Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE CRL3000

 
TITLE Gender and Deviancy Law

 
UM LEVEL 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 6

 
ECTS CREDITS 4

 
DEPARTMENT Criminal Law

 
DESCRIPTION The study-unit considers the impact of gendered relations in crime and justice, and why an understanding of gender is critical to understanding criminal offending, victimization, and criminal justice responses. The study unit touches on thematic issues that include an explanation of the gender gap in crime with a strong focus on the laws of Malta, feminist theory of crime, the hidden female crime and the hidden crimes against women, female conformity, values and deviance, the subordination of women in law and criminal justice, and the global enslavement of women and girls in the sex industry.

Study-unit Aims

The study unit aims to:
1.deepen students' understanding about the essential role that gender plays in societal responses to criminal behaviour;
2. demonstrate how notions of gender influence both how society defines crime as well as how offenders commit crimes and are treated for their actions;
3. reflect critically upon the issues of gendered relations in crime and justice;
4.provide opportunities for students to study a range of current issues in criminology, gender and criminal justice and to write a substantial piece of academic work;
5.provide students with a wide range of transferable and professional employment related skills.

Learning Outcomes

1. Knowledge & Understanding:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

1. demonstrate knowledge of the key concepts used in the analysis of social problems and social need, especially equity and inequality, gender, social difference and diversity within a legal context;
2. comprehend the key theories of criminality and gender with a focus on the laws of Malta;
3. exercise an ability to identify appropriate evidence of bias where it exists in the law and the criminal justice;
4. incorporate a knowledge of theoretical interventions, of legal organisations and the criminal justice;
5. critically appreciate different approaches to strategic management and `best practice´ in the criminal justice process.

2. Skills:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

1. exercise critical analysis and reflection in exploring policy initiatives and proposed solutions to crime and justice;
2. identify appropriate evidence and analyse its relevance to gender and the patterns of crime within a legal context;
3. separate the technical, normative, moral, and political differences that affect the causes of female crime and deviance;
4. relate academic knowledge and understanding to everyday situations in the courts of law;
5. communicate effectively in legal group sessions.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings

Arnot, M.L. and Usborne, C. (eds.) (2007) Gender and Crime in Modern Europe, Taylor and Francis.
Belknap, J. (2006) The Invisible Woman: Gender Crime and Justice, Wadsworth Publishing Co Inc (3rd Revised edition).
Martin, S.E. and Jurik, N.C. (2007) Doing Justice, Doing Gender: Women in Legal and Criminal Justice Occupations, Sage Publications.
Morash, M. (2005) Understanding Gender, Crime and Justice, Sage Publications.
Renzetti, C.M., Goodstein, L. and Miller, S.L. (eds.) (2007) Rethinking Gender Crime and Justice: Feminist Readings, Oxford University Press.
Laws of Malta http://www.justiceservices.gov.mt/LOM.aspx?pageid=27&mode=chrono
The Internet Journal of Criminology http://www.internetjournalofcriminology.com/

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Students taking this study-unit need to have a background in law.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture and Independent Study

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Classwork SEM2 No 40%
Seminar Paper SEM2 Yes 60%

 
LECTURER/S Frances Camilleri Cassar

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit