This course will introduce students to the history of social, structural, and critically framed theories that have been advanced to explain the criminal event as distinct from the criminal offender. Students will begin by exploring historical and contemporary theories that examine the situational and structural influences on crime, including Anomie/Strain, Critical and Conflict traditions, Feminism, Southern and Indigenous Criminology, Cultural Criminology, and Green Criminology. Students will then be introduced to ways that major social, political and cultural institutions intersect with crime and justice, including mass media, politics, and criminal justice institutions such as the police, courts, and corrections. We will also explore innovations in criminal justice, such as Indigenous justice and restorative justice. The course will require students to critically engage with the theories presented; and to critique their value in explaining crime and criminal justice in contemporary society. Current day issues and research will be drawn upon throughout the course to bring to life the application of these criminological perspectives.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between social structures, crime, and criminal justice;
- critique the value and utility of different theories and approaches to the understanding of crime and criminal justice;
- source relevant research publications on crime and justice, and interpret that information appropriately; and
- articulate and critique complex theories in a succinct and comprehensible manner.
Indicative Assessment
- Wattle-based Quizzes (20) [LO 1,2,4]
- Written assessment to develop research skills (20) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Group based oral presentation (15) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Final exam (35) [LO 1,2,4]
- Class participation (10) [LO 1,2,4]
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.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 35 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures and 11 hours of tutorial and tutorial-like activities; and
b) 95 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Prescribed Texts
Newburn, T. (2017). Criminology. 3rd Ed. Oxon: Routledge.Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7772 | 27 Jul 2026 | 03 Aug 2026 | 31 Aug 2026 | 30 Oct 2026 | In Person | N/A |