Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the key theoretical discourses of ethnicity / race and crime

Module Title: Race/Ethnicity, Crime & Justice 

Module Code: CR6016

MODULE AIMS

 

The purpose of this module will be to introduce students to the main academic arguments and research pertaining to race, ethnicity and crime and justice.  Initially students will explore key concepts such as race, racism, ethnicity, race relations, prejudice and stereotyping, institutional racism, discrimination, colonialism and post-colonialism. After which the module will look at, from a historical perspective, the political and socio-economic forces that have led to the differential experiences of racial /ethnic groupings (in Britain and to a lesser extent America) with regard to a) offending and victimisation, b) stereotyping and criminalisation, and c) bias and discrimination within the criminal justice process.

A key feature of this module will be the integration of key academic social science literature and research alongside popular culture analyses of ‘Hip Hop’, ‘Muslim-Spicific Crime’ ‘Bashment’, ‘Grime, ‘Drill’ and the associated style aesthetics’ – dress wear, speech, and film imagery – impact (or not) upon violent and offending behaviour.

MODULE LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this Module, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the key theoretical discourses of ethnicity / race and crime (1) how racist-thinking and practices both in the past and present have shaped black and Asian people’s patterns of racist victimization and criminalisation (2) understanding the significance and impact of racial discrimination within the criminal justice process

• Display knowledge and critical understanding of recent empirical research around black and Asian people’s patterns of offending and victimisation

• Demonstrate ability to think critically, to ‘read’ and digest empirical studies and theories of a complex nature;

• Ability to understand and critically deconstruct official crime statistics specifically related to racial and ethnic differences in (1) offending behaviour, and (2) arrest and imprisonment rates;

• Apply critical assessment to ascertain necessary strategies and policies that need to be adopted by key criminal justice agencies in order to obtain the confidence of Britain’s BAME populations.

• Display relevant research skills through on-line and hard copy library investigation;

• Application of knowledge acquired through the undertaking of a variety of activities including critical debate and essay writing