Social Science

Course summary

Criminology is designed to encourage students to demonstrate the application of a range of skills and consider the integration of key themes, including: types of crime, deviance, sanctions, and causes for crime and deviance. The aim of the course is to encourage students to investigate causes for crime and deviance, embedding core theories to support explanations of crime and deviance. Criminology looks at how society and everyday experiences shape our behaviour. In particular, we study patterns of behaviour within social groups and the influence they have on criminal and deviant acts. The focus of the course will be England and Wales, but references will be made to other cultures as well. Students will be encouraged to develop their own social awareness through independent research of contemporary issues in the social world.