Module SOC2069 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
SOC2069: Crimes of the Powerful
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
The aim of the module is to:
- demonstrate the different types of crimes and harms associated with corporations and state actors
- assess the nature and impact of such harms on society
- examine the institutional, policy and legal context within which such harms and crimes can occur
- evaluate existing practices of law enforcement for holding state actors and corporations to account (at national and international levels)
- critically evaluate the concept of ‘crime,’ from a ‘harm-based’ perspective, which incorporates an understanding of social injury to society as well as individualised victims of crime
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
---|---|
Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate an understanding of the different types of crimes committed by corporations and state actors; 2. engage with and evaluate a range of sources both quantitative and qualitative that provide evidence of crimes and harms committed by state actors and corporations; 3. evaluate policy solutions to crimes and harms committed by state actors and corporations at a national and international level. |
Discipline-Specific Skills | 4. demonstrate an understanding of the socio-legal context in which crimes of the powerful are committed; 5. evaluate theoretical approaches that consider harm to be a more appropriate starting point for understanding harm in society. |
Personal and Key Skills | 6. demonstrate collaborative skills, in presentations and group discussions of course materials; 7. critically evaluate own work and the work of others; 8. demonstrate a clear and effective argument, in oral and written form; 9. work independently, within a set time frame, to complete an analytical task. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics:
- environmental harms and crimes;
- state crime and state terrorism;
- financial crimes;
- corruption;
- deregulation and crime;
- poverty;
- policy solutions.
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 | 22 | 11 x 2 hour seminars |
Guided independent study | 22 | Preparation and reading for seminars |
Guided independent study | 42 | Preparation and reading for presentation |
Guided independent study | 10 | Additional reading/research |
Guided independent study | 54 | Preparation for essay |
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 |
---|---|---|---|
Essay plan (students will submit plan of summative essay) | 750 words plus discussion and evaluation time | 1-9 | Oral and written (peer review with guidance) |
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 | 0 | 50 |
...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 | 2,000 words | 1-5, 7-9 | Written |
Individual presentation | 50 | 15 minutes presentation + slides | 1-9 | Oral and 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 |
---|---|---|---|
Essay | 2,000 words essay | 1-5, 7-9 | August/September reassessment period |
Individual presentation | 15 minutes presentation + slides | 1-9 | August/September reassessment period |