Controversies in Crime Control provides students with an introduction to the crime control field from a sociological vista.

This course examines the social functions of deviance and explores the various strategies of securitization - e.g. private security growth, criminalization of mundane behaviours and social groups, hardening crime control legislation, mass surveillance and incarceration, etc. - emerging in response to what commonly is perceived as the 'crime crisis’. We consider the key issues associated with the identification and management of social problems and contemplate how behavioural disobedience, as a moral resource, is purposefully exploited for political and commercial ends. Using a set of case studies (or crime control 'controversies') as evidence, students will address the following key questions:

• How are social problems defined and policed?
• To what degree is public understanding of crime culturally mediated and influenced by specific rhetorics?
• Which groups and interests effectively dictate crime control policies and criminal justice system agendas?
• What are the social consequences of intensifications in criminalization processes and securitization projects?

Overall, this course equips students with the appropriate knowledge, acuity and research skills to understand and engage the contemporary crime control landscape from a critically informed perspective.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. discern the political and economic interests influencing the crime control landscape;
2. critically evaluate the social impacts and resonances of contemporary crime control interventions;
3. analyse struggles between governing authorities and governed populations;
4. apply theoretical perspectives used by sociologists to explain in original ways crime control processes, specifically theories of risk, power, capitalization, spectacle and struggle;
5. undertake and assess research in the field of crime control, including the use of census data, attitudinal surveys, content analysis, participant observation and interviews; and
6. evaluate complex ideas lucidly and critically, orally and in writing.

Research-Led Teaching

This course is founded on Associate Professor Gavin Smith's 17 year research program which has looked at the politics of crime control and the policing of everyday life. Student's will be expected to draw on primary research that has been conducted in the crime control field as well as conducting their own independent research on various aspects (e.g. theoretical, empirical and policy analysis). The course is designed to introduce some key ideas and issues and invite students to develop their own research interests that could inform honours projects or graduate studies, or a career trajectory.

Required Resources

These are all provided to course participants.

Recommended Resources

Newburn T. and Rock, P. 2009. The Politics of Crime Control: Essays in Honour of David Downes. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Arrigo B. and Sellers B. 2021. The Pre-Crime Society: Crime Culture and Control in the Ultramodern Age. Bristol: Bristol University Press.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Please note, this is a course which looks at criminological processes and issues from a distinctly sociological perspective. Therefore, students who have had no familiarity with the discipline of sociology might find the content and format challenging.

The information provided here forms part of the preliminary Class Summary. All updates, changes and further information will be uploaded on the course Wattle site and will not be updated on Programs and Courses throughout the semester. Any questions or concerns should be directed to the Course Convenor, A/Prof Gavin Smith.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Policing the Risk Society
2	Indigenous Standpoint Theory
3	Media and Crime Control
4	Case Study 1 – Youth Crime
5	Governing through crime
6	Case study 2 – Indigenous Over-Representation	Assessment1: Annotated bibliography due
7	The New Penology
8	Histories of Crime Control
9	Splintering Crime Control 1 - Privatisation
10	Case Study 3 – New Media	Assessment 2: Take home exam due
11	Splintering Crime Control 2 – Legal Pluralism
12	Decolonising Crime Control
13		Assessment 3: Research essay due

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Learning Outcomes
Annotated bibliography	30 %	21/06/2024	1-6
Take-home exam	30 %	24/06/2024	1-6
Research essay	40 %	05/07/2024	1-6

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Given the interactive and dialogical nature of the lectures, students taking this course are expected to attend in-person and actively engage with the ideas being presented. Students are also expected to read, as a bare minimum, the weekly core readings, participate in lectures and tutorials, and conduct at least 94 hours of independent study. It is the responsibility of students to regularly access Wattle and their ANU email accounts in order to plan and prepare in advance of classes.

Examination(s)

This course has a take-home examination as a key assessment component.

