Specialisation seminar (proseminar) - Criminology 2200-1F068

Proseminar in criminology enables:
(1) The contribution of criminology to understanding the process of constructing criminal acts and preventing unwanted behavior.
(2) The significance and place of criminology among other sciences with an indication of the relationship with penal sciences (e.g. constitutional law, human rights, criminal law, criminal and civil procedure, criminal executive law, misdemeanor law, penitentiary law, victimology, penology family law), sociology, social psychology, or psychiatry.
(3) Explains how and depending on what the definition of crime, deviation and the content of social pathology changes. It introduces the importance of criminal, penal and penitentiary policy.
(4) Explains how and why theoretical explanations of phenomena defined as crimes and those considered as pathology are developed and how this affects the justice system.
(5) Provides practical skills in the use of basic criminological concepts in the consideration of issues in criminal law and criminal law enforcement.

Type of course

proseminars

Mode

Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

The proseminar is addressed to students interested in the place of deviance and crime in social life. Its aim is to: - to present the systematic knowledge needed to pass the course. - To acquaint students with basic knowledge about research, criminological theories and their meaning for correct application of criminal law. - To present knowledge about the emergence/"creation" of crimes in law as well as in life. - Explain what determines the number of crimes committed? How and in whose interest are deviants produced and how crime is effectively prevented. - To make clear the subsidiary place of criminal law in the existing system of social control. - To illustrate the importance of criminology for effective criminal, penal and penitentiary policy. - To make law students aware of the need for criminological knowledge for a successful legal profession. Criminology although it began with error has led to a revolution in classical continental criminal law. The error, as an empirical science, not only verified and corrected, but also made us aware that both criminology and criminal law can be used for the good quality of life and the rule of law, as well as perversely - to destroy these values. The seminar will discuss the main currents of theoretical and research criminological thought, regarding criminal etiology, i.e. the science of causes of crime and other deviant behaviour. Basic information about sources of knowledge on the extent of criminal behaviour (statistics and crime dynamics), methods of data collection (techniques of criminological and victimological research) and strategies of crime prevention will be presented. The proseminar in criminology develops and strengthens critical and analytical thinking. It provides the ability to combine knowledge from other subjects and to analyse laws with an understanding of their content. It makes you aware that criminal law is only one form of controlling social behaviour and indicates when the use of this law can be beneficial. It teaches that a regulation does not create the reality it describes; it is the standard and often the need to decode meanings and values that determine the content of the law and those that are omitted Students participating in the proseminar will deepen, among others, their knowledge of the ratio legis of many criminal laws and their ability to consciously and critically analyse laws and media information referring to criminal law and criminal policy. They will understand how the concept of crime and pathology changes in time and space. They will learn to critically analyse crime statistics. They will also be able to use the criminological perspective when making a criminal law assessment of the existence or absence of a criminal act. The seminar in criminology meets the need for a complementary approach for those interested at the same time in the issues of criminal law, criminology, penology, victimology, criminal policy and penitentiary science. The seminar in criminology provides an opportunity to deepen knowledge in penal sciences - criminal law, criminology, penology, penitentiary science, victimology, criminal executive law, human rights, as well as sociology and social psychology. This particular seminar guarantees that those interested are also acquainted with the latest trends in world criminology. It answers the question of how crime and offenders are created. It deepens knowledge of the relationship between criminal law, criminology, constitutional law, human rights and, last but not least, it explains clearly what gender is and how gender relates to crime and violence. The title criminology, previously developed at the Faculty of Law of the University of Warsaw by Professors Leszek Lernell and Lech Falandysz, as well as Danuta Pleńska, PhD, provides a legal and practical perspective on the perpetrator, the victim, the ways of identifying the sources of crime, reactions to behaviour defined as deviant/criminal, theoretical explanation of the sources of crime (theoretical criminology), cultural justifications and the cultural presentation of deviance and crime (cultural criminology), the empirical and theoretical explanation of responses to crime (penal policy, penology), the gendered presentation of the norm and the formation of a theory and practice of its violation (critical criminology), and proposed ways to prevent deviance, not necessarily using criminal law (restorative justice, mediation). Readings and debates during the seminar will verify a number of stereotypes about the causes and effective prevention of crime. The seminar in criminology is not limited to tracking individual phenomena and dogmatic analysis of specific legal provisions. The discussed issues give a broader picture showing the importance of criminal law as one of the forms of controlling social behaviour. The seminar is a separate type of classes. It belongs to the group of elective subjects. The proseminar is an introduction. The seminar can be continued on the master seminar. The choice of the seminar does not depend on earlier passing the classes and the lecture. The syllabus presents the material of the fourth year of the seminar. The master seminar is devoted to the development of particular issues within the framework of particular works. It is deepened with the knowledge of the methodology of preparing and writing a master's thesis and conducting empirical research. The proseminar of the year is designed to: - Create a space free from anonymity and safe for sharing knowledge and views, including controversial ones. - To deepen knowledge and interests in the field of criminology, criminal law, penitentiary studies, sociology and social psychology. - To prepare from the substantial and methodological point of view to write a master's thesis. - To give the ability to present one's views, to participate assertively in a debate, to speak freely - To deepen the knowledge of issues discussed in the framework of criminal law and other penal subjects. The seminar offers at the outset a concise introduction, repetition and deepening of knowledge of the development of criminological thought. The seminar is devoted to expanding knowledge of criminological theory and practice. Subsequent topics covered include: 1. the essence of crime, why some behaviours are criminalised and why some people are recognised as perpetrators. 2) The history of crime, means of prevention, punishment and the effectiveness of penalties in preventing crime. 3. knowledge of crime statistics 4. the specificities of criminological issues in the age of globalisation 5. research on crime and justice 6. crime and culture 7. the diversity of forms of crime 8. the relationship between crime and the effectiveness of punishment 9. drugs, alcohol and crime 10. violent crime 11. sexual crime 12. gender and crime 13. the causes of recidivism 14. hate crime 15. organised crime 16. white-collar crime 17. the issue of terror and the politics of fear 18. marginalisation, social exclusion and crime 19. a criminological approach to criminal policy Criminal, penal and penitentiary policy 20. gender impact on the content of crime and criminal, penal and penitentiary policy.

