02513 - Criminology

Learning outcomes

In this course, students are expected to:

becoming familiar with the most important sociological theories on crime and explanations of criminal behavior;

learning how to apply criminological explanations of crime to specific criminal behaviors;

become able to connect crime theories and crime control policies and practices;

develop an understanding of some contemporary crime and social control issues;

know how to contextualize crime issues in our societies and in a globalized world. 

Course contents

The course provides an in-depth introduction to criminology, understood both as a theoretical and empirical discipline and as a field of knowledge that contributes to shaping crime control and prevention policies.

The first part of the course focuses on the major criminological theories, with particular attention to the North American sociological tradition. The aim is to provide students with the conceptual tools needed to understand different sociological explanations of crime and deviance and to apply them to the analysis of specific phenomena. These theories will be examined critically, with attention to the forms of social control associated with them and to how explanations of crime and strategies of social control have changed over time and across different social and cultural contexts.

The course will then examine some more recent developments in criminology, including right and left realism, green criminology, and cultural criminology.

The second part of the course applies these theoretical perspectives to the analysis of a specific phenomenon: youth deviance and youth gangs. The topic will be addressed through the discussion of theoretical literature and key empirical findings, with attention also to different interpretations and social representations of youth deviance.

The final part of the course explores the relationships between criminological theories, social control, and crime prevention policies, with particular attention to models of policing, crime prevention strategies, and urban security policies.

Throughout the course, a comparative perspective will be adopted, enabling students to identify transnational connections between crime and deviance, practices of social control, and public discourses on crime.

Course programme

• Criminological theories: Classical School and Positive School; Chicago School; subcultural theories and differential association theory; anomie theory and its later developments; control theories; labelling theory; left and right realism; green criminology; cultural criminology.
• Youth deviance and youth gangs: theories, empirical evidence, and interpretations of youth deviance and youth groups.
• Social control and crime prevention: models of policing, urban security policies, and theories and strategies of crime prevention.

Readings/Bibliography

Attending students:

Franck P. Williams, Marylin D. McShane, "Devianza e criminalità", Il Mulino, Bologna, 2002, chapters 4, 5 (except paragraph 7), 6 (of paragraph 4, only: " Teoria istituzionale della devianza"), 7 (except paragraph 4), 8 (except paragraph 2.6), 10 (except paragraph 2.3 and paragraph 5), 12. The paragraph “Realismo di sinistra”, pp. 150-151, is also required.

Dario Melossi, Stato, controllo sociale, devianza: teorie criminologiche e società tra Europa e Stati Uniti, Bruno Mondadori, Milano, 2002, ch. 1, pp. 15-88, except  pp. da 39 a 45.

Then, a choice between one of these two books:

R. Selmini (2020) Dalla sicurezza urbana al controllo del dissenso politico. Una storia del diritto amministrativo punitivo, Carocci, Roma. For the exam, only chapters 1, 3,5 are mandatory.

 S. Crocitti, R. Selmini (2025) Bande e gruppi giovanili di strada. Prospettive teoriche, approcci interdisciplinari e ricerca empirica, Milano, Franco Angeli (chapters 1 and 2).

Non attending students:

Williams & McShane ( except chpaters 1, 9,11 e 13),  and both the books  (Crocitti and Selmini (chapters 1 & 2) and Selmini (chapters 1, 3, 5).

Teaching methods

Lectures, in-class discussions and in class activities, also with the support of audio-visual materials. Attending regularly is higly recommended.

Assessment methods

The students’ knowledge is assessed through a discussion, to evaluate the actual achievement of the learning outcomes. The oral exam consists in an interview with the appointed committee on the topics included in the programme. The assessment will take into account:the knowledge of the topics of the course, the ability to critically analyse theories, data on crime and criminal policies and to single out connections among the relevant topics, as well as the clarity of the presentation and the use of an appropriate socio-criminological language.

For the grading, the following criteria will be applied: 

- basic knowledge of a very limited number of topics, extensive support by the interviewer to address and answer the questions, basic yet appropriate language: 18-19/30;

- knowledge of a limited number of topics, ability to autonomously develop the answer, use of an appropriate language: 20-24/30;

- comprehensive knowledge of the programme, ability to autonomously and critically analyse theories and subjects covered in the course, use of the required specific terminology: 25-29/30;

- extensive knowledge of the programme, ability to reason autonomously and to analyse criminal theories, crime problems and criminal justice policies, to make connections among the topics, to master the specific terminology and capacity of critical thinking: 30-30L/30.

Teaching tools

Power-point, audio-visual materials (movies, documentaries).

Office hours

See the website of Rossella Selmini