SO2G8-15 Policing and Society
How are societies policed? Who is involved in policing? What do we know about the relationship between policing, surveillance, law enforcement, and the maintenance of public order and their effects on societies and social groups? What do we know about the legitimacy of policing institutions? How do our individual and collective, historical and contemporary experiences with policing bodies shape our trust in these institutions? These are some of the questions explored in this interdisciplinary course where we critically assess the relationship between policing (as a set of practices) and society.
We will think critically about police-society relations and the organisational, cultural, political, and social factors that influence, shape, and inform these relations. Students taking this course will be introduced to the historical and political developments that have influenced policing philosophies, strategies, and practices around the world. Contemporary issues and global debates around the use of force, torture, police culture, accountability, discrimination, procedural justice, and public trust will also be discussed.
Recent events, such as the protests against police violence, as seen in the context of the Black Lives Matter and #EndSARS movements in the United States, United Kingdom, and Nigeria, and other civil society activism in France, Hong Kong and Latin America, coupled with debates on racism and sexism in police work and culture, highlight the importance of problematising certain policing trends and patterns. Students will, therefore, be taught to evaluate reform agendas, policing strategies, and the relations between police and other public and private institutions. They will further be encouraged to engage with critical perspectives calling for radical reforms, defunding, and abolition.
While much of the policing and criminology scholarship focuses on western and democratic contexts (such as UK, US, and Europe), we will also explore policing and related debates in non-democratic contexts in the developing world and the ‘global South’, such as Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
Key information
CORE module for BA Sociology and Criminology
Optional module for other degree programmes
15 CATS
Summative Assessment: 3000 word essay (100%)
Teaching: 1 hour lecture and 1 hour seminar per week
Module Convenor: Shona Robinson-Edwards