Criminology and Sociology - BA (Hons)

Abertay University

You’ll explore how key criminological theories have developed over time and how they continue to shape our understanding of crime, punishment and the ways society defines criminal behaviour. Indicative Content - Modernity and socio-cultural formation: Explore early criminological thought, including biological positivism, strain theory and the Chicago School’s subcultural theory. - Interaction and structure: Examine how crime is viewed through labelling and interactionist perspectives, and how Marxist and left realist criminologies interpret power and inequality. - Control and containment: Analyse theories focused on social control, right realism, rational choice and situational crime prevention. - Late modernity and reflexivity: Consider contemporary approaches such as cultural criminology and edgework, exploring crime as a form of risk-taking, resistance and identity expression.

In this module, you’ll explore how policing in the UK has evolved, from its early development to the modern day. You’ll examine key debates, reforms, and challenges shaping the role of the police in society today. Indicative Content - History of the Police: Explore how policing developed in the UK — from informal systems of order to the creation of organised police forces. Examine the evolution from ‘Peelers’ to modern policing roles such as risk managers and knowledge workers. - Policing Structures and Systems: Learn how policing is organised in the UK. Understand hierarchies, powers and cultures within the police, and consider how the media shapes public perceptions of policing. - Police Operations: Study how crime is introduced, analysed and investigated. Explore different policing styles and approaches to crime reduction, community safety, terrorism, and organised crime. - Key Debates in Contemporary Policing: Examine the big questions facing policing today — including governance, accountability, ethics, performance management, and the role of surveillance in modern law enforcement.

In this module, you’ll be introduced to the work of three major social theorists — Karl Marx, Max Weber and Émile Durkheim. You’ll explore how their ideas shaped our understanding of modern society and examine how their theories continue to influence contemporary sociology and critiques of capitalism today. Indicative Content - Karl Marx: Manifesto of the Communist Party; History and Class Struggle; Money, Surplus Value and Exploitation; Ideology, Alienation and Commodity Fetishism; Primitive Accumulation, Capitalism and Communism. - Max Weber: The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism; Verstehen and Methodology; Bureaucracy and Rationalisation; Class, Status and Party; Power, Legitimacy and the State. - Émile Durkheim: The Rules of Sociological Method; Suicide; Division of Labour; Law, Morality and Religion; Anomie, Crime, Deviance and the Law.

Please note: If you are a Direct Entrant (new student) to this year of study and have not previously taken module ABE101, then you MUST take ABE201 as your Term 2 microcredential module. If you have previously taken ABE101, then you are NOT permitted to take ABE201 in Term 2. Starting university brings new opportunities and challenges, and every student’s journey is different. This microcredential helps you settle into life at Abertay and build the habits that lead to success. You’ll hear from current students sharing their own tips, and reflect on the areas you most want to develop. You’ll get to know Abertay’s systems, explore what makes a successful student and practise core skills such as time management, referencing, academic writing style and using support services. By the end, you’ll have the tools and strategies you need to thrive at university. Indicative content - Navigating Abertay Systems: Get to know the key systems you’ll use at Abertay—such as MyLearningSpace, MS Teams, OASIS and MyAbertay—and learn how to use them effectively. - Expectations of University and You: Explore what’s expected of you as a student and what you can expect from the university. Topics include the code of conduct, independent and blended learning, how courses are structured, health and safety, and the Abertay attributes. - Abertay Discovery Tool: Complete the Discovery Tool to identify your strengths and areas for development across five themes: studying at university, academic skills, digital skills, careers and employability, and wellbeing. - Fundamentals of University: Learn how modules work, how assessments are set, and how to use assignment briefs and feedback to improve your work. - Understanding, Searching and Evaluating Information: Develop strategies for finding and assessing reliable information, building your confidence in research and study skills. - Successful Student Behaviours: Practise the habits that help you succeed: managing time, avoiding procrastination, effective note-taking, preparing for classes, developing a growth mindset, and making use of student support services. - Referencing: Understand academic integrity and why referencing matters. Learn how to avoid plagiarism, create in-text citations and reference lists, and use digital tools to manage your sources. - Sounding Academic: Discover what lecturers mean by “academic style” and how to use the right language in your writing. Learn the rules of academic writing, how to paraphrase effectively, and how expectations differ between school/college and university. You’ll also explore how assessments, marking and feedback work.

