Crime, Deviance, and Conformity
Overview
This unit will examine various issues of criminality in relation to conceptions of deviance and conformity. Students will undertake a theoretical exploration to the study of crime and deviance with an investigation into the historic and contemporary discourses including the representations of certain groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, queer and gender diverse individuals, people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities (CALD), and young people as ‘deviant’, the situations and contexts within which crime and deviance is defined and take place, and the explanations put forward for the causes and consequences of deviance in society. The unit encourages students to think critically and practically engage with the key questions that criminologists face, including why and how some behaviours and groups within society are regarded as deviant or criminal and others are not.
Requisites
Equivalent
SOC20014 - Deviance, Difference and Conformity; SOC30015 - Deviance, Difference and Conformity
27-October-2024
09-February-2025
01-June-2025
05-October-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Explain the main concepts and debates within a range of criminological perspectives and theories.
- Identify and differentiate the major theoretical perspectives that explain the concepts of deviance, crime and social control.
- Evaluate the contribution of different criminological perspectives and theories to the study of deviance, crime, and social control.
- Discuss and critique published work and communicate this through informed written argument.
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Lecture (asynchronous) |
1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| On-campus Class |
2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning |
9.50 | 12 weeks | 114 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Swinburne Online
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Online Class | 3.00 | 12 weeks | 36 |
| Online Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 9.50 | 12 weeks | 114 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Individual | 30% | 1,2,3,4 |
| Presentation | Individual | 20% | 3,4 |
| Project Report | Individual | 50% | 1,2,3,4 |
Content
- Theories of deviant behaviour
- Stigma and social exclusion
- Discursive constructions of identities as deviant
- Social change and social problems
- Subcultures and deviating social codes
- Acts of transgression
- Changing technologies and harms
- Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Verbal communication
- Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Communicating using different media
- Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Information literacy
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.