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London School of Economics and Political
Science (LSE)
Modules
303 Criminology
Prerequisite
– 122 Introduction to the common law
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Objectives
and methods of criminology. Defining crime: legal and criminological
conceptions. Nature, scope and objects of criminology.
Historical development of criminology (in outline only). Classical
and positivist schools. The idea of a science of criminology. Dichotomies/controversies
in criminology: theoretical or applied criminology; treatment or punishment;
free will or determinism.
Sources of data. Official statistics: uses, defects and limitations
of official data for purposes of research. Measures of law enforcement.
Moral panics and the media. Self report studies. Victimisation surveys.
Crime prevention.
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Criminological
Theory
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Crime
as an individual phenomenon: Twin studies; biochemical factors;
chromosome studies. Psychological and psychiatric explanations:
Psychopathy. Eysenck and ‘learning theory’. Theories
of child development. Research on socialisation of children: school
and home experiences.
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Crime
as a social phenomenon: Social disorganisation and social
ecology. Area studies. Class, culture and subculture. Gang studies.
Anomie theory: Durkheim and Merton. Differential association theory.
Matza’s theory of delinquent ‘drift’. Interactionist
perspectives. Labelling theory. Control theories. Theories of
corporate crime.Radical or Critical criminology. Marxism, Feminism
and criminology. New Realism.
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Institutional
Framework of Law Enforcement
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Philosophy
and aims of punishment. Developments in penal policy. Treatment
model versus ‘justice’ model. Community and official
attitudes to punishment and treatment of offenders. Role of imprisonment
and its consequences. Conditions in prison. Alternatives to prison:
sanctions in the community; strategies of constructive recompense.
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Police organisation
and attitude
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