Framing Crime

This subject is not offered in 2014.

120 hours

Criminology or Sociology at Undergraduate level

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Crime is an issue of great social, individual and cultural concern. This subject investigates some of the ways in which crime is ‘framed': that is, represented, talked about, and interpreted. The subject focuses on two issues: how to interpret representations of crime (such as those in newspapers, legal discourse, literature, art, and social policy). and how to analyze the significance of representations of crime in the context of policy-making, preventing and responding to crime. The subject includes an emphasis on interpretive and analytical skills, covering discourse analysis, aspects of literary criticism, techniques of newspaper analysis, and understanding legal discourse. The subject engages with crime in a range of forms, including domestic violence, street art and graffiti, controversial artwork, sexual assault, terrorism and the Holocaust. In case studies and readings, there will be a focus on trauma and affect (whether individual or collective), problems of memory and commemoration after violence, and the difficulties of doing justice to the experience of victimization.

On completion of this subject students should:

• be able to critically analyze discursive representations of crime;
• be able to conduct library research on discursive representations of crime;
• be able to understand the implications of discursive representations of crime;
• be able to write critically and analytically about representations of crime.

An Analytical Exercise of 1500 words (30%) due early-August, and Research Essay of 3500 words (70%) due mid-September.

Hurdle Requirement: As this is an Intensively-taught subject, seminar attendance is compulsory on all 4 days. Regular participation in class is required.

Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per working day. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

A subject reader will be available for purchase from the University Bookshop

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject students should:

• Have highly developed cognitive, analytical and problem-solving skills;
• Have an advanced understanding of complex concepts and the ability to express them lucidly in writing and orally;
• Have sophisticated awareness of cultural, ethnic and gender diversities and their implications;
• Have an ability to plan work and to use time effectively.