91194 - History Of Globalization And Crime

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course students: will become familiar with the most important categories to understand and explain the intersection between globalization and crime; will acquire knowledge about how globalization processes affect crime in an historical and in a comparative perspective; will be able to analyse and discuss some of the most important “global” types of crime: transnational organized crime and youth gangs

Course contents

 

 

For exchange students: the admission to optional courses of the LM/Master IR is allowed to incoming students at Master level. As for undergraduate students, they must demonstrate to the Professor having already acquired competences in the disciplines of Sociology or Criminology  in their respective Transcripts of Records.

 

his course explores the connection between globalization, the evolution of criminology and crime, and how this connection changes in space and time. Globalization affects crime and crime control in a variety of ways: creating conditions and opportunities for new types of crime, or reshaping more traditional criminal behaviors, and increasing insecurity and fear of crime.  Globalization, in addition, is challenging traditional explanations of crime and dynamics of crime control, policing and surveillance.

The following topics will be discussed:

What is globalization? What is crime and what is crime control?

Criminological theories in an historical and international perspective: from bio-amthropogical theories to contemporary criminology

Crime as a global phenomenon: the case of youth violence and transnational youth gang;  gender violence; crime against the environment.

The globalization of policing, surveillance and of strategies of crime control.

 

 

Readings/Bibliography

Mandatory readings:

Globalization, crime and criminology  

Frank P. Williams III, Marylin D. McShane, (2018) Criminological Theory, Pearson, 7th ed. (selection of chapters))

Tim, Newburn (2018) Criminology: A Very Short Introduction, OUP.

Karsted S., Nelken, D. (eds), (2013) Crime and globalization, Ashgate. (Selection of chapters).

Roger Matthews & Jock Young (1992) “Reflections on Realism”, in J. Young & R. Matthews (eds.) Rethinking Criminology: The Realist Debate, Sage, p. 1-23.

Michael J. Lynch, Paul B. Stretesky (2013) “Green Criminology”, in F. Cullen & P. Wilcox (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Criminological Theories, Oxford University Press, p. 625-644.

Robert Reiner (2007) "Neo-Liberalism, Crime and Justice", in R. Roberts and W. McMahon (eds) Social Justice and Criminal Justice, London, Centre for Crime & Justice, pp. 8-21.

On gangs:

Jennifer M. Hazen & Dennis Rodgers (2014) (eds) Global Gangs. Street Violence Across the World, Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press (Introduction).

John Hagedorn (1998) “Gang Violence in the Postindustrial Era”, in Crime and Justice, Vol. 24, Youth Violence, pp. 365-419.

John M. Hagedorn (2005) “The Global impact of Gangs”, in Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 21 (2), pp. 153-169.

Carles Feixa & Oriol Romanì(2014) “From Local Gangs to Global Tribes:The Latin Kings and Queens Nation in Catalonia”, in D. Buckingham. S. Bregg, M. J. Kehily (eds), Youth Cultures in the Age of Global Media, Basingstoke, Palgrave McMillan, pp. 88-103.

On social control and policing:

Martin Innes (2003) Understanding social control. Deviance, Crime and social order, Maidenhead, Open University Press, chapter 5 “Policing” pp. 63- 79; chapter 7, ”The Architecture of social control”, pp. 95- 110; chapter 8, ”Surveillance”, pp. 112-129.

The complete list of mandatory readings and those suggested for each lecture , will be uploaded on the online platform VIRTUALE (https://virtuale.unibo.it [https://virtuale.unibo.it/) at the beginning of the course (except the books by Williams & MCShane and T. Newburn).

Further readings (non-mandatory) will be suggested and  posted on the class website. For non-attending students, extra reading will be required.

Teaching methods

Lectures, small groups activities, students presentations and class discussions, movies and documentaries, guest speakers. This class is highly interactive and students are invited to participate actively in each class.

 

Assessment methods

For students who regularly attend classes (80% of all classes), the final grade is based on:
- 50%: in-class participation (small group presentations). All details will be provided on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) at the beginning of the course.
- 50%: a take-home exam (in a short essay format) on a subject agreed with the instructor.

For non-attending students: an oral exam based on the mandatory readings and some extra readings (contact the professor for more information on the additional readings).
All tests aim to assess students' knowledge of the course's main topics, their capacity to connect ideas and theories, and their critical thinking.

Students with DSA or temporary or permanent disabilities

It is recommended to contact the responsible University office in good time (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it): it will be their responsibility to propose any adaptations to the students concerned, which must however be submitted, with a 15-day notice, to the approval of the teacher, who will evaluate the opportunity also in relation to the educational objectives of the course.

Teaching tools

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

Office hours

See the website of Rossella Selmini