General information
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Academic year:
- 2024
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Description:
- Media and social media are currently saturated with images of crime, victimization and the criminal justice system (the police, courts and prisons). This course focuses on the critical analysis of these representations and on how the media reflect, filter and/or distort these social phenomena; on the influence these reflections have on the social perception of crime and the functioning of the criminal justice system, on individual behaviours, and on crime policy. Thus, contents address such topics as police in fiction and documentaries; moral panics, drugs and television fictions; prison in fiction and infoentretainment; media construction of ideal victims; juries, courts and television fiction; public opinion and social media.
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ECTS credits:
- 3
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Course coordinator:
- Ester Blay Gil
Groups
Group
A
-
Duration:
- One-semester, 1st semester
-
Teaching staff:
- Ester Blay Gil
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Language of the classes:
- English (100%)
Competences
- CG1. Search and appropriately manage information regarding the various sectors of the legal system
- CG1. Read, understand, write and comment on scientific texts
- CG1. Aprendre de manera autònoma
- CG2. Know how to search online and obtain basic legal information: legislative, jurisprudence and bibliographic databases
- CG2. Treballar en equip
- CG3. Understand and critically evaluate information regarding the various sectors of the legal system
- CG3. Seleccionar, analitzar i avaluar críticament la informació
- CG4. Read and interpret legal texts in the different branches of the legal system
- CG5. Correctly draft legal texts
- CG5. Comunicar-se correctament de manera oral i escrita
- CG6. Use legal reasoning and arguments in the various sectors of the legal system
- CG7. Know a foreign language
- CG7. Use the English language
- CG7. Utilitzar les tecnologies de la comunicació i la informació aplicades a l'àmbit d'estudi
- CG8. Learn autonomously
- CG8. Work in teams
- CG9. Work in teams
- CG9. Communicate orally and in writing
- CG10. Prepare and deliver a legal address in public
- CG10. Evaluate the sustainability of one’s own proposals and actions
- CE1. Reconèixer i analitzar les principals teories i enfocaments de les Ciències Polítiques i de l'Administració
- CG11. Understand the social functions of law as an instrument of government in modern societies
- CG11. Design creative proposals to analyse cases and solve problems in one’s own area
- CE2. Reconèixer i analitzar les teories polítiques contemporànies
- CE3. Comparar i avaluar l'estructura i el funcionament dels sistemes polítics
- CE1. Assess the costs and the sustainability of legislative proposals and of specific doctrinal and jurisprudential solutions
- CE6. Analyse legal language and comment on it
- CE11. Analitzar i interpretar la realitat social i les situacions de canvi polític i social
- CE15. Identify and analyse the existing social resources for conflict and crime intervention
- CE22. Make new contributions in the field of criminology (preparing proposals for action, searching bibliographic sources, etc.)
- CE25. Design, develop and evaluate prevention programmes in the community
Syllabus
1. Introduction
1.1. A brief history of crime and the media
1.2. Key concepts
2. Media construction of crime and criminals
3. Media construction of victims of crime
4. Media construction of crime-fighters
5. Media construction of the courts
6. Media construction of corrections: death penalty, prison and probation
7. The effects of the media on attitudes and responses to crime:
7.1. Criminogenic effects of violent media
7.2. Effects on feelings and behaviours
7.3. Effects on policy and institutions
Activities
|
Activity type
|
Hours with a teacher
|
Hours without a teacher
|
Virtual hours with a teacher
|
Total
|
| Analysis / case study |
3,00 |
14,00 |
3,00 |
20,00 |
| Lecture / text commentary |
1,00 |
20,00 |
0
|
21,00 |
| Assessment test |
3,00 |
10,00 |
0
|
13,00 |
| Participatory class |
21,00 |
0
|
0
|
21,00 |
|
Total
|
28,00 |
44,00 |
3,00 |
75 |
Bibliography
- Surette, Ray (2011). Media, crime and criminal justice. Images, realities and policies. Wadsworth.
