Undergraduate Module Descriptor

SOC3132: 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 Skills	1. Critically 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 Skills	3. Demonstrate a critical understanding of human rights implications of new practices and technologies in policing and security 4. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the legislative and framework for the use of new technologies in policing and security 5. Apply and critically evaluate a range of methods to analyse new criminological practices
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. Present 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:

Legislative and regulatory framework of intelligence-led policing
Political repression, surveillance and spying
Policing protest movements, social movement organisations and industrial disputes
Impacts of new technologies such as facial recognition and movement prediction software in CCTV on public spaces and civil society
Impact of profiling technologies for minority communities.
Policing social media and digital rights

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).