Criminology with Psychology

Criminology is considered as a ‘rendezvous’ but specialist discipline; a study of crime and criminal activity that serves as a meeting point for Social Science disciplines. This module introduces and explores the various disciplinary approaches to the study of crime. However, it will have as its starting point an exploration of common-sense and everyday perceptions and the social construction of crime, as well as the representation of crime and the criminal justice system. The module will also begin to introduce and explore the range and scope of issues and topics examined by the specialist discipline of Criminology.

This module aims to support students in the transition from previous studies or employment into university level study. The module is practical and linked to the other modules that students will be studying throughout their first year at Winchester. Students will explore the start of their professional development also through talks from Careers and engagement with practitioners and voluntary organisations. Alongside the skills development sessions, students will develop independent research skills in a group format. They will design, execute and analyse a small research project through workshops throughout the semester.

Law, Government and Policy offers a foundation approach to the legal and political processes for criminology students. To be able analyse and critically assess crime, law and order approaches within the wider studies of criminology, it is essential for students to have an appreciation of the processes through which legislation is created and the political influences on them. This module aims to take both a practical and theoretical look at the legal system through the analysis of existing policy and legislation along with experiencing the criminal justice system through court visits. The aim is to bring in guest speakers who are legal practitioners to offer an authentic and realistic element to the programme of teaching. The module will be delivered through interactive lectures making use of case studies, practical applications and policy/legislation analysis.

The police are one of the most important parts of the criminal justice system and also one of the most scrutinised. This module will introduce students to the work conducted by the police in England and Wales and focus on key debates on the role of the police with respect to the rest of society.

The module will also examine and explore issues such as policing by consent, the arming of police and contemporary issues such as community policing and the policing of terrorism. Other issues will include the policing approaches to protests and demonstrations. Challenges around police and youth groups and policing culture will be further considered. There will also be some comparisons with police forces outside the United Kingdom.

In this module you will have an opportunity to explore the mediation of crime and ‘deviant’ behaviour. Crime has always been a theme for popular media but in the contemporary world new and old media have become tools for policing and social control. At the same time, critics suggest that that the popular media have an important role in the construction of particular discourses or ideologies of crime and punishment. This module explores these themes using a range of contemporary and established theoretical approaches.

The module itself is divided into two related parts. Part One is aimed to introduce to the main theoretical concepts of ‘crime’, ‘media’ and ‘culture’ in order that you have strong theoretical knowledge and are better able to produce informed academic arguments. Part Two uses case studies of various aspects of crime, media and culture, to encourage you to examine and critically reflect on the inter-related nature of crime, culture and media representations.

Victims play a vital role within the criminal justice system with the ‘state’ often taking the role of representative of the victim within formal justice processes. Victims hold a number of different statuses within society – from the ‘ideal victim’ to the victim who ‘asked’ for what has happened to them. Social, legal and political motivations underpin how victims are both treated and portrayed.

This module seeks to explore, appreciate and understand what role victims have within justice systems, how they are represented by both themselves and stakeholders and what challenges and issues are involved with such roles. Through engagement with academic literature, media reporting and political documentation, students will explore the many facets of ‘victimhood’.

This module introduces students to the main sub-disciplines of psychology: biological psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, individual differences, and social psychology, as outlined in the British Psychological Society’s required curriculum. Students will look at core topics within each of these sub-discipline areas, gaining an understanding of how psychology (and its sub-disciplines) developed over time and an understanding of key conceptual and historical issues that are relevant to the discipline as a whole. Seminars will further develop this understanding by fostering discussion and debate on key concepts and studies, helping students to better understand the relationship between theory and research.

This module will introduce students to the range of ways by which crime has been conceptualised within Criminology and to critically explore the wide range of theoretical perspectives that those researching crime and criminality view the key issues and challenges from. You will become familiar with a range of key themes that run through the array of Criminological theory and develop a core understanding of how these varied views complement and contradict one another.

The module will be delivered through two sessions per week with a focus on exploring the range of Criminological theories and understanding the role that such positions have in practice, the construction of understanding of the criminal justice and their role in pushing forward reform and change.

