
- Exam registration requirements
Sociology students must be enrolled under MSc Curriculum 2015 to take this exam.
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Internal examiners.
- Exam period
Submission dates and time will be available at KUnet, www.kunet.dk. Exchange students and danish full degree guest students please see the homepage of Sociology; http://www.soc.ku.dk/english/education/exams/ and http://www.soc.ku.dk/uddannelser/meritstuderende/eksamen/
Criteria for exam assesment
See learning outcome
- Credit
- 10 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Written assignmentIndividual/group. Free written take-home essays are assignments for which students define and formulate a problem within the parameters of the course and based on an individual exam syllabus. The free written take-home essay must be no longer than 10 pages. For group assignments, an extra 5 pages is added per additional student. Further details for this exam form can be found in the Curriculum and in the General Guide to Examinations at KUnet.
- Exam registration requirements
Sociology students must be enrolled under MSc Curriculum 2005 to take this exam.
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Internal examiners.
- Exam period
Submission dates and time will be available at KUnet, www.kunet.dk. Exchange students and danish full degree guest students please see the homepage of Sociology; http://www.soc.ku.dk/english/education/exams/ and http://www.soc.ku.dk/uddannelser/meritstuderende/eksamen/
Criteria for exam assesment
See learning outcome
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- ASOK15404U
- Credit
- See exam description
- Level
- Full Degree MasterFull Degree Master choice
- Duration
- 1 semester
- Placement
- Autumn
- Schedule
- See time table
- Study board
- Department of Sociology, Study Council
Contracting department
- Department of Sociology
Course responsibles
- David W.M. Sorensen (30-6a677c6f6a347d75756a78757d3473677a7a797574347975786b74796b7446707b7834717b346a71)
Lecturers
Dave Sorensen