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CRIME, JUSTICE AND SOCIETY THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD

WEEK 1: CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE WELCOME TO THE COURSE Dr Matthew Bacon, The University of Sheffield: Welcome to Crime, Justice

and Society. On this course, we'll be exploring the vast and fascinating issues

of crime and criminal justice, looking at the role of the state in the regulation of

criminal behaviour and the parts played by those involved in the criminal

justice system.

Crime and the study of crime occurs within a social and political context. What

we think about crime and what we think we know about crime reflects the

times in which we live. As we will see, the ways in which we respond to crime

are also very much a reflection of the nature of the contemporary world. As

societies change, what can be known and what is already known about crime

changes too - begging new questions, involving new crimes, and stimulating

both innovative methods of social control and new types of criminological

study.

To me, the study of crime and criminal justice is a gateway into understanding

how societies function. It covers debates on permissible and moral behaviours,

of collective reasoning, and the policing of the self. Looking back, my own

fascination started with the stories about Sherlock Holmes that I read as a

child, James Bond movies and dreams of becoming a bounty hunter in the

American Wild West. I wanted to find out if media representations of cops and

criminals were anything like the reality. Now, having carried out research on

policing, drug control policy and the illegal economy, I have come to realise

that it is a far more complex and intriguing subject than I ever could have

imagined.

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Each week on this course, we will learn about key themes and contemporary

debates in research, policy and practice, with experts from the Centre for

Criminological Research here at the University of Sheffield. We'll invite you to

share your experiences and join us in debating the issues with other learners.

We'll ask, does your social and political background affect how you think about

crime and criminal justice? What should the role of the police be in

contemporary society? What are victims' experiences of criminal justice, and

how can we support victims? Are there alternative responses to crime instead

of prosecution and conviction? Does criminal justice policy and practice

command public confidence and reflect community values?

I will see you again later in the week when we head to Italy to learn about

Cesare Lombroso, the controversial figure often cited as the father of modern

criminology. But for now, I shall leave you with Dr Maggie Wykes, who will be

looking at ideas about crime, criminals and justice.

Dr Maggie Wykes, The University of Sheffield: Hi, I'm Dr Maggie Wykes, a

criminologist at Sheffield Law School. Welcome to Week 1 of the course Crime,

Justice and Society.

At face value the title of the course, Crime, Justice and Society, seems

straightforward. After all, we all know what crime is, don't we? And if a crime is

committed, we understand that the police, law and possibly the courts and

prisons will ensure justice is done, helping to keep society and all of us better

protected.

However in Week 1, we'll see that anything to do with crime and justice is far

from straightforward. We'll start by thinking about what crime is. Who commits

it? Where does it happen? Why does it happen? And how do we know about

it? Then we'll consider how the discipline of criminology emerged to deal with

the problem of crime and criminals.

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Criminology is the academic home of all the educators in the course team,

whom you'll meet later. And you'll see from their work that there are many very

different interests, areas of expertise, and ideas about what criminologists

should be doing.

The history of criminology is complex. So we will be looking at crime museums

to try to better understand how criminology emerged and what it does

nowadays. Then we'll consider the topic of justice and look at its principles.

We'll discuss how the criminal justice system works, and how we can learn a lot

about justice by thinking about what happens when justice isn't done. So you'll

learn about some cases where serious miscarriages of justice have happened.

As the course team live, research, and teach in England, we'll be focusing on

English crime and criminal justice. But along the way, we'll be encouraging you

to think about crime and justice in your own country. Do you have different

ideas? Why do you think this might be?

We hope you will discuss these differences with your fellow learners. And try

to understand how another society's ideas about crime, criminals and justice

might differ from your own. Learning from each other cannot only help us to

think more critically and reflectively about our own culture and practices, but it

can also throw light on what we mean when we talk about crime and justice.

So do share your ideas and experiences.

We hope you enjoy your week and we look forward to your comments.

WEEK 1: CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICEWELCOME TO THE COURSE