| School of Sociology and Criminology | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CRI-20017 | Building Safer Communities | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Co-ordinator: | Dr Evi Girling Room: CBB1.001, Tel:33851 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching Team: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture Time: | See Timetable... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Level: | 2 | Credits: | 15 | Study Hours: | 150 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Programme/Approved Electives for |
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| Criminology
Dual Honours (Level 2) Criminology Major (Level 2) Criminology Minor (Level 2) Criminology Single Honours (Level 2) Law Single Honours (Level 2) |
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| Available as a Free Standing Elective |
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| Yes |
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| Barred Combinations |
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| None |
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| Prerequisites |
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| None |
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Description It is almost impossible to avoid hearing the word 'community' when the subject of what is to be done about crime and disorder is discussed. In political and policy debates, as well as in media and everyday consideration of these issues, 'the community' is a term used and abused as both a source of problems and a resource to be drawn upon in designing solutions to them. This module considers the ways in which 'communities' are constructed, managed, mobilised and responsibilised both as sites of crime problems and as potential sources of crime prevention solutions. The module will engage critically with the term 'community' asking if the term retains any meaning in late modern societies and, if so, what it means for those who find themselves governing and being governed under such headings. The module considers efforts to 'build safer communities' on three levels. Firstly it explores top-down efforts to manage crime and disorder that have been structured around the notion of 'the community' as a site of governance. Secondly, the module explores attempts to responsibilise and mobilise more local agencies and organisations under the 'community' banner, relocating some responsibility in locally-based 'Partnerships' who become tasked with knowing the specific problems of 'their' communities and acting to minimise them. Thirdly, the module engages with debates around the responsibilisation of individuals as part of variously defined communities, whether they be construed on geographic, racial, interest or any other lines. The enduring appeal of the notion of community will be explored alongside these three approaches, as well as the problems caused by conceptualising society and individuals in community terms. The module asks broad questions that underpin the use of the term, including; Who or what constitutes a community? Who defines which communities exist? How does central and local government intervention (directly or indirectly) promote the interests of some communities over others? Are communities always inclusive? |
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| Aims |
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| To enable students to understand and reflect upon the use of the term 'community' in a criminal justice context. To increase students' appreciation of the complexity of different 'communities' and the implication of thinking in 'community' terms for criminal justice policy and practice. To enable students to explore the changing meaning of 'community' as a way of understanding society and its problems. |
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| Intended Learning Outcomes |
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| Critically understand the ways in which $ùcommunities&© are constructed, managed, mobilised and responsibilised both as sites of crime problems and crime prevention solutions. will be achieved by assessments: 1, 2 Engage critically with the term $ùcommunity&© in relation to attempts to manage crime and disorder. will be achieved by assessments: 1, 2 Identify and evaluate top-down efforts to manage crime and disorder that have been structured around the notion of $ùthe community&© as a site of governance will be achieved by assessments: 1, 2 Identify and evaluate attempts to responsibilise and mobilise local authorities, local agencies and organisations under the $ùcommunity&© banner in response to crime problems. will be achieved by assessments: 1, 2 Identify and critically engage with debates around the responsibilisation of individuals as part of variously defined communities. will be achieved by assessments: 1, 2 Appreciate the way in which the use of the term community can be exclusionary as well as inclusionary. will be achieved by assessments: 1, 2 Appreciate the limitations of using 'community' rhetoric in a criminal justice context. will be achieved by assessments: 1, 2 |
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| Study hours |
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| 11 hours lectures 5 hours tutorials 36 hours essay preparation 36 hours case study portfolio preparation 61 hours preparatory reading and other work for lectures and seminars. |
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| Description of Module Assessment |
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| 01: Essay weighted 50% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Essay |
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| 02: Report weighted 50% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Community Crime Profile A profile of the crime problems faced by a specific community and the ways in which the idea of the community is mobilised in responding to those crime problems. Community can be defined by the student and need not be geographic. It could be based on race, age, interests, social status, etc. Requires research skills to assess problems ( statistics etc) and also to identify and then interpret the initiatives being used to address them. |
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| Version: (1.05A) Created: 01/Oct/2013
This document is the definitive current source of information about this module and supersedes any other information. |
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