Criminology Major (Level 3)
Criminology Minor (Level 3)
Criminology Single Honours (Level 3)
Law Single Honours (Level 3)
What do criminologists have to say about crime, justice and crime control in a newly democratic developing country? Is South Africa the 'crime capital of the world'? And, even if it isn't, why have crime rates been so high since the country's first democratically elected government came to power in 1994? How can a country struggling to deal with the racist legacy of apartheid go about controlling crime? What is the connection between HIV/AIDS and child rape, street gangs and organised crime syndicates? Can community policing work in places where there are few uniformed police and little sense of community? Are private security and vigilantism the only way to fight crime if the state cannot protect its citizens and their property? How can the right balance be struck between social justice and criminal justice in responding to crime and other social problems?
These are just some of the questions that we will discuss in a module that takes post-apartheid South Africa as a case study of the challenges facing a society in transition from authoritarian to democratic rule. Seminar discussions are based on a range of materials including newspaper articles, DVDs and web-based resources as well as a more conventional list of academic readings.
This module enables students to take a fresh look at some familiar issues, and to get a feel for crime and approaches to controlling it in a society very different from our own. But no prior knowledge of South Africa or any other society in transition is either expected or assumed. Some students who have no background in Criminology or a related social science discipline have found previous versions of this module difficult to cope with in the past. Students who have only studied doctrinal law thus far may find the more critical and discursive aspects of this module particularly challenging and should not expect that their existing subject knowledge will be of any direct use. Students considering electing to take this module from outside Criminology are strongly advised to contact the module leader to find out more about the module and what is required to complete it successfully. Students who take the module will have the opportunity to practice and develop a range of key graduate attributes - including team working, presentation, research and report-writing skills - by working with other students on a group presentation and by undertaking and reporting on a piece of independent research. Assessment tasks are a review of a selected text (interpreted broadly to include audio, video and web-based material) and a report on a piece of research on a topic agreed with the module leader.
Recognise and respond appropriately to the limits of existing knowledge in carrying out and reporting on a piece of research on a topic of their own choosing related to crime and crime control in post-apartheid South Africa. will be achieved by assessments: 2
Critically evaluate a text dealing with a crime or crime control issue in post-apartheid South Africa in the context of the current state of criminological and related disciplinary knowledge on that issue. will be achieved by assessments: 1
10 hours seminars (maximum of 15 students)
20 hours seminar preparation
110 hours private study, including work on summative assessments
Students are asked to identify a research topic and research question or questions; agree them with the module leader; investigate the topic; and write a research report on the outcome of that investigation.
Students are asked to write a critical commentary on a text (interpreted broadly to include audio, video and web-based material) agreed with the module leader.
This document is the definitive current source of information about this module and supersedes any other information.