- Jewkes, Yvonne (2011). Media & crime (2nd ed.). Los Angeles ;: SAGE. Catàleg
- Brown, Michelle; Carrabine, Eamonn (eds.) (2020). Routledge International Handbook of visual criminology. Routledge.
- Buccellatto, James (ed.) (2021). Media, crime and criminal justice. A Reader.. Cognella.
- McClanahan, Bill (2023). Visual criminology. Bristol University Press.
- Crime, media, culture (Online) (2005. London: Sage Publications. Catàleg
- Oxford research encyclopaedia. Crime and criminal justice. Oxford. Recuperat, a https://omnia.udg.edu/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=cdi_proquest_reports_2137096614&context=PC&vid=34CSUC_UDG:VU1&lang=ca&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&adaptor=Primo%20Central&tab=Everything&query=any,cont
Assessment and Grading
Assessment activities:
|
Description of the activity
|
Assessment Activity
|
% |
Remediable subject
|
| Analysis of a media product: students shall work in groups to critically analyse a media product (a film, a series, a documentary, podcast or posts in social media). Each group shall produce a brief report, a power point and a videotaped exposition on the work done. |
- students use key course concepts to analyse the suggested topic
- students show they have autonomously discussed and researched on the suggested topic
- order and clarity in the exposition of ideas
- brief report and power point (10% of marks)
- videotaped group exposition (20% of marks) |
30 |
Yes |
| Reading assignments: students are expected to read and critically reflect about 4 assigned texts. Texts shall be provided at the beginning of the course. There is a brief exam about the content of the texts. |
There is a brief exam about the content of the 4 texts. The exam shall consist in 4 questions, to be answered in a given space. Evaluation criteria are: completeness (the answers reflect a good understanding of the concepts); clearness (the answer is clear) |
30 |
Yes |
| Final exam: the lecturer shall provide a brief text or video and shall pose three questions about it. Students may bring all course materials to the exam (class notes, reading assignments, etc.) |
- use of the key concepts and discussions presented un the course
- order and clarity in the writing of ideas
- depth of analysis
- hability to relate media content to theoretical ideas |
40 |
Yes |
Grading
The final mark is the result of the marks obtained in the various activities that comprise continuous evaluation (group analysis of a media product, reading control, final exam). There is no minimum mark to be obtained in any of the activities; the minimum qualification to pass the course is 5 out of 10 marks.
Specific criteria for the "No show" grade:
The course shall be qualified with a NO PRESENTAT (NOT COMPLETED) if the student does not undertake any of the three evaluative course activities.
Single Assessment:
According to the University regulations of evaluation and qualification of students, if a student timely requests to be evaluated by a single exam, this can be exceptionally granted. This student shall not be able to take advantage of continuous evaluation. Regulations of the Faculty of Law shall also apply.
This exceptional form of evaluation shall consist of a writen exam with practical and theoretical questions.
Minimum requirements to pass:
Per considerar superada l’assignatura, caldrà obtenir una qualificació mínima de 5.0. You must obtain a minimum of 5.0 points in order to pass this course.
Mentorship
Students may request group of private tutorials with the lecturer to discuss course contents.
These tutorials shall be held online or in the lecturers' office.
Communication and interaction with students
Interaction and communication with the lecturer shall take place personally, via email and the official university channels.
Remarks
This course is in English.
Please address the lecturer if there are language difficulties during the course.
It is advisable to build up your own specific dictionary for the course, with the most current expressions (eg. moral panics, social constructionism, framing, etc.) as the course progresses; remember you may bring all materials to the final exam (except your computer and mobile phone), so you may also bring your own dictionary.
Design Amendment
Amendment of activities:
This is a face-to-face course and only in case of sanitary restrictions shall activities be undertaken online.
If restrictions on the use of space are introduce, theoretical classes shall be taken in smaller groups, with half of the group assisting to class and the other half online. Only in case authorities mandate house confinement, shall classes be held online, following the established time schedule.
Amendment of the assessment:
Only if authorities establish restrictions for face-to-face activities shall evaluative activities be adapted and held online.
Mentoring and communication:
If face-to-face activities are restricted, tutorials and communications shall be held online.