Criminal Sociology

Year
3
Academic year
2022-2023
Code
01019415
Subject Area
Sociology
Language of Instruction
Portuguese
Mode of Delivery
Face-to-face
ECTS Credits
6.0
Type
Elective
Level
1st Cycle Studies

Recommended Prerequisites

NA

Teaching Methods

This curricular unit aims to encourage the active participation of students in classes and a critical perspective at criminal phenomena and criminal policies in society. Teaching methodologies in class combines a general presentation of the theme made by the teacher, followed by a debate based on the presentation by students of previously selected and distributed literature. Students participation is encouraged as a condition for the development of their autonomy, of their analytical and communicational skills.The UC is organized in sessions conducted by the teacher.     

Learning Outcomes

Overall objectives

This curricular unit aims to provide a systematized guide to the main issues addressed by the criminal sociology, seeking a constant dialogue between classical theories, contemporary theories and interdisciplinary dialogues. It also seeks to stimulate an attentive and critical perspetive at the contemporary empirical reality on a national and global scale with regard to crime.

 

Generic Competencies

The student should be able, at the end of the learning process, to use the basic theoretical and methodological notions necessary for a sociological analysis of the crime; analyze the political-criminal implications of social phenomena; and have the skills to develop a critical approach to social and economic of discourses and practices developed around crime, insecurity and violence.    

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Four major themes are proposed:

1. Crime as an object of sociology: the sociological definition of crime; crime as a social construction; classical sociological theories of crime; contemporary sociological theories of crime.

2. Crime and intersectionality: the social construction of the victim and the criminal; feminist criminology; queer criminology; ethnic studies and crime.

3. Criminal policies: critical analysis on the role of society, biology and law in crime prevention and repression; the penalties and the prison system; juvenile delinquency.

4. Crime, Violence and insecurity in a global world: individual and collective insecurity; state of exception; violence, (de) coloniality and human rights.     

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Periodic or by final exam as given in the course information: 100.0%

Bibliography

Daly, Kathleen; Chesney-Lind, Meda (1988), “Feminism and criminology”, Justice Quarterly, 5 (4): 497-538.

Foucault, Michel (2013), Vigiar e Punir, Lisboa: Edições 70.

Gottfredson, M., Hirshi, T. (1990), A general theory of crime, Stanford, Stanford University Press.

Karstedt, Susanne; Bussman, Kai (2000) (ed.), Social dynamics of crime and control : new theories for a world in transition, Oxford, Hart.

Machado, Carla (2004), Crime e insegurança. Discursos do medo e imagens do outro, Lisboa, Editorial Notícias.  

 Randall, Kennedy (2012), Race, Crime, and the Law. New York: vintage books.

Smart, Carol (1995), Law, crime and sexuality: essays in feminism, Londres, Sage.

 Vold, George (2002), Theoretical criminology, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Woods, Jordan Blair. (2014b)."‘Queering Criminology’: Overview of the State of the Field". In Dana Peterson; Vanessa R. Panfil (Eds.), Handbook of LGBT Communities. Crime and Justice. New York: Springer, 15-41.