SOC5043 - Crime, Media and Culture

Objectives:

Assessment tasks are designed to enable students to demonstrate the Learning and Employability outcomes for the relevant level of study. Level Learning Outcomes are embedded in the assessment task(s) at that level. This enables a more integrated view of overall student performance at each level.

Content:

The aim of this module is to develop student’s understanding of how and why we view criminals/crime in particular ways based on a range of cultural factors and media portrayals. This module will allow students to utilise criminological theory to think critically about crime, crime control and its coverage in the media. The module will be broken into two sections.

The first section will identify and explain relevant and contemporary criminological theory. It will draw upon Deviant Leisure & Cultural Criminology, both multifaceted and interdisciplinary branches of criminological theory. Here, students will explore how crime is constructed and defined (or not) through various social interactions (e.g subcultures). This will include such constructions are mediated and influenced by powerful entities (e.g. the nation state, criminal justice system, transnational corporations).

The second section will explore and identify how these theories realte and can help us to interpret current media depictions of crime and crime control. This will include analysis of how various forms of media (mainstream media, social media, Television and Film) are used to shape our collective (mis)understanding of a range of crime and crime control.

Throughout, the extent to which these notions of crime and criminality have been resisted and responded to (e.g activism and political protest) will be critically analysed.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Lecture
Hours: 60
Intended Group Size: Cohort

Seminar/Workshops
Hours: 20
Intended Group Size: 30

Guided independent study
Hours: 220

Further details relating to assessment
Assessment 1- Essay- will be based on theories discussed in Part One of the Module.

Assessment 2- Group Presentations- Groups will be expected to complete a media review (e.g. Film, TV, social media) which will incorporate and identify links to criminological theory.

Assessment 3- Each group will also be expected to observe another group’s media review. They will provide written feedback and a ‘grade’ to the group. These will be combined with the tutors feedback/forward and grade, to provide an overall grade for assessment 2.

Assessment 4- Based upon feedback given to each group from peers/tutors, each group will then be expected to complete a 2,000 word media review based on Assessment 2. This should include amendments suggested in previous feedback (Assessment 3).

Further information could include the makeup of portfolios, non-standard marking criteria, ‘qualify marks’ and schemes, ethical approval for research elelements, or how research proposals and feasibility studies contribute to assessment and grading of the module.

Assessment:

001 Essay; 2,000 words; semester 1 30%
002 Group presentation; 10 minutes per group; 2,000 words; semester 2 30%
003 Collective student feedback on media reviews; each group to provide written feedback/grade to another group; semester 2 10%
004 Group write-up of media review; 2,000 words; semester 2 30%
200 Group presentation; 10 minutes per group; 2,000 words; semester 2 40%
201 Collective student feedback on media reviews; each group to provide written feedback/grade to another group; semester 2 20%
202 Group write-up of media review; 2,000 words; semester 2 40%
203 Essay; 2,500 words; semester 1 100%
204 Essay; 2,000 words; semester 1 40%
205 Group presentation; 10 minutes per group; 2,000 words; end of semester 2 40%
206 Collective student feedback on media reviews; each group to provide written feedback/grade to another group; semester 2 20%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - ALISON WILDE
Level - 5
Credit Value - 30
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 5S15S25YL5S1

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