Last modified: 13 Aug 2026 12:47
This course examines the theories that attempt to explain why people act in a deviant or criminal manner. It also asks what we can learn from these theories when thinking about how society identifies, responds to, and seeks to prevent crime. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to think critically about the causes of crime, society’s response to it, and the definition of crime itself.
We consider theories that explain deviance, in whole or in part, as the product of the labels social groups assign to certain types of conduct, the dynamics of subcultures and group belonging, biological features of the offender, and economic forces and environmental conditions. The course then turns from explanation to response, examining situational approaches to crime prevention, before considering the purposes of punishment, deterrence, and rehabilitation.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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One or more of these courses have a limited number of places. Priority access will be given to students for whom this course is compulsory. Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions for more details on this process.
The course is delivered across six seminars, moving from theories that explain criminal behaviour to approaches for preventing and responding to it. The course begins by examining labelling theory and the question of how certain conduct, and certain people, come to be defined as deviant in the first place. It then turns to subcultural theories and the role that group belonging and group values play in offending, before considering biological explanations of criminal behaviour. From there, the course moves to economic and environmental explanations and the social and material conditions within which crime occurs. Finally, the course shifts from explaining crime to responding to it, looking at situational crime prevention before turning to the purposes of punishment, deterrence, and rehabilitation.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Feedback will be provided on the feedback form within three weeks from the date of submission. |
Word Count | 2500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Feedback will be provided on the feedback form within three weeks from the date of submission. |
Word Count | 2500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
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There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Re-submission of failed element in re-sit diet; the failed course will be capped at grade 09 (D3). |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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| Factual | Remember | ILO’s for this course are available in the course guide. |
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