Prospectus

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International and Comparative Criminology - Privatissimum

Course
2010-2011

Admission requirements

Studenten die dit vak willen volgen, dienen te zijn toegelaten tot de master Criminologie (zie ook OER)

Description

This course focuses on forms of international crime and the background and effects of the internationalisation of crime and law enforcement. It will consist of a number of interactive sessions. These sessions will be preceded by an instruction on comparing criminal justice systems, elaboration on the topics and possibly a brief training of another software program to analyse documents.

The course focuses on the background and consequences of the internationalisation of crime and law enforcement. It will introduce, on the one hand, the theoretical criminological debates on this topic, while it will present, on the other hand, empirical knowledge on particular issues of international crime. Students will learn about current developments and will be expected to think about the social, economic and political relations between those issues. Besides a study of the literature, students will analyse documents and/or interviews.
After this part, students will be able to answer research questions about:

  • the backgrounds of the internationalization of crime and crime control

  • specific forms of international crime and their organisational structure

  • problems of transnational crime in certain regions in the world

  • problems of combating international crime and the impact of the internationalization of crime control on national criminal justice systems.

Every student, together with one or two fellow students, writes a paper, creates a presentation on a specific topic. Besides that, s/he will write a commentary on one of the other topics. Finally, s/he will host a session. Also, the presenters will pose a least four propositions or questions for discussion. Besides the prescribed literature, students who are writing a paper have to search for and study additional information, such as criminological publications, reports and empirical data from international organizations (NGO’s, Europol, Unicri, etc.) and analyse available data.
Besides writing two papers that are presented, every student will write reviews of a number of papers that are written by fellow students.

Course objectives

Objectives of the course
The course has the following objectives:

  • give students a thorough understanding of the backgrounds and consequences of the internationalisation of crime and crime control

  • provide the tools to compare crime and criminal justice systems between countries

Achievement levels
The following achievement levels apply with regard to the course: see description.

Timetable

Mode of instruction

Lectures
No lectures.

Seminars

  • Number of (2 hour) seminars: This intensive and interactive course will consist of a maximum of 12 sessions.

  • Names of instructors: The students themselves will be responsible for the sessions. The coordinator will be coaching the sessions.

  • Required preparation by students: small groups of students have to conduct their own research, write an article and present it (using Power Point). The presentation of the paper will be followed by a commentary and a plenary discussion, initiated and led by the host (chair). In other words, students are responsible for three sessions. They will write two papers and give two presentations, and will be the host of a session. Besides that, students will have to write a number of reviews of papers and give extensive feedback when the presentation has finished.

Other methods of instruction
None.

Assessment method

Examination form(s)
Each student will write two papers. Besides that, students will write a couple of reviews of the papers written by other students. The final mark for this course will be based on:

  • Average of both papers (about 70%). Both papers should be rated with a grade 5,5 or more; a lower grade on the one paper cannot be compensated by a higher grade on the other paper.

  • The average of the reviews (about 30%). The average of the reviews should be rated with a grade 5,5 or more.

  • The participation (i.e. quantity and quality of contributions made) of a student during the seminars will be used to round of the final mark (i.e. the final mark ± 0,5).

Submission procedures
Students who present are required to submit their paper on Blackboard.
Students who are reviewers are required to submit their review before the specific class starts.

Areas to be tested within the exam
The examination syllabus consists of the required reading (literature) for the course, the course information guide and the subjects taught in the lectures, the seminars and all other instructions which are part of the course.

Blackboard

More information on this course is offered in “Blackboard”: http://blackboard.leidenuniv.nl/.

Reading list

Obligatory course materials
Literature:
Reader International and comparative criminology 2011. International crime and Comparative criminology.

Course information guide:
None.

Reader:
Reader International and comparative criminology 2011. International crime and Comparative criminology.

Recommended course materials
None.

Registration

Use uSis to apply for this course.

Contact information

  • Co-ordinator: dr. P.J.V. Van Calster

  • Work address: Steenschuur 25, room C 1.11

  • Contact information:

  • Telephone number: (071) 527 7537

  • E-mail: p.j.v.van.calster@law.leidenuniv.nl

Institution/division

  • Institute: Criminal law and Criminology

  • Division: Criminology

  • Room number secretariat: C1.02

  • Opening hours: 09.00 – 12.30 (Tuesday till Friday)

  • Telephone number secretariat: (071) 527 74 62

  • E-mail: criminology@law.leidenuniv.nl

Remarks

This course is a ‘Privatissimum’, which entails an obligation for students to be present at all meetings. See the ‘Onderwijs- en Examenreglement Master Criminologie’ for the regulations regarding a Privatissimum.
This course is linked with the research program Dynamics of crime and regulatory crime.

Contractonderwijs

Belangstellenden die deze cursus in het kader van contractonderwijs willen volgen (met tentamen), kunnen meer informatie vinden over kosten, inschrijving, voorwaarden, etc. op de website van Juridisch PAO.