Undergraduate GRF-HSY311-2022
A History of Crime and Punishment
Plunge into the history of crime, law and criminal justice. Dissect how attitudes to crime have shifted over the centuries. Follow the twists and turns of the witch-hunts in the Middle Ages. Look at executions in the eighteenth century and identification of criminals in the nineteenth century.
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Duration
13 weeks
Study method
100% Online
Available loans
- HECS-HELP
- FEE-HELP
Assessments
100% online
Prior study
Not required
QS RANKING 2022
17
Times Higher Education Ranking 2022
13
Subject details
At the completion of this subject you will be able to:
- understand some major themes in the history of the crime and the law from the earliest times to the present;
- engage systematically and critically with the complex relations between developments in the law and legal system and broader political, social economic and cultural change;
- demonstrate a general capacity for research, analysis of evidence, reasoned argument, clear exposition, and sound judgement;
- progress, through an informed and disciplined reflection on the past, to a richer and deeper understanding of the present.
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- Anglo-Saxon Origins of English Criminal Law
- Legal Developments after the Norman Conquest of 1066
- Torture and the Emergence of the Jury Trial
- Social Control, Witches and Moral Panic in England during the 16th and 17th Centuries
- Crime and Criminals in the 18th Century
- The 'Bloody Code' and Capital Punishment in 18th Century Britain
- Crime and Convict Transportation
- Crime and Criminals in the 19th Century
- The Rise of the Prison
- Policing in the 19th Century
- Identifying Criminals in the 19th Century
Others
Note: Level 3 subjects normally assume a moderate level of prior knowledge in this area, eg from studying related Level 1 and 2 subjects or other relevant experience.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
This subject examines the incidence of crime, the development of the law and criminal justice processes in response to crime, and the means of punishment to deal with crime. Covering the period from the Middle Ages to the end of the nineteenth century, the focus will be mainly on Europe and the ways in which crime impacted on communities, how the meaning of criminality shifted over time, and the agencies for change in dealing with criminals.
- Online Exam (30%)
- Essay (35%)
- Online Discussion (35%)
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