2024 Tutorial 1: Introduction to Criminology PDF

Tutorial 1: Introduction to Criminology Aim of the course Introduction to the discipline of criminology and the study of crime for law students. Criminology draws upon concepts and theories from a wide range of scientific disciplines: sociology, anthropology, economy, law, biology, data...

Tutorial 1: Introduction to Criminology Aim of the course Introduction to the discipline of criminology and the study of crime for law students. Criminology draws upon concepts and theories from a wide range of scientific disciplines: sociology, anthropology, economy, law, biology, data science, et cetera. Basic goal is to understand the nature and extent of crime and intentional harm, explain it from theoretical perspectives, and studying as well as developing responses to crime. Criminology is not a normative discipline: it differs from legal studies, in terms of concepts, thinking, language, et cetera. The course addresses a wide range of topics and concepts! Week 37 Introduction 13-9-2024 2 Teachers Thomas Joyce Toine Spapens (course coördinator) Emma Jaspaert Michael van Ginkel Week 37 Introduction 13-9-2024 3 Outline of the course Week 37: Introduction to criminology and the social construction of crime Week 38: Responses to crime 1: punishment. Week 39: Responses to crime 2: prevention and alternatives. Week 40: Criminological theory. Week 41: Intimate partner violence. Week 42: break week, no tutorials. Week 43: Evidence gathering in criminal procedures. Week 44: Organised crime and terrorism. Week 45: Cybercrime. Week 46: Maritime crime. Week 47: Green criminology. Week 37 Introduction 13-9-2024 4 Exam information Exam will be on campus (if possible in TestVision). You will not be allowed to bring reading material, slides, notes, et cetera. 40 mulitiple choice questions. No midterm. Several practice exams will be made available on Canvas. Additional sample questions will be discussed during tutorials. Week 37 Introduction 13-9-2024 5 Practical information The reading material for this course comprises customized papers available on Canvas and published material. Links to published material included in the course manual (Access may require using the University VPN-Client). Links to teaching videos and slides are available on Canvas. Teaching videos are automatically subtitled (activate via CC). Slides used during tutorials will be published on Canvas at the end of each teaching week. Please note that all material presented in this course is copyrighted (including slides and spoken word). Tutorials: 1 – 1,5 hour. Recap of the written material and Q&A. Interactive part. Attending tutorials is highly recommended! Week 37 Introduction 13-9-2024 6  Week 37 reading material recap Week 37 Introduction 13-9-2024 7 Criminological research questions (Definition) What types of harmful behaviour are considered criminal and why? (Scope) What is the size of specific crime problems? How can this be measured? How do you commit specific types of crimes: which knowledge, skills and tools are required? (Explanation) What causes crime and how is criminal behaviour explained? Personal level: biological, psychological, etc. Social and institutional level: historical, cultural, economical, political, etc. (Consequences) What are the consequences? For perpetrators, victims, societies, ecosystems? (Evaluation) How can crime be tackled? What is the effect of punishment? How may we prevent crime? Week 37 Introduction 13-9-2024 8 Criminology ‘Criminology is the science that studies the nature and causes of human behaviour constituting violations of criminal law, as well as responses by government and society’ (Van Dijk). Known as the mainstream approach to criminology. However, whether criminologists should focus only on behaviour that constitutes a violation of criminal law is topic of debate. Week 37 Introduction 13-9-2024 9 Mainstream as a contested concept Not all behaviour which constitutes violation of societal norms is penalized by criminal law. Most (potentially) harmful behaviour is regulated instead of criminalised, and first enforced by administrative authorities Some harmful behaviour may not be regulated or criminalized at all. Which behaviour is included in criminal law is essentially not the result of an objective process, but the result of social construction (see teaching video). Violations of administrative (regulatory) law may cause far more damage and harm (to people’s health, the environment, et cetera). Week 37 Introduction 13-9-2024 10 First expansion of criminology: white-collar crime Sutherland defined white-collar crime in 1949 as: …crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation. The definition caused confusion because the book focused exclusively on crimes committed by large corporate entities. Sutherland’s book was highly controversial. Week 37 Introduction 13-9-2024 11 Second expansion: state crime Throughout history, crimes have been committed under the rule of a church, monarchy (kings and queens), lords, or chiefdoms. Definition: an act or omission of an action by actors within the state… …that results in violations of domestic and international law, human rights, or systematic or institutionalized harm of its or another state’s population. Week 37 Introduction 13-9-2024 12 Examples of state crime State: ‘public power’ comprising personnel organised and equipped for the use of force, material adjuncts; prisons and institutions of coercion of all kinds; and agencies which levy taxes. Examples of modern state crimes: Crimes by security forces – e.g. genocide, torture, imprisonment without trial and disappearance of dissidents Political Crimes – e.g. censorship or corruption Ecological destruction caused by governments (e.g. in wartime). Week 37 Introduction 13-9-2024 13 State corporate crime perspective Developed by Michalowski and Kramer in 1993. ‘Illegal or socially injurious actions that result from a mutually reinforcing interaction between: 1) policies and/or practices in pursuit of the goals of one or more institutions of political governance (state initiated) 2) policies and/or practices in pursuit of the goals of one or more institutions of economic production and distribution (state facilitated). Week 37 Introduction 13-9-2024 14 Third expansion: green criminology Criminology focused only on humans, until the early 1990s Green criminology refers to the study of environmental crimes and harms affecting human and non‐human life, ecosystems and the biosphere (Brisman and South, 2018). Non-human life, ecosystems and biosphere are usually studied as victims (flora and fauna may however be ‘perpetrators’ as well) Green crimes affect the health, quality of life and even the existence of large groups of people and other living creatures with high impact and over long periods of time. Studies environmental crimes, violations of environmental regulations, and ‘lawful but awful’ behaviour. Week 37 Introduction 13-9-2024 15 New development: criminology of the Global South Journalist: What do you think of Western civilization? Gandhi: I think it would be a great idea. Criminological research – in fact most research – is dominated by Western Europe and the United States. Do criminological theories developed in the Global North apply to the Global South. Problem: what is the Global South? Week 37 Introduction 13-9-2024 16 New development: rural criminology Criminology traditionally focuses on crimes in urbanised areas. Many people live in rural areas, although difficult to define what is exactly ‘rural’. Crime levels are overall lower in rural areas, but dominant types of crime differ e.g.: Less property crime. Higher levels of violent crime, also towards women and the rainbow community. Crimes such as illegal logging and mining, poaching, theft of crops, occur (almost) exclusively in rural areas. Week 37 Introduction 13-9-2024 17