| Unit name | Crime, Justice and Society |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWD20034 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Torrible |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
You study the criminal law in the first year, but this optional unit asks some fundamental questions about what crime is and what role crime and criminal law plays in maintaining power relationships within society, and why, for example, some harmful activities are labelled criminal while others are not. The overarching focus of the unit is processes of criminalisation. These extend beyond the boundaries of the criminal law to how it is enforced. So, we look at the differential enforcement of various types of criminal activity by focusing on the criminal justice system in the context of the complex legal, policy and social factors that influence how it operates in practice, and the challenges to these.
You will:
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This optional unit will give you knowledge and understanding of the criminal justice system which is directly relevant for students interested in work in the area of criminal justice. But the unit also develops a critical and socio-legal approach to legal scholarship which has very broad application and will increase your research, reading, evaluation and analytical skills in a way that is transferrable to other units (and a broad range of employment settings). Specifically, the research, evaluation and analysis skill sets developed by the unit will assist you in your Independent Research Projects in the final year.
An overview of content
This is a socio-legal Unit. So, you will be exploring the role of ‘crime’ in society and probing the complex legal, policy and social factors that influence how the criminal justice system operates. You will do this by learning about, and learning how to critically assess some of its component parts. For example, topics might include policing, prosecution, juries, sentencing and criminal appeals and we may also draw on specific examples where appropriate to illustrate important points or to draw out particular themes.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
This unit will give the opportunity to develop your critical analysis and critical reasoning skills. More specifically, by the of the Unit you be able to distinguish appropriate sources of information/analysis about the criminal justice system and justify your response to high profile events, proposed reforms, and news stories involving the criminal justice system in a detailed and meaningful way.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the unit, a successful student will be able to:
To support the intended learning outcomes and prepare you for the assessments, teaching sessions will include a range of learning approaches. For example, group exercises will encourage critical appraisal of each of the areas under consideration. Questions and exercises alongside the unit reading will help you evaluate and reflect on the materials. In seminars and large group sessions you will discuss and probe each other’s understanding of the material to develop critical awareness of, for example, competing methodologies, their value in different settings and the claims they can reasonably make. Through individual and group reflection on how the material in each cycle impacts on or is impacted by the area and issues already studied you will build an overall understanding of complex processes in play.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Through the unit materials, exercises, and teaching sessions you will be introduced to the key issues and themes in the unit, and also provided with a range of opportunities to develop your understanding and critical analysis of those issues (and how they relate to each other). In each cycle you will be given reading and exercises which are designed to enhance your understanding of the area and to develop specific skills noted in the intended learning outcomes (above), for example, a research exercise or a critical comparison of the methodologies used in two studies on a particular area. These will be explored and developed in the teaching sessions which will operate as a form of continuing feedback on your progress through the unit. In addition, you will have a formative exercise in which you are required to write an introduction (300 words) and prepare an essay plan (500 words) on a set essay title, and for which formal written feedback will be given, alongside additional more generic feedback in lectures/large groups session or seminars. Collectively these activities are designed to prepare you for the summative assessment.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
All the exercises, preparation and feedback noted above are formative. The unit has a single summative assessment which is a 3000-word coursework research essay. This assessment covers all Intended Learning Outcomes for this unit.
When assessment does not go to plan:
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit the assessment, the unit will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis. The Board of Examiners will consider in the usual way all cases where a student has failed the summative assessment or has otherwise not completed it.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. LAWD20034).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
