Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE YTH5008

 
TITLE The Aetiology of Youth Crime and Deviance

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 10

 
DEPARTMENT Youth and Community Studies

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit examines the central tenets and developments in the theoretical arsenal that has informed the understanding of the causality of youth crime and deviance. A trans-disciplinary approach shall be applied to effectively zone in on the bio-psycho-social underpinnings of the corpus of theory in question. The notion (or ideal-types) of 'youth', 'youth crime' and 'deviance' will be debated and de-constructed for course participants to be able to critically engage with the subject matter at stake. This will serve as the requisite backdrop for critical insights to be developed on the cornerstones of youth crime and deviancy theory, including social structure and social process theories, and moral, cognitive and psychological development theory. Biological (including hereditary) perspectives on youth crime and deviance will also be critically reviewed. This study unit shall also attempt to contextualize and apply content to the Maltese social context while shedding light on studies (as epitomised inter alia by the works of the tutors in question) that have shaped our understanding of youth crime and deviance in Malta.

Study-unit Aims:

This Study-unit is aimed at;
(a) building course participants' knowledge on the causes of youth crime and deviance and to assist their in-depth familiarisation with key authors and concepts;
(b) helping course participants to reflect critically upon the bio-psycho-social processes that impinge on youth crime and deviance and the 'criminalisation of youth';
(c) nurturing course participants' critical engagement and analysis of the course content in such a way as to de-problematise the conceptualisation and understanding of young people and youth transitions; and,
(d) helping course participants to identify gaps in the literature and existing works that may inform the conceptual framework of their empircal forays in the field at a later stage of their studies for this Master degree.

Learning Outcomes:

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

(a) Identify and elaborate key concepts/theories and their authors;
(b) trace the influence of classic authors/concepts and theories (e.g. Durkeim's theory of anomie [1898] and Merton's social strain theory [1938]) on more contemporary theories of youth crime and deviance (e.g social bond, social attachment and subculture theory) and hence understand the genealogical roots of the current discourse in the field;
(c) conceptualise the knowledge in the field as a cumulative enterprise;
(d) de-problematise the conceptualisation of young people and youth, and the essentialist, reductionist and popularistic nexus between crime, deviance and young people; and,
(e) Identify and critically reflect on 'moral panics' and problematic representations of youth.

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

(a) engage, analyse and reflect upon the subject matter critically;
(b) understand, theorise; elaborate upon the course content and undertake the requisite academic abstraction;
(c) apply contemporary theories on youth crime and deviance to the understanding of youth-related issues in the local, European and global context; and,
(d) transfer course content to practice, service and policy development in the field.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main text:

Agnew, R., & T. Brezina (2014). Juvenile Delinquency: Causes and Control. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Supplementary readings:

Bateman, T. (2014). Where has all the Youth Crime Gone? Youth Justice in an Age of Austerity. Children & Society, Vol.28(5), pp.416-424.
Bates, K.A. & R.S. Swan (2013). Juvenile Delinquency in a Diverse Society. London: Sage.
Blackman, S. (2014). Subculture Theory: An Historical and Contemporary Assessment ofthe Concept for Understanding Deviance. Deviant Behavior, 35:6, 496-512.
Downs, D.M., & P.Rock. (2011). Understanding Deviance: A Guide to the Sociology of Crime and Rule Breaking. Oxford: Oxford UP.
Hartjen, C.A. (2008). Youth, Crime, and Justice : A Global Inquiry. New Jersey: Rutgers UP.
Muncie, J. (2014). Youth and Crime. London: Sage.
Regoli, R. M., J.D. Hewitt, & M. Delisi. (2008). Delinquency in Society : Youth Crime in the 21st Century. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Rosenfeld, R., M.Edberg, F.Xiangming Fang & C.S. Florence (Eds.). (2013). Economics and Youth Violence: Crime, Disadvantage, and Community. New York: New York UP.
Wong,S.K. (2012). Youth crime and family disruption in Canadian municipalities: An adaptation of Shaw and McKay’s social disorganization theory. International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice, 2012, Vol.40(2), pp.100-114.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture and Independent Study

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment SEM2 Yes 50%
Examination (3 Hours) SEM2 Yes 50%

 
LECTURER/S Albert Bell
Marilyn Clark
Janice Formosa Pace

 

 
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