LW2ACT: Advanced Criminological Theory

Module code: LW2ACT

Module provider: School of Law

Credits: 20

Level: 5

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Alexandra Cox , email: a.cox@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 14 July 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The purpose of this module is to teach students the key criminological perspectives used for understanding crime and processes of criminalisation.  

The aims are to deepen students’ understanding of the main perspectives within criminology at the same time as introducing them to related concepts (such as social control) and ways of explaining crime, criminalisation and victimisation. The inter-connections between crime, criminalisation, victimisation and social inequalities will be explored. 

Over the course of a semester, this familiarises students with key criminological concepts and theories The first few lectures help students understand the major and unresolved questions that have shaped criminology. These are questions like: what is the nature of ‘society’? Are human beings free to act in any way they choose or is their behaviour determined by other forces and factors? What should criminology concern itself with - the study of offending or the processes by which some lawbreakers and some social problems become seen as criminals and crime problems?  

Once students are given this grounding in the development of criminology and criminological theory, this module turns its attention to contemporary perspectives within criminology that address modern patterns of social inequalities as well as global social problems.  

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a developed knowledge and understanding of criminological theory;
2. Critically evaluate assumptions strengths and weaknesses of a variety of contemporary theoretical perspectives to crime and deviance;
3. Identify the ontological and epistemological basis of a variety of theoretical approaches.

Module content

1. The foundations of criminology: the concepts of social order and social control  
2. Individual theories of offending: biosocial criminology and rational choice theory
3. Individual theories of offending: developmental and life course criminology
4. Individual theories of offending: Control Theories
5. Social Structure theories: Anomie and strain theories
6. Sociological theories: Idealist and realist criminology 
7. Sociological theories: Feminism and Racism
8. Sociological theories: Southern criminology 
9. Sociological theories: Green criminology 
10. Sociological theories: Crimes of the State

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module will be taught by a combination of lectures, workshops and tutorials. Lectures provide an outline of the reading materials and introduce key concepts. Workshops and tutorials will explore in more detail the themes and issues of the reading and lectures and will be a forum in which students discuss their reading, test their knowledge development and debate arguments and methodological issues and consolidate their learning. Students are expected to undertake at least 150 hours of independent study largely in the form of background reading.

Study hours

At least 37 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Level 3 (i.e. foundation modules for Part 0) and Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Portfolio Entry

Reassessment

Additional costs