Explore how new laws are created and interpreted, how policing is evolving, and how emerging forms of behaviour become defined and treated as crime. Indicative Content - Criminalisation: The criminalisation of everything; the development of new laws, forms of surveillance and ways of thinking about crime. - Race and class: Moral and amoral panics, past and present, regarding class and race. - Tolerance, intolerance and zero tolerance: Changing nature of the elite, of the legal subject and the new criminalising dynamic. - Fear, risk and regulation: The importance of policing fear and developing a culture of control. - The rise and fall of 'youth': Freedom and rebellion; regulation and safety of generation 'Snowflake'.

In this module, you’ll be introduced to the core principles and methods of social science research, developing both qualitative and quantitative research skills. You’ll learn how to design and conduct interviews, focus groups and observations, and how to analyse qualitative data using thematic analysis and NVivo software. You’ll also gain practical experience working with quantitative data, learning how to apply key statistical concepts and use SPSS to organise, describe and interpret social science datasets. Indicative Content - Qualitative data collection: The first part of the module will involve both a theoretical and 'hands on' introduction to a number of important qualitative data-collection methods such as semi-structured interviews, focus groups and participant observation. You'll learn how such techniques are applicable to different research contexts and scenarios, and how you should reflect upon yourself as active, ethical participants in conducting qualitative research. - Qualitative data analysis: The first part of the module also provides opportunities for you to engage in the analysis of data produced using qualitative data collection techniques. The main emphasis here will be on thematic analysis and how qualitative researchers use this to produce social scientific knowledge about social phenomena. This part of the module will also familiarise you with the use of NVivo computer software for qualitative data analysis. - Fundamentals of statistics: The second part of the module will involve an introduction to key concepts in statistics. You'll learn about the role that these play in underpinning different techniques for the description and interpretation of quantitative social scientific data. - Quantitative data analysis: The second part of the module also provides opportunities for you to engage with quantitative datasets and to gain 'hands on' experience in using SPSS software to organise, describe and make robust inferences from that data.

In this module, you’ll gain insight into how the prison system works, exploring what imprisonment means for those inside and examining penal policy and practice in the UK and around the world. Indicative Content - Contemporary Developments in Penal Theory, Policy & Practice: You’ll explore how penal institutions operate in today’s society, looking at issues of legitimacy, debates around reform and reorganisation, and the impact of privatisation on the prison system. - Prison Life: The Reality: You’ll examine what it really means to ‘do time’, considering prisons as ‘total institutions’. You’ll look at strategies people use to survive, daily regime activities, the roles of both prison and civilian staff, and the challenges of social exclusion, power and hierarchy inside prisons. - Challenges and Realities for Differing Groups: You’ll investigate how prison experiences differ depending on protected characteristics, status or location. You’ll also evaluate penal policies and programmes designed to recognise and support these differences. - Attitudes to Imprisonment: You’ll question why prisons exist, why they remain central to penal policy, and whether they’re culturally acceptable. You’ll also explore how attitudes vary across societies and contexts, and engage with debates around abolition versus reform.

This module introduces you to the big ideas and debates in social theory, but it’s not about memorising the lives of famous thinkers. Instead, you’ll dive into the arguments of key schools of thought and learn how to read and analyse them closely. Through discussion and critical reflection, you’ll develop your ability to think for yourself and explore some of the most important developments in social thought over the past fifty years. Indicative Content - Norbert Elias and the Civilizing Process: You’ll explore Elias’s ideas about how societies change over time, focusing on The Civilizing Process . You’ll look at how social behaviours, manners and power structures developed, and also consider how states can sometimes reverse this process through violence or conflict. - The Frankfurt School and Critical Theory : You’ll be introduced to the Frankfurt School and its critique of traditional approaches to society. You’ll examine the difference between traditional and critical theory, and study Walter Benjamin’s Theses on the Philosophy of History to see how history and culture can be understood in new ways. - Relational Sociology of Pierre Bourdieu: You’ll learn about Bourdieu’s key concepts—habitus, doxa, field and capital—and how they explain the way society works. You’ll also explore how these ideas apply to culture, showing how people’s choices and opportunities are shaped by their social position. - Foucault: You’ll study Foucault’s influential ideas about the relationship between history, power and knowledge. You’ll also look at his work Discipline and Punish , which examines how institutions like prisons shape behaviour and control society. - Postmodernism: You’ll explore the key ideas of postmodernism and postmodernity, including challenges to traditional ways of thinking about truth and progress. You’ll also study Habermas’s rejection of postmodernism and his attempt to reconstruct modernity, giving you a chance to compare different perspectives.

