Introduction to Criminology
Code: 100434 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2500257 Criminology | FB | 1 | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Jose Cid Moline
- Email:
- josep.cid@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject. Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2023.
Teachers
- Helena Mulero Alcaraz
- Judit Xufre Calafell
- Ferran Restrepo Arrufat
Prerequisites
A minimum B1 English level is highly advised to follow the course.
Objectives and Contextualisation
The aim of this subject consist of approaching the student to the criminological perspective of social problems, understanding the configuration or criminology as an autonomous discipline and reflecting on its main dimensions as a science and as a practice.
Competences
- Ability to analyse and summarise.
- Accessing and interpreting sources of crime data.
- Drawing up an academic text.
- Reflecting on the foundations of criminology (theoretical, empirical and ethical-political ones) and expressing this in analysis and propositions.
- Using research methods in social sciences in order to diagnose criminality problems.
- Verbally transmitting ideas to an audience.
- Working autonomously.
- Working in teams and networking.
Learning Outcomes
- Ability to analyse and summarise.
- Applying the scientific research methods in order to analyse criminality figures.
- Carrying out analysis and propositions about criminological problems using the scientific method of the criminological science.
- Drawing up an academic text.
- Finding and using the databases of criminological content.
- Verbally transmitting ideas to an audience.
- Working autonomously.
- Working in teams and networking.
Content
I. DEFINITION OF CRIMINOLOGY
1. What is criminology?
2. Object of criminology: crime, crime control methods, and victims.
3. Similarities and differences between criminology and other disciplines (Psychology, Sociology, Education, Law). Criminology, criminal investigation and crime science.
II CRIMINOLOGY AS A SCIENCE
4. Theories of crime and its historical formation
5. The process of scientific research. The problem of causality.
6. Research methods.
III. CRIMINOLOGY AS A PRACTICE
7. Crime prevention strategies
8. Actors and methods of crime prevention
9. Relation between theory and practice
IV. LAW AND CRIMINOLOGY
10. The focus of criminology in the process of criminalization
11. The law as a framework for criminological intervention
V. VALUES IN CRIMINOLOGY
12. Values in research and in practice
Methodology
Methodologies
The process of learning will be achieved through the following activities:
(i) Lectures. The professor will stimulate participation of students. Exercices will be done at the end of lectures to test the assimilation of the concepts.
(ii) Seminars for discussing papers. The student should have read the paper and write an essay answering the questions proposed by the professor. The maximum length is 800 words. During the seminar the paper will be discussed in small groups.
(iii) Seminars for the Group Research Project. The Group Research Project Students will be devoted to deepen into an specific crime problem. Students will have the possibility to chose among different subjects. During the seminar students will present their progress in the group work and will receive the feedback of the professors.
(iv) Tutorials. The student is expected to ask for individual and group tutorials to the professors of the course to solve problems.
(v) Exam preparation.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Lectures | 18 | 0.72 | 2, 3, 1, 6, 5 |
| Seminars | 18 | 0.72 | 4, 6, 8 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Group research project | 31 | 1.24 | |
| Individual assignments | 78 | 3.12 | 2, 3, 4, 1, 7 |
Assessment
1. Model of assessment
Continuous assessment. The student will be able to know the achievement and he/she will receive indications to improve.
Items of evaluation: Individual Essays (25%), Group Research Project (25%); Exam (25%) Attendance and Participation (25%). Attendance is 12.5 of the grade and partiicpation the other 12.5%. There are 6 levels of participation: A (Excelent); B (Very Good); C (Good); D (Pass); E (Need to improve); F (Improvement very needed)
2. Requirements for being assessed
Minimum attendance of 80% to lectures and seminars, presentation of the 5 essays, do the group research work and do the exam.
3. Requirements for passing the subject and resit
Minimum mark of 5 in the four items of assessment. In case of failure of the individual essays, group work and exam, a second chance will be given. In case of resit de maximum mark is 5.
4. Excellent achievement
The student with an average of 8/10 in the course and 8/10 in the exam will be granted 1 point extra. After counting this extra point, the honours will be granted to the students with the best final marks, equal or higher than 9.
5. Essays out of time
Essays not presented at due time, will not be accepted and the student will get a 0 in the essay. Only excuses due to illness or similar serious reasons will be considered.
6. Excuses
Failure to comply with duties due to illness or other serious reasons will be considered, providedthere is a valid certification.
7. Consequences of fraud
An student that cheat or attempt to cheat in the exam will get a 0,losing the right to a second chance. Plagiarism will conduct to a fail of the essay and, in case of recidivism the student will receive a fail mark, losing the right of being reassessed.
8. Punctuality
Classes start on time. Late arrival or leaving the calls befere the end is not admitted, provided there is not reasonable justification.
Single assessment system
It will consist of three exams:
1rst) 4 questions on the book of S. Redondo and V. Garrido (2023). Principios de Criminología (5th ed). Tirant lo Blanch. Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 23.
2nd) 2 questions on the mandatory reading of the course
3rd) Exercise on crime problem in which students should answer to some questions regarding on how they will carry out research on this topic.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance and participation | 25% | 0 | 0 | 2, 3, 1, 6 |
| Essays | 25% | 0 | 0 | 2, 3, 4, 1, 7 |
| Exam | 25% | 5 | 0.2 | 2, 3, 1, 7, 5 |
| Group research work | 25% | 0 | 0 | 2, 3, 4, 1, 6, 8 |
Bibliography
1. TEXTBOOK
Students need to consult at least one of the following handbooks. These handbooks are also useful for several subjects of the degree.
Garrido, V. & Redondo, S. (2023). Principios de Criminología (5th ed.). Tirant lo Blanch.
Newburn, T. (2017). Criminology (3rd ed.). Routledge.
2. COMPULSORY READINGS
Part 1 Definition of criminogy
Newburn, T. (2017). Understanding crime and criminology . Criminology (Chapter 1). Routledge.
Part 2. Criminology and science
Bernard, T., Snipes, J. & Gerould, A. (2010). Theory and crime. Vold's Theoretical Criminology (pp. 1-13). Oxford University Press.
Part 3 Criminology and practice
Wilson. J. Q. & Kelling G. (1982). Broken windows: the police and neighbourhood safety. Atlantic Monthly, March, 29-38.
Part 4. Criminology and law
Sutherland, E. (1949). The problem of white collar crime (pp. 3-10). White Collar Crime. Yale University Press.
Part 5. Criminology and values
Newburn, T. (2017). Race, crime and justice . Criminology (Chapter 32). Routledge.
3. OTHER REFERENCE HANDBOOKS
Medina, J. (2011). Políticas y estrategias de prevencion del delito y seguridad ciudadana. Edisofer.
Larrauri, Elena (2018). Introducción a la criminología y al sistema penal (2nd ed.). Trotta.
Software
No computer program is used in this course.