Skip to 0 minutes and 10 seconds The study of crime and how we respond to it forces us to ask fundamental questions about order and morality in society, and how we define and solve complex social problems. Which human behaviours are defined as crimes? Which citizens are labelled as criminals and brought to justice? Are criminal justice interventions fairly distributed across individuals and social groups? Is it true that the rich get richer and the poor get prison? I’m Dr. Matthew Bacon, a lecturer in criminology in The School of Law at The University of Sheffield.
Skip to 0 minutes and 43 seconds During this course, you will learn with a team of experts from The Centre for Criminological Research here at Sheffield, which is one of the UK’s original four criminological centres for excellence and has over 30 years of active research experience. The issues we discuss will touch on a range of disciplines, including sociology, economics, history, law, psychology, philosophy, geography and ethics, as well as on people’s fears, moralities and politics.
Skip to 1 minute and 15 seconds As well as academics, we will talk to those with first-hand experience of the criminal justice system including probation officers, former prisoners and criminal lawyers. We’ll visit the police service in situ, witness a victim offender mediation session, and even travel to Italy to learn about Cesare Lombroso, the controversial figure often cited as the father of modern criminology. No society will ever be crime-free and criminal justice comes at a price. The knowledge that you gain from this course may inspire you to continue your studies with us, or pursue a career in criminal justice, or even academia.
Skip to 1 minute and 50 seconds Or it may simply give you the knowledge to better understand the complex and contested role of the state in criminal justice interventions and producing safe and just societies. Join us as we begin our study of crime, justice, and society.
