Course summary

The Criminology and Social Policy programme aims to critically examine the relationship between government, society and citizens in UK, and how those relationships impact on social policy in areas such as crime, housing, health and the environment. The programme explores the construction and delivery of welfare and criminal justice in contemporary UK. The UK welfare state is changing, with the increasing role for the voluntary and the private sectors. At the same time there is growing evidence that welfare services are failing to meet the needs of our citizens, particularly the most vulnerable in society. This is underpinning increasing levels of social inequality and exclusion in our society. Crime and its impact are at the forefront of current political and social debate, you will learn how crime is defined, why some people commit crime, and what happens when they do. You will also study of the development of the police, the courts and the penal system, as well as the prevention and deterrence of criminal behaviour. How citizens engage – and are enabled to engage - with policy makers is critical to a healthy society. A growing number of academics and social practitioners have advocated the benefits of service user involvement and community engagement in co-producing and delivering more effective welfare services. What is more, events such as COVID 19 and climate change, and social movements such as Extinction Rebellion and Black Lives Matter, show how citizen involvement can be critical in bringing about policy – and indeed societal – change, even when this brings people into the criminal justice system. Sometimes interactions between the state and its citizens leads to social change and sometimes they do not. The programme will critically examine how social problems are identified, talked about and articulated, by politicians, by the media and by UK citizens, and critique the dynamics of finding policy solutions. The course will also focus on the interconnections between local, regional, national and global processes. These connections are particularly poignant in relation to the issue of sustainability. The uneven impact that globalisation and climate change are having on the poorest in the UK – and across the globe – is not only an environmental issue but one of social justice. Environmental crime only adds to this issue but is rarely acted upon by Governments. Gaining an insight into legal and sociological issues of criminology and social policy including the operation of the criminal justice system, the policy making process and the penal system this degree will give you the tools to think critically about the way that social justice and inequality impact on citizens. This is a dynamic programme which focusses on the relationship between social problems and social change, making links between the personal and the policy environment, and allowing learners to draw on their own experience. You will also learn about a range of topics from the criminal justice system and how it functions, the causes and consequences of crime, victimology, rehabilitation, the history of crime and punishment and much more. With pathways related to specific topics (for example, probation) you can tailor what you study to your own interests and desired career. This course encourages community-based learning through advocacy and volunteering in not-for-profit agencies and organisations. The University of Wolverhampton are pioneers of accredited volunteering in the UK and these modules are embedded in the course as an accredited part of the student learning experience.