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 understandings of criminology in the past and present. This is the starting point for this module, which will challenge you to think critically about crime, criminal justice and the development of criminology as a discipline through visual evidence.

From Lombroso’s sketches of Criminal Man to Netflix’s Making a Murderer, you’ll learn how visual cultures of crime have impacted criminological theories and criminal justice. We’ll discuss criminological meanings in art, photography, film, video games and documentaries, for examples, including how far criminologists believe these things influence people to participate in crime. But we will also explore 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.