Women in the Criminal Justice System: Law, Policy and Institutions
| Module title | Women in the Criminal Justice System: Law, Policy and Institutions |
|---|---|
| Module code | POL3240 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Sarah Cooper (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
This module will introduce the position of women in the criminal justice system, both as victim and offender, and will explore the regulation of a range of issues from abortion and prostitution, to rape and female serial killers. The core theoretical element throughout will be the analysis of the respective influence of political and cultural organisations – such as the police, government, penal reform system, media and civil society – through various conceptual lenses including new-institutionalism. As a result, the strong emphasis of the course is the overlap between law and politics, and acknowledgment of the duality endemic to the UK’s criminal justice approach that starkly labels female conduct as either good or bad. Through specific empirical application, such as the question of probation in the case of Myra Hindley, the need for appropriate protection for prostitutes in regard to the ‘Bradford Murders’, and the call for public inquiry into the reporting process for rape, students will be able to consider the regulatory challenges this binary creates when women are seen to be conforming to more than one stereotype.
The module has no pre-requisites. Although principally concerning public policy, it comprises a multi-disciplinary approach to politics, law and criminology, and will appeal not only to students interested in women’s issues, but to those concerned with the interconnectedness between law and politics.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The course is divided into policy domains that ach comprise three parts; the first will concern how women are regulated in the 21st century, including the current statutory schemes, and the range of legal and policy instruments designed to shape and influence behaviour. The second section will question why these policy domains are shaped in this manner, and the influence of key institutions in this process will be critically examined. Finally, the consequences of such governance both for women directly engaged in such activities, and for the gender more generally, will be evaluated, and future lessons for policymakers suggested.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Understand the nature of how women are regulated across the three legal jurisdictions of the UK
- 2. Critically assess how law and policy is created and perpetuated across these policy domains
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Analyse a range of theoretical approaches to comparative policy analysis, including New Institutionalism and Europeanization
- 4. Analyse the role of key institutions and actors both at the macro level of policy formulation, and at the micro implementation stage
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Communicate ideas effectively in a small group setting and through written work
- 6. Demonstrate advanced IT skills through extended presentations
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
The organisation of political life and the role of supranational lawAbortion policy and reproductive freedom
Evidence based policymaking and professionals
The regulation of prostitution
Sex for Sale in the EU
Women Who Kill
Pornography
Interest groups and human rights legislation
9Rape legislation
Policy implementation and SLBs
Girls and juvenile offending
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 22 | 11 x two-hour seminars |
| Guided independent study | 44 | Reading and preparation for seminars |
| Guided independent study | 17 | Research and writing of group presentation |
| Guided independent study | 25 | Research and writing of consultation paper |
| Guided independent study | 42 | Research and writing of essay |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consultation paper outline | 500 words | 1-5 | One-to-one oral feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 80 | 0 | 20 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Presentation | 20 | 15 mins | 1-6 | Written and verbal feedback |
| Consultation paper | 80 | 3,000 words | 1-6 | Written feedback |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation | Presentation (15 minutes) | 1-6 | August/September assessment period |
| Consultation paper | Consultation paper (3000 words) | 1-5 | August/September assessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
Cooper, Sarah. 2016. Regulating Women: Policymaking and Practice in the UK. Rowman and Littlefield. Chapter 1.
Lowndes, Vivien and Mark Roberts. 2013. Why Institutions Matter: The New Institutionalism in Political Science. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Peters, B. Guy .2011. Institutional Theory in Political Science: The New Institutionalism. London: Pinter.
Krook, Mona Lena, and Fiona Mackay, eds. 2010. Gender, Politics and Institutions: Towards a Feminist Institutionalism. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.
Stern, Baroness Vivien. 2010. The Stern Review: A Report by Baroness Vivien Stern CBE of an Independent Review into How Rape Complaints are Handled by Public Authorities in England and Wales. Government Equalities Office and Home office, London.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | none |
| Module co-requisites | none |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 11/03/2019 |
| Last revision date | 11/03/2019 |
