| Unit name | Activist Criminology and Social Policy |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPOL20069 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Nasrul Ismail |
| 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 | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Advocacy and activism are underexplored in the criminological and social policy fields, a fact partly due to the disjointed nexus of research and practice. The learning outcomes of this unit will fill this gap, creating space and opportunities for students to engage with Criminology and Social Policy as a subject far beyond the classroom.
The main aim of this unit is to bring you into the conversation about existing social injustice, and the impact which it has on different sections of the population. It will cover a wide range of topics, such as the rising cost of living, the diminishing right to protest, and how to advocate for and create social movements which can challenge social injustice. On a weekly basis, you will be tasked with devising hypothetical social justice campaigns. In so doing, you will develop useful work experience skills such as developing a campaign strategy, establishing key milestones for your campaigns, using evidence to support your campaign strategy, identifying relevant NGOs and politicians that operate in their field that are receptive towards your causes, exploring appropriate media channels to cascade your messages, and finally evaluating the successes and learning from the challenges of your activities.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
With a range of guest speakers, your understanding of advocacy and activism will be furthered through ‘the inside story’. The unit’s focus on applied learning will enable you to develop and enhance your study and employability skills, which can be transferred far beyond the university setting. These skills will include critical thinking, the research process, advocacy, leadership, project management, problem-solving, confidence building, and networking.
An overview of content
An indicative content list for the unit is presented below:
Evaluating the ethics, successes, challenges, and limits of advocacy and activism when challenging social injustices.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will get the hands-on experience of establishing and implementing a hypothetical social justice campaign on a topic that you are passionate about. You will develop key employability skills relevant to your future careers: project management, leadership, confidence building, problem solving, researching, teamworking, communication, networking, dealing with disputes and conflicts, and campaigning. You will also get the opportunity to interact with activists in the field; some of them are the former students at SPS, as well as reflect on the potential career pathways available in the social justice field beyond this unit.
Learning outcomes
Upon the completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Teaching will mainly be delivered through lectures and seminars. Learning will also involve reading, assessment, completing practical activities and self-directed exercises.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
A 300-word presentation plan for their final assessment of this unit (formative)
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Individual Recorded Presentation (10 mins maximum, 100%)
This assessment covers all of the unit ILOs.
When assessment does not go to plan
Subject to the university regulations for taught programmes, you may be offered an opportunity for reassessment. This will comprise a task of the same format as the original assessment.
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. SPOL20069).
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.
