Animal Criminology
| Module title | Animal Criminology |
|---|---|
| Module code | ANTM109 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Jessica Groling (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 25 |
|---|
Module description
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MODULE IS ONLY AVAILABLE VIA DISTANCE-LEARNING.
From medieval animal trials to recent debates about the legal recognition of animal sentience, animals have variously featured in the socio-legal sphere as criminals, hazards, property and victims of abuse. They are poached, rustled and damaged; abused, assaulted and neglected. In this module you will study the changing position of animals before the law and the ways in which cruelty and harm to animals are defined, measured, punished and prevented through legal and extra-legal means. We will ask what obligations humans have towards other animals, to what extent the criminal justice system can secure their interests and which human interests are served by legislation. We will examine the links between animal cruelty and inter-human violence, debate ways in which wildlife persecution – globally and in the UK – can be addressed, examine the roles of charities and NGOs in the enactment and enforcement of animal welfare legislation, explore the criminalisation of certain kinds of environmental and animal advocacy, and discuss what it would mean for animals to be treated as legal persons. Criminology has traditionally focused on certain dimensions of animal abuse at the expense of others and prioritised the study of animal abuse as an indicator of inter-human violence. This module will cover many different types of animal harm and expand traditional criminological definitions of abuse. We will examine animal abuse through sociological, psychological, anthropological and philosophical lenses to develop a multi-disciplinary anthrozoological perspective.
There are no pre-requisites for this module.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The module aims:
- To provide students with a theoretically and empirically grounded understanding of the historical development and contemporary significance of legislation pertaining to animals
- To facilitate critical engagement with diverse scholarly and legal approaches to the treatment of animal abuse
- To develop students’ understanding of the interactions between animal ethics, law and crime
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of diverse theoretical and legal approaches to the study of animal abuse and crime
- 2. Demonstrate reflexive awareness of how animals have been conceptualised by the legal system in various historical periods and contemporary jurisdictions
- 3. Critically evaluate the effects and dimensions of legal and extra-legal solutions to animal abuse in a variety of contexts
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Demonstrate a capacity to apply a critical and theoretically-informed anthrozoological perspective to case study examples
- 5. Demonstrate an understanding of the intersections between animal ethics, law and criminology
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Effectively communicate complex ideas in a clear, accessible and academic manner in both oral and written form
- 7. Synthesise and analyse material from a full range of sources
- 8. Work independently and manage time efficiently in preparing for scheduled learning activities, exercises and assessments
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 history of anti-cruelty and animal welfare legislation
- Theoretical approaches to the study of animal cruelty, abuse and suffering
- Forms and measures of animal harm
- The changing status of animals before the law: animals as criminals, deviants, hazards, property, rights-bearers/legal persons
- Animal abuse and inter-human violence: the graduation thesis, domestic violence and child abuse
- Green criminology, critical criminology and non-speciesist criminology
- International wildlife crime – wildlife trafficking, elephant ivory poaching, the trade in rhino horn and commercial whaling
- Wildlife crime in the UK: forms of persecution and the enactment and enforcement of legislation
- Prevention, regulation, prosecution and extra-legal solutions to animal abuse
- ‘Ecoterrorism’ and the criminalisation of animal advocacy
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 130 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 10 | 10 x 60-minute podcast audio lectures with accompanying powerpoint presentations |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 7.5 | 5 x 90-minute discussion/seminar participations (fortnightly) |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 2.5 | 5 x 20-minute oral presentation slots (10 mins presentation, 10 mins discussion) within seminar groups in week 5 |
| Guided Independent Study | 35 | Preparation and reading for weekly lectures, seminars & Teams discussions |
| Guided Independent Study | 15 | Preparation for oral presentations |
| Guided Independent Study | 80 | Research and writing of summative assessment |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-assessed exercises | Weekly Q&A discussions on the Teams channel in response to set questions for reflection | 1-8 | Peer-assessed and written feedback from lecturer on discussion forums |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 75 | 2,750 words | 1-8 | Written feedback |
| Oral case-study presentation | 25 | 10 minute presentation (with Powerpoint slides) plus 10 -minute discussion with the seminar group. | 1-8 | Oral feedback from lecturer after the presentation |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (2,750 words) | 1-8 | August/September reassessment period |
| Oral case study presentation | Oral case study presentation (10 mins) | 1-8 | August/Sept reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Arluke, A. (2004) Brute Force: Animal Police and the Challenge of Cruelty. West Lafayette, Indiana: Purdue University Press.