In this module, you’ll build on the skills you developed in SOC220 and take them further by exploring a range of advanced qualitative and quantitative research tools. You’ll learn how social researchers generate knowledge, while also gaining a critical understanding of the philosophical foundations of social science. Along the way, you’ll sharpen your abilities in data collection and analysis, and if you’re planning to carry out empirical research for your dissertation, this module will give you the platform and confidence to do so. Indicative Content - Philosophical Issues in Social Science Research: You’ll explore the big ideas that shape how social scientists study the world. This includes looking at different approaches such as positivism, interpretivism, post-structuralism and post-modernism. You’ll also think critically about whether social science can (or should) try to make generalisations about human behaviour. - Advanced Qualitative Analysis: You’ll develop your skills in analysing language, meaning and experience using advanced qualitative methods. This includes techniques such as rhetorical and discourse analysis, interpretative repertoire analysis, conversation analysis and phenomenological analysis. These tools will help you dig deeper into how people communicate and make sense of the world. - Advanced Quantitative Analysis: You’ll build confidence in using advanced statistical techniques to explore data. This includes learning how to apply tests such as T-tests and ANOVA, as well as working with correlation and regression. You’ll also explore more complex methods like dummy variables and nested regression models, giving you the tools to handle real-world data with accuracy and insight.

In this module, you’ll explore how gender shapes experiences of crime, from offending to victimisation, and examine the complex relationship between gender and the criminal justice system. Indicative Content - The Feminist Critique of Criminology: You’ll explore how feminist perspectives challenged traditional criminology, questioning the idea of women as the ‘other’ and reshaping how crime and justice are understood. - Women and Crime: You’ll examine patterns of women’s offending, looking at how ideas of deviance and femininity influence both behaviour and society’s response to female transgression. - Men and Crime: You’ll investigate the links between masculinity and crime, considering crime as a way of ‘doing gender’, the role of structured action, and how situational contexts shape men’s offending. - Victimology, Agency and Criminality: You’ll analyse how victimhood, status and agency are understood within victimology, and engage with critiques that question how victims are represented in criminological research and practice.

In this module, you’ll explore the history of race and racism in Britain across the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries—from the ‘Scramble for Africa’ and the legacies of empire, through the post-war and post-colonial period, right up to the present day. You’ll examine the social, political and cultural forces that have shaped ideas of race, ethnicity and identity, and how these have changed over time. Alongside this, you’ll engage with key theories and debates around race, racism, race relations and anti-racism, considering how they’ve developed in response to historical events and social activism. This module will challenge you to think critically about the past and its impact on the society you live in today. Indicative Content - The Concept and Construction of Race and Ethnicity: You’ll explore how ideas of race and ethnicity have been created and shaped over time, from the colonial period through to the present day. You’ll also look at how ‘racial knowledge’ has been produced and used, and how these ideas continue to influence society. - Race, Ethnicity and Nation: You’ll examine how race, ethnicity and national identity have been connected and redefined in Britain, particularly in the context of post-war immigration, the end of empire and the challenges of building a multicultural society. - Race, Ethnicity and Identity: You’ll investigate how racial and ethnic identities have been formed, expressed and challenged in post-colonial Britain. This includes looking at the impact of colonialism, migration, discrimination and racism, and how communities have responded to these pressures. - Race and Class: You’ll consider how race and class intersect as sources of identity, power and inequality. You’ll also explore the political struggles linked to these issues and debate whether race or class provides the most effective framework for understanding and challenging inequality. - Race and Gender: You’ll explore how race and gender overlap as powerful social categories that shape identity, inequality and political struggle. You’ll also examine debates about whether race or gender offers the most useful way of analysing and addressing discrimination and activism. - Race, Crime, Civil Unrest and Political Protest: You’ll study the connections between race, the law and crime, and how these issues have been represented in society. You’ll also look at moments of civil unrest and political protest, exploring how they’ve been linked to policing, state policy and wider social and economic conditions. - Anti-Racism, Race Relations and Multiculturalism: You’ll trace the history and development of anti-racist movements, race relations policies and multicultural strategies in Britain. You’ll examine how activism, legislation and public debate have attempted to challenge racism and inequality, and the controversies that surround them. - Race, Ethnicity and the Politics of Popular Culture: You’ll explore how popular culture—such as music, film and television—has reflected and shaped debates about race and identity. You’ll consider how cultural expression has been used as a form of resistance, representation and political activism in postcolonial and multicultural Britain.

