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

This course covers a broad range of topics related to criminology as a theoretical discipline and as the basis for criminal justice policies. The first section of the course focuses on the  general theories of criminal behaviour (in particular those developed in the US in the past century) with the goal to help students in becoming familiar with sociological explanations of crime and learning how to understand contemporary crime and deviance issues. Criminological theories of crime (and related social control practices) will be examined critically, and we will try to better understand how the discourse about criminal behaviour and social control changes across space and time. This section ends with an analysis of some contemporary theoretical approaches in criminology, like green criminology, cultural criminology and feminist criminologist. The second part of this course focuses on a theoretical and empirical analysis of some types of criminal behaviour, particularly gangs as a transnational phenomenon and gender violence. The final part of the course will discuss the connections between criminological theories e some contemporary trends in crime control and crime prevention, particularly in the context of the so-called “urban safety policies”. Besides the theoretical and empirical analysis of theories, phenomena and criminal policies, the course will be also based on a comparative approach, to allow students to grasp the transnational connections among phenomena, practices and discourses on crime and deviance.

Program:

• Criminological theories: classical and positive school; school of Chicago, theories of subcultures, differential association theory; theory of anomie and further developments; theories of control; labelling theories; criminological realism; feminist criminology, green criminology, cultural criminology.
• Analysis of specific crime problems: gangs and youth violence, and gender violence.
• Crime prevention and social control: policing and urban safety policies, theories and techniques 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 chpaters 1, 3,5 are mandatory.

F. Prina (2019) Gang giovanili. Perché nascono, chi ne fa parte, come intervenire. Bologna, Il Mulino.

Non attending students:

Williams & McShane ( except chpaters 1, 9,11 e 13), the entire book by  Melossi and both the books  (Franco Prina and, for the book  by Rossella Selmini,  only 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