Undergraduate Module Descriptor

SOC2124: Surveillance, Security and the State

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

Module Aims

The aim of this module is to introduce students to new developments in criminological practices (strategic and technological) as well as applying new methods for adapting research to this evolving environment.  The module will enable students to learn about the socio-legal landscape of criminological practices with a focus on the implications of new technologies for human rights.

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 Skills1. Engage in understanding contemporary human rights controversies in criminology
2. Understand and apply appropriate theories and concepts to an analysis of human rights within criminological practices
Discipline-Specific Skills3. Demonstrate an understanding of human rights implications of new practices and technologies in policing and security
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the legislative and framework for the use of new technologies in policing and security
5. Apply and evaluate a range of methods to analyse new criminological practices
Personal and Key Skills6. Demonstrate collaborative skills, in presentations and group discussions of course materials
7. Critically evaluate own work and the work of others
8. Present a clear and effective argument, in oral and written form
9. Work independently, within a set time frame, to complete an analytical task

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.

Green, P. J., & Ward, T. (2000). State crime, human rights, and the limits of criminology. Social Justice27(1 (79), 101-115.

Lubbers, E. (2012). Secret Manoeuvres in the Dark. London: Pluto Press.

Lubbers, E. (2015). Undercover Research: Corporate and police spying on activists. An introduction to activist intelligence as a new field of surveillance. Surveillance & Society13(3/4), 338-353.

Marx, G. T. (1988). Undercover: police surveillance in America. Univ of California Press.

Marx, G. T. (2016). Windows into the soul: Surveillance and society in an age of high technology. University of Chicago Press.

Powell, A., Stratton, G., & Cameron, R. (2018). Digital criminology: Crime and justice in digital society. Routledge.

Smith, G. J., Bennett Moses, L., & Chan, J. (2017). The challenges of doing criminology in the big data era: Towards a digital and data-driven approach. The British journal of criminology57(2), 259-274.

Woodman, C. (2018). Spycops in context: A brief history of political policing in Britain. Centre for Crime and Justice Studies.