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School of Law, Politics and Sociology

Carceral Technologies (L4111A)

Carceral Technologies

Module L4111A

Module details for 2022/23.

30 credits

FHEQ Level 6

Module Outline

This module develops our understanding of control societies as articulated by such luminaries as Michel Foucault and Gilles Deleuze, and more recently by the likes of Mark Fisher and Ruha Benjamin, by examining their present-day, empirical applications in criminal justice practice. Students will develop a critical understanding of the contexts, critical arguments and theories behind subjecting people to a variety of carceral technologies. Topics covered will be drawn from contemporary research (depending on their practice salience at the time of teaching): possible topics include Probation, Sex Offender Treatments, Boot Camps, the fabled ‘Good’ Prison, Neurointerventions, Electronic Monitoring and Smart Cities. Such carceral technologies incorporate logics of class and racial subjugation, deepening such hierarchies, engendering new systems of social control, asking criminologists: is a more humane future possible? Throughout this module we will attempt to answer this ever-more-pressing question.

Module learning outcomes

Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the relevance of a variety of theories of ‘Control Societies’, as defined in the module, and their place in contemporary criminological debates

Critically evaluate evidence from empirical studies on a variety of ‘Carceral Technologies’

Apply theories covered in this module to empirical examples gathered from your own independent research

Further develop skills of academic writing and research by producing a 6000 word essay.

TypeTimingWeighting
Coursework100.00%
Coursework components. Weighted as shown below.
EssayA1 Week 1 100.00%
Timing

Submission deadlines may vary for different types of assignment/groups of students.

Weighting

Coursework components (if listed) total 100% of the overall coursework weighting value.

TermMethodDurationWeek pattern
Autumn SemesterLecture1 hour11111011111
Autumn SemesterSeminar2 hours11111011111

How to read the week pattern

The numbers indicate the weeks of the term and how many events take place each week.

Dr Paul McGuinness

Convenor, Assess convenor
/profiles/372980

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