Sociology and Criminology

Visual Criminology (Spr)

Module code: L2906B
Level 6
15 credits in spring semester
Teaching method: Seminar
Assessment modes: Portfolio

Visual culture is critical to understanding Criminology in the past and present. On this module, you’ll examine crime, criminal justice and the development of Criminology through visual evidence.

You’ll investigate:

• visual cultures of crime, from Lombroso’s sketches of Criminal Man to Netflix’s Making a Murderer
• how this media impacts criminological theories and justice
• criminological meanings in art, photography, film, video games and documentaries
• how this media influences people to participate in crime
• the limits of visual evidence and the implications for the future of crime and justice.

Module learning outcomes

• Critically understand the significance of the visual to crime and justice.
• Critically evaluate major theories of Visual Criminology.
• Show appreciation for the extent (and limits) to which knowledge about crime in the present is based on visual culture(s).
• Critically evaluate a visual source, applying [visual] criminological concepts.