Module SOC3101 for 2018/9
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
SOC3101: Police and Policing
This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.
Module Aims
This module offers an opportunity for you to engage with the key issues, concepts and contemporary debates around the police and policing – a far-reaching and highly controversial area of study. The module also aims to provide you with an insight into the methods commonly used to research this topic, and their strengths, weaknesses and ethical implications. The focus is predominantly on English and Welsh policing, and you will benefit from an enhanced understanding of the institutional arrangements, policies and practices used in the jurisdiction. However material will also be drawn from a range of countries, to allow you to put policing practices into an international context.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate a clear and detailed understanding of key concepts in sociological debates around policing. 2. Analyze practical issues and contemporary debates of relevance to policing in England and Wales, synthesizing key findings in the literature. 3. Evaluate the differing research methods commonly used in police research, and their implications. |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 4. Demonstrate a critical understanding of key sociological concepts in policing - and a capacity apply them to specific topics and questions. 5. Appraise different methods used in the social sciences. 6. Use relevant literature to analyse contemporary issues and debates. |
| Personal and Key Skills | 7. Present a clear, evidence-based argument both verbally and in writing. 8. Conduct guided independent study in order to research a specific topic / question. 9. Work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task. |
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| A short, essay based, unseen mock exam, conducted during a tutorial. | 20 minutes. | 1, 2, 4,6 -8. | Feedback will be given by peers, supported by the tutor. This will give students the opportunity to hone their exam technique, and to informally practice / develop skills around giving and receiving feedback. Additional support will be provided by the tutor during office hours. |
| Participation in seminars | Active participation in seminars, based on readings. | 1 8 | Verbal feedback by tutor. |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50 | 3, 000 words essay | 1 8 | Written |
| Examination | 50 | 1 hour exam | 1,2 4, 6 - 9 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | Exam (1 hour exam) | 1,2 4, 6 - 9 | August/September assessment period |
| Essay | Essay (3, 000 word essay) | 1 8 | August/September assessment period |
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
• Bayley, D and Shearing, C ‘The Future of Policing’ Law & Society Review 30 (3): 585 – 606.
• Buttle, J (2007) ‘A Constructive Critique of the Officer Safety Programme Used in England and Wales’ Policing and Society: An International Journal of Research and Policy 17 (2): 164 – 181.
• Innis, M (2005) ‘Why ‘Soft’ Policing is Hard: On the Curious Development of Reassurance Policing, How it Became Neighbourhood Policing and What This Signifies About the Politics of Police Reform’ Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology 15: 156–169.
• Paoline, E (2004) ‘Shedding light on Police Culture: An Examination of Officer’s Occupational Attitudes Police Quarterly 7 (2): 205 – 236.
• Reisig, M and Kane, R (2014) The Oxford Handbook of Police and Policing Oxford University Press; Oxford (in particular Parts 2 and 3).