Course coordinators

Monika Płatek

Learning outcomes

The Proseminar in Criminology provides students with Knowledge, Skills and Values. They will be able to:

Knowledge:
1) Outline the reasons for criminalizing specific behaviors.
2) Demonstrate knowledge of criminological theories and critically reflect on ways of explaining the origins of prohibited behavior and their impact on criminal policy.
3) Demonstrate knowledge of criminological and victimological ways of explaining phenomena defined as pathological.
Skills:
1) Use specific criminological theories when examining the causes and means of prevention of specific deviant conduct.
2) Critically review statistical and descriptive data on crime.
3) Critically analyze the relationship between the use of non-academic forms of social control and the statistical scale of crime.
Attitudes:
1) Students will at least deepen their understanding that deciding whether there is a crime and administering justice is not simple and unambiguous, even though it is defined by law.
2) Also that the role of criminal law is limited. Its use for political purposes is a sign of an inability to govern and a lack of skills in solving social problems. Criminal law may, but rarely, assist the process of solving problems; more often it creates them when it serves as an instrument for creating the appearance of eliminating social evils.
3) The lecture should give an understanding of and the limitations and challenges facing criminology. It can explain the reasons why behaviors are considered unwanted and pathological; it can, unfortunately, when used perversely serve to justify the use and abuse of criminal law and criminal policy for current politics.

Assessment criteria

The basis for assessment is: active participation in classes (55%) and preparing an introduction to the discussion on one of the proseminar topics (45%). The preparation should include both the presentation of the substantive content of the given topic, and indicate topics for polemical discussion during the proseminar based on examples related to the current jurisprudence of the courts, the CT, ECHR, etc.

Practical placement

Not required, nor foreseen

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Constitution of the Republic of Poland
European Convention on Human Rights
Penal Code,
The Code of Criminal Procedure
The Executive Penal Code
Family and Guardianship Code
Code of Civil Procedure
Act of 22 November 2013 on proceedings against persons with mental disorders posing a threat to life, health or sexual freedom of other perpetrators (Journal of Laws 2014, item 24) and other legal acts and
the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court, the ECtHR and other courts
Current statistical yearbook
Additional texts will be provided on an ongoing basis for current classes

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 2200-1F068 in USOSweb