Social Science

Course summary

Unit 1: Changing Awareness of Crime - the students will explore a wide range of crimes that occur within society, the consequences for crimes being unreported, various forms of media how the public’s perception of crime is affected by social background, ethnicity and design a comparison for change. Unit 2: Criminological Theories - the students will develop an understanding of criminal behavior and deviance; the different theories and how social researchers understand crime in our society and how social changes and campaigns affect policymaking. Unit 3: Crime Scene to Courtroom – the students will study the mechanics of crime investigation from the initial act and forensic observation, police procedures, charging, the trial process, sentencing, and how key influences affect the outcomes of criminal cases. They will research and relate their understanding to real-life case studies. Unit 4: Crime and Punishment – the students will explore the forms of punishment for crime, the difficulties of sentencing, and why they vary. They will also focus on the mitigating factors, the role of agencies in social control, and the effectiveness of formal punishments. An understanding of Criminology is relevant to many job roles within the criminal justice sector, social and probation work, sociology, psychology, the police, and the legal sector.