KRIM2952 ¨C A criminology of globalization

Course content

The course seeks to develop understanding of the central criminological perspectives on globalization, and crime control. Particular attention is paid to the social forces and contexts in which global transformation influence and shape the nature of contemporary crime, as well as transnational and international crime control and justice. Topics covered vary from year to year but are likely to include: organized crime and illicit economies, migration, human trafficking and smuggling, terrorism and the war on terror, global policing and the war on drugs.

Learning outcome

Knowledge, at the end of the course you will have obtained knowledge of the most central debates, questions, and ideas that have shaped contemporary understanding of globalization within criminology. You will have received, among other, an understanding of the following:

• An understanding of globalization as a phenomenon, as well as a number of controversies raised by the term.
• An understanding of and ability to critically assess international crime control and policy and its intellectual foundations.
• An understanding of the multiple ways in which global inequality shapes contemporary crime control strategies.
• The changing role of the state and state sovereignty under conditions of globalization.
• The changing parameters of security and its perceptions in the post-9/11 climate.
• The conflicting and contradictory nature of the cultural dynamics of globalization, particularly as it pertains to issues of migration, culture and national identity.

Skills, students will:

• Learn to interpret, analyze and critically discuss scholarly texts and form an informed opinion on contemporary issues and controversies in transnational crime, criminal justice and punishment.

• Be encouraged to think seriously about the role of the state and criminal law in regulating cross-border threats and harms and the place and limitations of criminal justice interventions in producing safe societies.
• Be encouraged to think about normative aspects of global interconnectedness, particularly as articulated in various theories of justice and in terms of criminology¡¯s engagement with human rights.

Competences, students will:

• enhance their capability to question and discuss urgent and sensitive aspects of contemporary social and political debates about cross-border crime and security.
• enhance their capability to formulate and reflect on their own ideas about crime, social harm, security and justice.