soci a301 tma02
SOCIA 301 - Crime and Justice
October 2014 Presentation
TMA 02
Cut-off date: 11 Dec 2014 (Thur)
This assignment is based on Book 1: Crime: Local and Global.
Write an essay of between 1800 and 2000 words on the following:
Critically consider the ways in which a focus on social harm can help us to explore the complexities of ‘crime’.
Note to students:
This TMA is 22% of your overall continuous assessment grade. In TMA 02 you will be assessed on your ability to:
Show that the concepts of ‘crime’ and ‘social harm’ are controversial and contested;
understand how the course themes illuminate crime;
identify the ways in which ‘crime’ and ‘social harm’ are interrelated.
First, you will need to carefully identify what the question is asking you to consider. In this assignment you are asked to discuss a particular statement. This means developing an argument that outlines ways in which the statement might be justified, and also ways in which it might be problematic. This question requires you to critically engage with and interrogate accepted notions of ‘crime’. You will need to consider how the constitution of the concept is informed and shaped by relations of power. Remember, we need to be cautious when we discuss ‘crime’ because it is a term without universal meaning. Its meaning and interpretation often depend upon the socio-political and cultural contexts in which it is used. It might therefore be helpful to explore how some events and/or people become criminalised, and in what historical and geographical contexts. Much of Book 1 explores the ways in which powerful elites (governments, individuals, and corporations) exploit and manipulate law for political, personal and economic gain. Often the harm caused by those who hold power falls outside state-defined notions of crime, yet inflicts greater harms than those with which the criminal law is concerned. To explore the argument contained in the question you should therefore examine the statement through
October 2014 Presentation
TMA 02
Cut-off date: 11 Dec 2014 (Thur)
This assignment is based on Book 1: Crime: Local and Global.
Write an essay of between 1800 and 2000 words on the following:
Critically consider the ways in which a focus on social harm can help us to explore the complexities of ‘crime’.
Note to students:
This TMA is 22% of your overall continuous assessment grade. In TMA 02 you will be assessed on your ability to:
Show that the concepts of ‘crime’ and ‘social harm’ are controversial and contested;
understand how the course themes illuminate crime;
identify the ways in which ‘crime’ and ‘social harm’ are interrelated.
First, you will need to carefully identify what the question is asking you to consider. In this assignment you are asked to discuss a particular statement. This means developing an argument that outlines ways in which the statement might be justified, and also ways in which it might be problematic. This question requires you to critically engage with and interrogate accepted notions of ‘crime’. You will need to consider how the constitution of the concept is informed and shaped by relations of power. Remember, we need to be cautious when we discuss ‘crime’ because it is a term without universal meaning. Its meaning and interpretation often depend upon the socio-political and cultural contexts in which it is used. It might therefore be helpful to explore how some events and/or people become criminalised, and in what historical and geographical contexts. Much of Book 1 explores the ways in which powerful elites (governments, individuals, and corporations) exploit and manipulate law for political, personal and economic gain. Often the harm caused by those who hold power falls outside state-defined notions of crime, yet inflicts greater harms than those with which the criminal law is concerned. To explore the argument contained in the question you should therefore examine the statement through