Assessment Task 1

Annotated bibliography

Details of task: The annotated bibliography is designed to evaluate student’s critical engagement with the course content. Students will select two readings from the Course Outline and critically analyse the key arguments, strengths and weaknesses of the readings. Each annotation will be 250 words in length.

 

Word limit: 500-words. This word count includes in-text references but excludes the reference section.

Assessment Task 2

Take-home exam

Details of task: The take-home examination is designed to evaluate students’ general knowledge and understanding of the key issues, debates and ideas covered in the course.

 

The essay questions are framed to:

(a) measure your understanding of a general crime control controversy (i.e. why is the issue of criminological interest and significance? What are the key debates that animate and distinguish different approaches to the topic? How can criminological research help with explaining and addressing the problem? What types of criminological concepts have been applied and what are their relative strengths and weaknesses?)

 

(b) assess your ability to critically apply and evaluate key concepts, support contentions with evidence derived from the appropriate criminological literature and examples drawn from everyday life, write clearly/proficiently and formulate, structure and develop a logical argument.

 

Answer one question from the following list:

 

1. How might the decolonisation of policing impact on the over-representation of Indigenous people in the Australian criminal justice system?

 

2. How might a public health approach to youth crime balance welfare and justice models?

 

3. How might industry governance impact on the prevalence of crime on social media platforms?

 

Word limit: 800-words. This word count includes in-text references but excludes the reference section.

 

Value: 30%

 

Presentation requirements: A double-spaced and word-processed copy of this assessment task must be submitted electronically on Wattle via the appropriate Turnitin link by the assessment deadline. For reasons of equity, and as this is a set period take-home examination, there will NOT be any extensions granted. The default referencing style adopted for CRIM2003/6003 written work is Harvard and students MUST ensure that they reference consistently and accurately as per standard written assessment protocols. Students must NOT use footnotes or endnotes. Students are permitted to exceed the stated word limit by a maximum of 10%. If your work exceeds the 10% quota, it will accrue a 10% penalty. The reference sections of each essay do NOT count toward word limit.

Assessment Task 3

Research essay

Details of task: Students are required to select ONE essay question from a predefined list below and incorporate ideas, examples and knowledge from the course and from the relevant criminological literature to develop a coherent, informed and persuasive argument. Students will also be expected to conduct extensive critical research on related criminal justice system programs, processes and practices to augment, evidence and supplement their responses. They will need to read widely to substantiate and illustrate the claims they make.

 

The rationale for this assessment is to get students engaging critically with the course content and to develop their own understandings of the issues raised. It is designed to enable students to select a topic of interest and to conduct some preliminary research, be that through analysing statistics, policy documents, media accounts or criminological studies, and integrate examples/evidence into their account. It is also designed in a way that enables students to formulate their own argument vis-a-vis core topics of contemporary criminological concern.

 

Research essay questions:

·      How have risk frameworks impacted on the contemporary crime control landscape?

·      To what degree is the notion of 'moral panic' still of value to criminological analyses in the present age?

·      In what ways are responses to criminality shaped by political and economic interests?

·      What key factors have brought about a 'criminology of the self'' and with what social implications?

·      What for some critical criminologists are the properties and functions of the neo-liberal prison?

 

Word limit: 1500 words. This word count includes in-text references but excludes the reference section.

 

Assessment value: 40%

 

Presentation requirements: A double-spaced and word-processed copy of this assessment task must be submitted electronically on Wattle via the appropriate Turnitin link on the specified due date. The default referencing styles adopted for CRIM2003/6003 written work is Harvard or Chicago. Students must NOT use footnotes or endnotes. Students are permitted to exceed the stated word limit by a maximum of 10%. If your work exceeds the 10% quota, it will accrue a 10% penalty. The reference sections of each essay do NOT count toward word limit.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

No submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will be permitted. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded. OR Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Students' work will be returned with either written or verbal feedback on Wattle. The return dates are specified above and in the assessment instructions on Wattle.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Students are not permitted to resubmit assignments.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students