Social Science

Course summary

Who’s not interested in crime? Few issues attract more attention than crime and its offenders and victims. From crime types and explanations to the courtroom and treatments, this area of study is both relevant and engaging. Criminology is the scientific study of criminality, criminalisation and social control. Through the four units, students will gain a breadth of knowledge and understanding of key areas in criminology. In Unit 1 Changing awareness of crime, students will explore how crime reporting affects the public perception of crime and criminals. This will include how campaigns are used to bring about changes as well as the design of a new campaign. Unit 2 will expose students to various criminological theories that have been put forward to explain why crime occurs. Students will critically evaluate these theories, developing their analysis skills. In Unit 3, students are introduced to the wide-ranging personnel involved in the process of criminal investigations as well as the prosecution of suspects and review of criminal cases. Finally, Unit 4 investigates crime and punishment which covers aspects of the criminal justice system and the types and purposes of punishment in England and Wales.