Crime and Society

Crime and society is a subject that asks why crime exists, how it is defined and responded to, and what the relationship is between criminal behaviour and the social conditions that surround it. It is rooted in criminology and sociology, drawing on theory and empirical research to understand crime not as an individual failing but as a phenomenon deeply connected to the structures, cultures and histories of the societies in which it occurs. Understanding crime well requires engaging with questions of inequality, power, race, gender, class and the operation of institutions across the criminal justice system.

At the University of Huddersfield, this three-year full-time programme engages you with the social, cultural and historical contexts that shape crime and responses to it. You will study the major theories of crime and deviance, from classical and biological explanations to sociological, cultural and critical criminology. You will examine policing, prosecution, sentencing, imprisonment and alternatives to custody, asking what these institutions achieve, who they serve and who they fail.

You will also look at victimology, restorative justice, comparative criminal justice and the politics of law and order.

Research skills, critical analysis and clear written communication are developed throughout. The ability to evaluate complex social evidence and construct well-reasoned arguments about controversial questions is central to what the programme develops.

Graduates go on to careers in criminal justice, probation and prison services, police, youth offending, social care, community safety, charities, policy research and the civil service. The analytical and communication skills the subject develops are valued across public and voluntary sector organisations. Some go on to postgraduate study in criminology, social policy, law or sociology, including pathways into academic research.