Undergraduate - UnitATS1281 - Understanding crime

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Arts
Organisational Unit	Criminology
Offered	Caulfield First semester 2014 (Day) Clayton First semester 2014 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Claire Spivakovsky; Dr Paddy Rawlinson

Notes

Previously coded CRI1001

Synopsis

Crime is an issue which all citizens and governments confront on a daily basis: it impinges on all our lives. The causes of crime, and how it is and should be dealt with, are the focus of intense and on-going debate. That debate is examined in this unit. Students analyse the meaning, nature, extent and measurement of crime, examine how crime is portrayed in the media and evaluate the effect images of crime can have on our perceptions of the crime problem and how it should be addressed.

Outcomes

Upon completion of this subject students will have been given the opportunity to gain:

A critical understanding of the various facets of crime and the crime problem including what constitutes crime, how society decides which actions should be defined as criminal, what causes people to commit crime and what effect the images of crime have on the community's perception of the crime problem and how it should be addressed.
An ability to critically analyse and evaluate theories of crime and to apply them to everyday situations.
An understanding of the value or otherwise of crime statistics and how they are used.
The ability to write an essay based on rational argument.
The skills needed to make an oral presentation.

Assessment

Essay (2000 words) 40%
Exam (2 hours) 50%
Tutorial attendance and participation 10%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Claire Spivakovsky; Dr Paddy Rawlinson

Workload requirements

3 hours (1 x 2 hour lecture and 1 x 1 hour tutorial) per week

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Criminology

Prohibitions

AZA1281