In this module, you’ll explore how social scientists understand the challenges of drugs and addiction in today’s societies, examining the issues from different perspectives and considering their wider impact. Indicative Content - Distribution and Consumption: You’ll explore historical perspectives on drug use and problematic consumption, examine UK drug policy, and consider the political and cultural economies that shape drug distribution. You’ll also engage with the ‘normalisation thesis’ and compare practices of recreational versus problematic consumption. - Dependence and Addiction: You’ll investigate different ways of understanding addiction, from rational choice theories to neuroscientific approaches. You’ll also look at how addiction is socially constructed and consider it as a social practice rather than just an individual issue. - Governance and Intervention: You’ll analyse how societies respond to drugs and addiction, including criminal justice enforcement and policing, harm reduction and risk minimisation strategies, methadone maintenance, talking therapies and approaches to recovery.

In this advanced module, you’ll explore one of the most important questions in political sociology: how power works in modern societies. You’ll examine key sociological and political theories of power, investigate how power is organised and exercised, and consider alternative ways of thinking about power relations. You’ll also study how social movements challenge and contest power, giving you the chance to connect theory with real-world struggles and debates. Indicative Content - Lectures: The lecture programme is organised into four key sections. You’ll explore sociological and political theories of power, examine states, citizenship, rights and the law, and consider alternative visions of power relations through ideas of utopia and dystopia. You’ll also look at how power is contested in practice, focusing on social movements and political protest. - Tutorials: Each week, you’ll be expected to engage with set readings and bring your own notes and reflections from the lectures. Tutorials will give you the chance to discuss key ideas, raise questions, and debate different perspectives with your peers in a supportive environment.

In this module, you’ll have the chance to design and carry out your own research project on a sociological topic that interests you. You’ll learn how to investigate a question in a structured way and present your findings clearly, giving you valuable experience of independent research and communication. Indicative Content - Research Design: You’ll learn how to choose the most suitable research method for your chosen topic and put it into practice. With guidance from your project supervisor, you’ll gain hands-on experience in planning and carrying out your own investigation. - Reviewing Literature : You’ll collect and evaluate evidence from existing research in your field, using it to strengthen your understanding of the topic and to shape your own study. This will help you see how your work connects to wider debates and knowledge. - Analysing and Interpreting Data: You’ll develop the skills to collect, organise, and make sense of data. With support from your supervisor, you’ll learn how to turn raw information into meaningful results, whether that’s through words, numbers, or a combination of both. - Presenting Findings: You’ll bring your project together by writing it up in a clear and professional way, following academic conventions. You’ll also learn how to share your findings with others, making your research ‘public’ and demonstrating your ability to communicate ideas effectively.

In this module, you’ll be encouraged to think critically about the challenges humanity faces now and in the future, and to place these within a bigger, long-term context. You’ll explore some of the major global issues and crises—ranging from environmental concerns and political tensions to community dynamics, emotions, power imbalances, and the risks of losing social control. By examining the connections between natural, sociological, and psychological processes, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of how these forces shape the world we live in. Indicative Content - Crisis, What Crisis?: You’ll explore how human societies have developed ways of managing survival and crises over the long term, and how these controls continue to shape the way we respond to global challenges today. - Power and Social Interdependencies: You’ll examine how power balances shift over time, looking at processes such as democratisation and informalisation, and how these changes affect the role of the state and wider society. - Shame and Stigmatisation: You’ll investigate how emotions like shame and stigma influence relationships between established groups and outsiders, and how these dynamics impact social cohesion and identity. - Nations and Humanity: You’ll consider the tensions between national identity and broader human identification, exploring how people navigate the often-contradictory codes of belonging to both nations and humanity as a whole. - States and Civilisation: You’ll study how states are formed and maintained, including the role of civilising processes, while also examining the risks posed by new waves of de-civilising forces.