Criminology : Assessment Criteria
Coursework: Is 100% of the grading for this course. All students are to submit one document of a minimum 1500 and maximum 2000 words.
Question: Identify and discuss an individual, a collective movement, a demographic or a phenomenon that is –or has been-the cause of societal opprobrium. This could be contemporary or historical. The case study need not be limited to the UK context (20%).
This offers great freedom to explore and research. The case study could be very general or esoteric. So, for instance one might choose the Manson murders or Bonny& Clyde; alternatively your choice might be domestic violence in Bulgaria or the marketing of rare animals across continents . The choice might be accusations (and responses) towards Witchcraft or the more contemporary phenomenon of County Lines. Choice might be informed by strictly legal criteria of wrong-doing or based on those whose words, fashions and actions set them apart in some way from the norms of the time.
Discuss in what ways that you have identifies above fits notions of ‘deviant’ (20%)
Students will have understood how criminology explores the behaviour that breaks laws but understand also that other behaviours defined as deviant and transgressive also attract our interest. How the word and concept of ‘deviant’ is constructed and applied is sometimes straightforward but at other times reflects issue of power, process and procedure. These should be considered and explained using academic sources.
Provide justifications as to why academic research should be funded to inquire into such behaviour (20%)
We study the social reality of crime and deviance and seek to provide explanations for the existence of such behaviours. The necessity of academic research at times requires justification. So, what might be the ideal way of addressing the issue (above) that you have identified as causing consternation? What might be the pay-back to the funding of such research?