Ascione, F. and Arkow, P. (1999) Child abuse, domestic violence, and animal abuse: Linking the circles of compassion for prevention and intervention. West Lafayette, Indiana: Purdue University Press.
Beirne, P., O’Donnell, I. and Janssen, J. (2018) Murdering Animals: Theriocide, Homicide and Nonspeciesist Criminology. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Beirne, P. (2009) Confronting Animal Abuse: Law, Criminology and Human-Animal Relationships. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Beirne, P. (2004) From animal abuse to interhuman violence? A critical review of the progression thesis. Society & Animals. 1:1. 39-65.
Beirne, P. (1999) For a nonspeciesist criminology: Animal abuse as an object of study. Criminology. 37:1. 117-147.
Benton, T. (1998) Rights and justice on a shared planet: more rights or new relations? Theoretical Criminology. 2:2. 149-175.
Cazaux, G. (1999) Beauty and the beast: Animal abuse from a non-speciesist criminological perspective. Crime, Law & Social Change. 31:2. 105-126.
Evans, E.P. (1906/1987) The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals. Boston: Faber and Faber.
Fitzgerald, A.J. (2005) Animal abuse and family violence: researching the interrelationships of abusive power. Mellen Studies in Sociology. 48. Lampeter, Wales: The Edwin Mellen Press.
Francione, G. (1995) Animals, property and the law. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Grugan, S.T. (2017) The Companions We Keep: A Situational Analysis and Proposed Typology of Companion Animal Cruelty. Deviant Behavior.
Hall, M., Wyatt, T., South, N., Nurse, A., Potter, G., and Maher, J. (eds.) (2016) Greening Criminology in the 21st Century. London: Ashgate.
Linzey, A. (ed.) (2009) The link between animal abuse and human violence. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press.
Maher, J., Pierpoint, H., and Beirne, P. (eds.) (2017) The Palgrave International Handbook of Animal Abuse Studies. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Nurse, A. (2017) Criminalising the right to hunt: European law perspectives on anti-hunting legislation. Crime, Law and Social Change. 67:4.
Nurse, A. (2016) A global movement: NGOs and the policing of international wildlife trafficking. Journal of Trafficking, Organized Crime and Security. 2:1. 50-61.
Nurse, A. (2015) Policing Wildlife: perspectives on the enforcement of wildlife legislation. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Nurse, A. (2013) Species justice: The future protection of wildlife and the reform of wildlife laws. The Green Criminology Monthly. 6.
Nurse, A. (2012) Repainting the Thin Green Line: The Enforcement of Wildlife Legislation. Internet Journal of Criminology.
Potter, G.R., Nurse, A., and Hall, M. (2016) The geography of environmental crime: conservation, wildlife crime and environmental activism. London: Palgrave.
Roeschke, J.E. (2009) Eco-terrorism and piracy on the high seas: Japanese whaling and the rights of private groups to enforce international conservation law in neutral waters. The Villanova Environmental Law Journal. XX:1. 99-136.
Schaffner, J.E. (2011) An Introduction to animals and the law. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Taylor, N. (2011) Criminology and the Human-Animal Violence Research: The Contribution and the Challenge. Critical Criminology. 19:3.
Warchol, G., Zupan, L. and Clack, W. (2003) Transnational criminology: An analysis of the illegal wildlife market in southern Africa. International Criminal Justice Review. 13.
Wellsmith, M. (2011) Wildlife crime: the problems of enforcement. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research. 17:2. 125-148.
Wyatt, T. (2013) Wildlife trafficking: a deconstruction of the crime, the victims, and the offenders. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
ELE - vle.exeter.ac.uk
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | Yes |
| Origin date | 31/07/2018 |
| Last revision date | 24/02/2022 |
