Module SOC2098 for 2019/0
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
SOC2098: Sociology of Imprisonment
This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
What is 'prison sociology'? - An introduction to the module.
Prison Discourses – how and to what extent has the nature of imprisonment changed since the 1950s?
The Prison Experience – discuss what the ‘pains of imprisonment’ are, and whether their nature has changed in the last five decades.
Society of Prisoners – consider what social life within a prison is like, and what it tells us about the effectiveness of prison as a method of punishing offenders.
Beyond Prison Walls – consider how imprisonment reaches beyond prison walls, affecting ex-prisoners' lives after their have served their sentence, and affecting their families and communities.
The politics and policies of imprisonment.
Experiences of particular types of prisoners
Oversight, monitoring and accountability
Theoretical and conceptual perspectives on imprisonment
Contemporary debates in imprisonment
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activity | 11 | 11 x 1-hour lectures |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activity | 11 | 11 x 1 hour tutorials |
| Guided independent study | 40 | Reading assignments and preparing for the tutorials |
| Guided independent study | 20 | Preparing for essay assignment |
| Guided independent study | 15 | Additional reading/research |
| Guided independent study | 53 | Preparation for and completion of all exams |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
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 | 1-5, 7, 8, 10 | 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 on seminars | Active participation based on readings | 1-9 | Verbal |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written examination | 50 | 1 hour | 1-5, 7, 8, 10 | Written |
| Essay | 50 | 3,000 words | 1-9 | Written |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written examination | Written examination, 1 hour | 1-5, 7, 8, 10 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Essay | Essay, 3,000 words | 1-9 | August/September re-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.
Basic reading:
Sykes, G. (2007), The Society of Captives: A Study of a Maximum Security Prison.
Crewe, B. (2009), The Prisoner Society.
Ewald, A., and Uggen, C. (2012), 'The Collateral Effects of Imprisonment on Prisoners, Their Families, and Communities', in The Oxford Handbook of Sentencing and Corrections (ed. J. Petersilia and K. R. Reitz).
