Conflict, Crime & Justice in the Global Era
An interdisciplinary journey through the developments of crime, war and justice in the globalised world
Module details
- Offered to 3rd & 4th Years
- Thursdays 16.00-18.00
- Planned delivery: On campus (South Kensington)
- Two-term module, worth 5 ECTS
- Available to eligible students as part of I-Explore
- Extra Credit, or Degree Credit where your department allows
This module explores the conceptions and developments of crime and conflict in the contemporary globalised world and their difficult relations with justice.
We will consider a short history of punishment and torture, the evolutions of warfare after the horrors of WWII, the globalisation of crime and conflict, the multi-faceted relations between punishment and the human body, the use of biomedical treatments as criminal sanctions, the conceptions of offenders as abnormal, enemies or monsters and the many uses of robotics, genetics and cybernetics in crime, in the fight against crime and in warfare.
The module is highly interdisciplinary and relies on the ideas of some of the most influential thinkers of the last centuries, such as Beccaria, Kant, Bentham, Rawls, Foucault, Einstein, Russell, Chomsky, and Bauman, amongst others.
The methodology will be highly interactive and problem-oriented. To this purpose, the learning materials will not be just academic writings, as we will rely also on journalism, fiction, TV and radio broadcasts.
Information blocks
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:
- Engage and critically assess the developments in conflict, crime and justice brought about by globalisation
- Access, interpret and apply relevant findings and theories from different disciplines (e.g. criminology, law, sociology) and their practical relevance
- Correctly employ and critically assess relevant definitions, key concepts and theoretical frameworks and use them correctly in their analysis
- Find, read and interpret academic sources and materials independently and use them to assess real-life problems
Indicative core content
- Introduction to crime, punishment, conflict, and justice
- Short history of punishment from torture to sentencing
- Justifications and functions of punishment
- The horrors of WWII and the following international legal developments
- The developments of globalisation on conflict, crime and justice
- Criminals, enemies, aliens and monsters
- Terrorism
- The contemporary relationships between crime and war
- The problem of torture
- The manipulation of the body as criminal sanction and its legitimacy
- Genetics, crime and the law
- Artificial intelligence
- Cyber-crime and cyber-war
- Learning basic legal skills
Learning and teaching approach
The module is organised in four main parts:
- Crime and Punishment
- Legal developments occurred After the Holocaust
- Globalisation
- Science, Technology and Crime
Each part of the module includes special skills sessions to complement your knowledge with a practical approach and support your performance in the assignments.
At the end of the course, we should be able to assess the of current global developments in conflict, crime and justice - especially those pushed by science and technology.
Active learning is essential for this module. Collective and interdisciplinary critical discussions are encouraged during each session through stimulating issues, case studies and scenarios. Some exercises are assigned beforehand and will have to be prepared at home in view of the discussion in class. A number of practical interactive and role-playing sessions during the year will see you actively engaged in the learning process.
You will participate in several, specifically designed activities:
- A field trip to the Imperial War Museum, to familiarise with the issues of WWII
- Law reform exercise: you will be divided in groups to play the role of advisors to the Government and the Parliament on a particularly problematic issue of criminalisation
- Mock trial: you will be prosecutors, defence lawyers, judge, jurors, witnesses in a mock trial on a criminal case
- Research and writing-skills session: you will conduct some research in small groups on specific legal or socio-political themes assigned by your lecturer and then write a draft structure for a possible essay. You will then have the opportunity to self-assess the results of your exercise and to have feedback and feedforward from your lecturer
Your learning will be augmented digitally in the following ways:
- The module uses an appropriate VLE
- The lectures use slides delivered beforehand via the VLE
- The slides alternate the theoretical explanation/discussion of certain issues with the showing of videos and pictures, to give you practical and concrete examples of the relevance of the issues.;
- Occasionally online polling is used
- Pre-class preparation is 1h per week. Mandatory readings are reduced to the strict necessary. You can expand your knowledge through a number of optional materials, which are also helpful for your coursework. 20 hours should be dedicated to drafting the submissions for such coursework's. The reading materials are listed on Reading List (Leganto), accessible via the VLE. You will be introduced in class to library and IT sources/services to support your research
This module uses an appropriate VLE, through which summative assessments are submitted.
First marks and feedback are returned to you, via the module VLE, within two weeks of submission. Ideally second marking has also taken place within this time, though for larger modules this is not possible. Individual feedback will include extensive comments from both the first and the second marker not only on the strengths and weaknesses of each submission, but also on possible ways to improve. General feedback will be also provided to the whole cohort via announcement on the VLE to outline the overall results and general issues. Feedback from the first assessment informs the second assessment.
Summative assessment and feedback is returned with a disclaimer that marks may be modified by later markers or external examiners. Additional formative feedback includes in-class feedback from your lecturer on class exercises, and peer feedback on presentations and group projects when appropriate.
Throughout the module you receive formative feedback as follows:
- In-class feedforward from your lecturer on exercises and assignments to come
- In-class feedback from your lecturer on exercises and assignments past
- In-class feedback from your lecturer and your peers on your performance at the skills sessions (see above)
- Optional individual feedback/feedforward sessions with your lecturer
Assessment
Coursework: Problem-based exercise - 1000-1500 words (30%)
Coursework: Essay - 1500-2000 words (70%)
Key information
- Requirements: You are expected to attend all classes and undertake approximately 85 hours of independent study in total during the module. Independent study includes reading and preparation for classes, researching and writing coursework assignments and preparing for other assessments.
- This module is designed as an undergraduate Level 6 module. For an explanation of levels, view the Imperial Horizons Level Descriptors page.
"Thank you for giving such a spirited and involved module. It was genuinely surprising to see the level of engagement and passion you brought to the content and which has absolutely spread ... this module was a hidden gem that I hope more future students stumble across."
"An enjoyable module with detailed and constructive feedback on the assignments, it has definitely helped to improve my writing."
"I recently obtained a training contract at an international commercial firm (with the aim of specialising in intellectual property law). The module was a great talking point in the interviews!"
"The level of feedback given on the coursework was fantastic. The module itself is such a great addition to the Horizons program."
"The course is very well organised and clearly delineated. The topics are all very interesting and discussed in considerable depth."
"Great module, a good dash of colour amidst all the engineering!"