Application of Criminological Theory
Assessment Details
Aims
Your task is to complete a 2,000 - word essay, choosing at least three criminological theories and applying them to a topic of your choice that has been covered during this unit.
The area of study could focus on either a specific historical and criminological case, a significant event, or a criminological topic/trend.
This area of study should be linked to at least three criminological theories of your choice, discussing their strengths and weaknesses in relation to your area of study.
Possible areas of study
- Why do people commit crime?
- Why are the police service still viewed as institutional racist?
- Why do young people join gangs?
- Why do certain people ‘suffer’ from hate crime?
- Should we ‘treat’ or ‘punish’ offenders?
The aim of this assessment is for you to demonstrate that you can do the following, which relate to the programme level outcomes:
- 1. Structure an academic essay to demonstrate your understanding of criminological concepts and theories, with reference to an area of criminological study.
- 2. To show your understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of a range of criminological theories.
- 3. Use the library facilities to search for and select academic sources to evidence your work.
- 4. Evidence your work using the APA referencing format.
Essays
You will need to write a range of academic essays throughout your degree. An essay is a detailed description of a chosen topic, which addresses a specific question. An effective essay helps you to demonstrate your understanding of criminology. Therefore, this is included as an assessment for you. Essay writing helps you to develop your academic skills, as well as the types of skills that employers expect from graduates.
Expectations
The essay is an opportunity for you to display your knowledge of criminology. As this is a 2,000-word piece of work, you will be able to produce a comprehensive discussion of your chosen question. As with your previous essay plan, you are expected to include:
- An introduction
- A range of interconnected ‘body paragraphs’
- A conclusion
- A reference list – (This should include at least one academic book and journal article, which you will have read)
How to Approach the Task
Develop an essay plan in a similar structure to the first assessment. In the assessment section on Moodle you will find a document titled ‘Essay Plan Guidance’. This document provides guidance on how to structure an essay. Begin with a short introduction of what the case study is and what will be discussed. Think about how you can organise your essay into a coherent order in terms of core arguments (Topic Sentence and Supporting Ideas). This organisation of the material is an important part of the process, so it is for you to make your own decisions. I am deliberately not telling you exactly what you should do here. At the end of the essay, write a short summary summarising the core arguments of the discussion, and draw conclusions which address the essay question.
