MA Criminology and Social Policy

This module will develop your understanding of the philosophical underpinnings of criminology and social policy research and practice. You will evaluate and understand the contested and political nature of knowledge and the complex relationship between social research and the policy environment. You will critically evaluate a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods used in relevant fields of enquiry and develop advanced data analysis skills, including the use of specialist software tools.

This module will help you understand the fundamental connection between criminological and social policy theoretical approaches and the significance of these to analyses of social (in) justice. You will understand welfare and criminal justice institutions in their historical and contemporary contexts, and critically examine the ways in which social policy and policymaking processes inform constructions of 'social problems' and the criminal justice responses to them.

By studying this module you will understand the ways in which crime, harm and the agencies of social control are represented in different cultural/intellectual contexts. You will develop a systematic understanding of the ways in which academic theory and cultural representations intersect and coalesce around notions of 'crime', 'harm' and '(in)justice'. You will engage in the active interrogation of cutting-edge criminological theory through participatory discussion.

During this module you will critically explore the significance of historical and contemporary constructions of inequalities to the study of criminology and social policy. You will understand the interconnecting relationship between multiple social divisions and the effects these connections have in theory, policy and practice. The module will help you situate current debates around social divisions and inequalities in their political, geographical and social context.

This module will help you to develop a critical understanding of the historical and contemporary relationship between the state, social divisions and the maintenance of social order.

During the module you will consider recent developments around critical theories of the state, to understand the interrelationship between the exercise of state power, policy and practice. In doing so, you will critically assess the contradictions within, and contestation around, the exercise of state power.

During this module you will understand the ways in which criminological research can be undertaken across a range of different employment contexts. You will develop an enhanced employability profile, supported through an evidence-based skill-set. The module will provide you with the opportunity to communicate your research to a diverse audience through different methods of delivery.

During the module you will negotiate issues of methodology, research design, ethics and data analysis and apply these to research on a topic of the student's choice. You will develop a systematic and critical awareness of complex concepts congruent to the study of criminology and social policy, work independently and with some originality. You will produce a coherent and logically argued piece of writing that demonstrates competence in critical analysis.

This module with encourage you to think globally and comparatively about social policy and its connections with crime, harm and (in)justice. You will develop a critical understanding of the ways in which the economic, political and cultural milieu intersect with crime, harm and (in)justice. You will participate in online fieldwork, internet-based research, and communities of practice for digital scholarship.