Crime and Justice

Criminological Theory
Criminological theory addresses one of criminology’s fundamental questions: why do some individuals get involved in crime and deviance? In attempting to answer this complex question, criminological theorists have produced different theories developed in different disciplinary, social, and political contexts in the Global North.

Research Project
Initially, students will be introduced to general research issues and considerations that underpin research in social sciences and criminal justice. Students will explore key issues that are common to all scholarly research projects, which includes developing a critical understanding of the philosophies, paradigms and theories that set the broad context of research approaches and conventions used in social science and criminal justice research.

Globalisation and Crime
This module will focus on studying key forms of transnational crime including: cyber, drug trafficking, human trafficking, the military-industrial complex and arms trafficking, terrorism and counter-terrorism, and environmental crime and wildlife trafficking.

Drug Interventions
The characteristics and nature of drug misuse and people who misuse drugs. The module will examine individual drug types and explore the effects that drugs have on users (including individual and social harms). The extent of drug misuse in the UK, and selected other countries, will also be considered. 

Violence and Homicide
The module begins by deconstructing the phenomena of violence in general and homicide in particular, attuning students to the socially constructed nature of these ‘crime’ categories.  Students will be encouraged to think critically about the legal categories of violence/homicide and to reconsider their boundaries through consideration of broader societal harms. This will be achieved, in part, by a deep dive into corporate violence.   

Governing and Securing Cyber Space
To develop critical examination and analytical skills of concepts and frameworks in internet governance and cyber space. Furthermore, to facilitate students’ masterly knowledge in the legal, socio- cultural and ethical issues within the governance and security of cyber space.

Comparative Crime and Punishment
This module aims to critically explore comparative perspectives on crime and punishment locally, nationally, and globally. The module will explore how various criminal justice systems respond to crime, explore methods of punishment, and alternative responses.