Undergraduate Module Descriptor

SOC2069: Crimes of the Powerful

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

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

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
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.

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:

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

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).