| Unit name | Global Policing |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPOL20071 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Pessoa Cavalcanti |
| 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?
Approximately 88% of the world’s population resides in the global South, but Criminology tends to focus on problems of crime and justice in the Global North to the exclusion of southern experiences. This unit shifts the focus by examining global developments in crime, policing and justice through the perspectives espoused by southern, decolonial and postcolonial criminologies. In Global Policing, you will examine the role of the police as a central part of the criminal justice system and of the state’s formal machinery for maintaining order, examining legal and social scholarship to better understand the nature and functions of the police. You will look closely at the historical development of the police organization, its characteristics and dynamics, problems in policing (such as discrimination and corruption), and questions about accountability and control.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit broadens Criminological inquiry by placing southern, decolonial and postcolonial perspectives at the core of study. This cutting-edge approach fosters a more inclusive criminological framework, equipping students to analyse justice and social harms worldwide and appreciate the complexities of issues of crime, justice and policing in international contexts. It provides a wide range of exciting topics – including crimes of the powerful, feminist and abolitionist perspectives – engaging with literature and theories produced from and about various parts of the global South. The unit shows the importance of co-creating responses informed by the past and present, aiming to guide future developments.
An Overview of content
This unit sheds light on issues faced by marginalized and oppressed communities in the global South, exploring the southern criminology paradigm, and rethinking policing and issues of justice in the North and South through the lenses of Southern Theorists. The unit unpacks the relationships between nations in the global North and global South and challenges the universality of dominant theories by exploring case studies of policing of urban violence, such as in the favelas of Brazil, environmental justice, struggles against imperial policing and the perils faced by people living under the rule of organized criminals and authoritarian governments.
How will students be different as a result of the unit
You will develop an understanding of the functions, dynamics and characteristics of policing, as well as studying the relationship between policing and processes of imperialism in relation to issues of crime and justice. You will build on your knowledge of how these issues relate to policing in international contexts. You will be able to identify key issues in contemporary safety policies and struggles for justice using examples and articulating links between the past and present.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, you will be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through in-person interactive sessions involving lectures, workshops and seminars. Your learning is supported via the online learning platform, Blackboard, where lecture materials and tasks are listed weekly. You will be asked to undertake a specific task or reading to discuss in the seminar session. There is also an emphasis on self-directed study and reading.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Collaborative tasks will receive feedback by peers and seminar leader/s during seminar sessions.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Individual recorded presentation of a research poster (10 mins, 100%)
This assessment covers all intended learning outcomes.
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 you are unable to undertake the summative assessment, an alternative of a 1500-word blog post may be offered.
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. SPOL20071).
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.