The early stages of this module will seek to explore some of the traditions, principles and philosophies of conducting research within social sciences and with a specific focus on criminological research. It will aim to challenge the fundamental understanding of the nature and purpose of criminological research. The teaching will enable students to develop understanding of contextualised, considered and critical application of research within criminological settings. The later stages of the module will focus on the design and proposal for the student’s own Extended Independent Study in their final year. They will experience the initial stages of the research process through deciding on topics, issues, methodological and analytical approaches that they will use.

Underpinning the whole module will be exposure to real life research projects, how they were executed and the decisions and challenges faced. This forms part of the critical understanding of the ‘realities’ and ‘practicalities’ of conducting research. Overall, students will develop a working knowledge of the relevant research skills they will need to complete their Extended Independent Study as well employment post-graduation.

What constitutes ‘justice’ and how is this ‘delivered’? How did we come to contemporary concepts of “just punishment”? You will be introduced to the most important philosophical interpretations of the concept of punishment, and will discover the birth, evolution and socio-criminological characteristics of the main form of punishment (prison) and its alternatives.  Finally, contemporary penological approaches to the punishment of offenders will be analysed, from community penalties to restorative justice. You will be invited to practice and maintain a critical approach to the subject, in order to understand that theory and reality in criminal justice practice may be two different things, and to identify where some change in the policies could be needed.

This module aims to build on the coverage of social psychology at Level 4 by exploring some of the key approaches and topics in Social Psychology in greater depth. Students will be introduced to key conceptual and historical issues and debates in social psychology, as well as some of the traditional areas of the discipline such as social identity, the self, social cognition and prejudice. The module will examine both ‘classic’ studies and theories, as well as contemporary treatments of these topics. The module will also cover critical approaches to social psychology and traditions emerging from these, such as social constructionism and discursive psychology.    

This module aims to extend students understanding of the spectrum of individual differences and draws on content from a range of areas of psychology. This module covers key issues of contemporary significance using core areas of individual difference psychology such as personality, motivation, emotion & well-being. Topics are focused on in-depth within the module by examining different theoretical approaches to these concepts which allows students to understand how conceptual and historical issues inform our understanding and application of individual differences. The application of individual difference theory and research will be considered within the module in a number of contexts, for example clinical, educational or organisational contexts.

• Comparative Criminal Justice - 15 Credits
• Violent Crime - 15 Credits
• Volunteering in Criminology - 15 Credits
• Criminal and Social Justice in Practice - 15 Credits
• Crime Mapping and Geographical Information Systems - 15 Credits
• Young People, Deviance and Crime - 15 Credits
• Criminological Narratives and Stories - 15 Credits
• Digital Crime and Investigation - 15 credits

Following two years of criminological study, the Extended Independent Study (EIS) provides an opportunity for students to develop further study into an area or topic of their own choice and interest, and to undertake a piece of independent research. The student will identify a topic of interest, provide a rationale for the research, devise and submit a research proposal, conduct a piece of research and write up and present the project and main findings following the appropriate scholarly conventions.

There can be a range of approaches and associated outputs from this independent research. For example, students can opt for the traditional inquiry module with a 10,000 word dissertation report. Alternatively, a student can complete an industry problem led project where there is partnership working with an organisation to address a particular issue in their operations. There will be flexibility in the output created to allow for students to make the most out of the research process.

The EIS is a double module which spans Semesters 1 and 2 and provides the student with an opportunity to develop their interests in a specific aspect of Criminology as well as developing their research and communication skills.

• Criminological Investigation: Miscarriages of Justice: The Justice Project - 15 Credits
• Organised Crime - 15 Credits
• Politics of Crime - 15 Credits
• Drugs and Alcohol: Use and Control - 15 Credits
• Criminology Independent Project - 15 Credits
• Controlling and Preventing Crime and Deviance - 15 Credits
• Riots, Protest and the Law - 15 Credits
• Understanding Political Violence: The contradictions of Terrorism - 15 Credits
• Criminal Bodies - 15 Credits
• Sport and Crime - 15 Credits
• Crime and Humanity - 15 Credits
• Criminological Psychology - 15 Credits
• Eyewitness Psychology - 15 Credits
• Psychology in the Workplace - 15 Credits
• Behaviour Change - 15 Credits
• Psychology of Consumer Behaviour - 15 Credits
• Modern Slavery - 15 Credits
• Identity, Equality and Crime - 15 Credits
• Advanced Social Psychology - 15 credits
• Desistance from Crime: From Theory to Practice - 15 Credits