This subject was previously known as MAQ-PICX888 Advanced Criminology Theory.
This unit introduces students to advanced criminology theory. Students will develop a comprehensive understanding of how theory directs critical understandings of crime and, in turn, relates to the broader social world. This includes criminological beliefs, held within the discipline of Criminology and by practitioners in the Criminal Justice System, that help understand the common attitudes and rule systems that contribute to the intellectual atmosphere of a particular time or place. Topics focus on two ‘waves’ of criminological theory; the first, contemporary criminological theory, focuses on the ‘grand theories’ that are rooted in the discipline. The second, future directions in criminology, explores the challenges the discipline presently faces and how theory can contribute to expanding a critical understanding crime.