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Cursus: RGBUSTR023
RGBUSTR023
Crime, Media, Culture
Cursus informatie
CursuscodeRGBUSTR023
Studiepunten (EC)7,5
Cursusdoelen
After this course:
  • the student has insight into the theoretical fundaments of crime and media studies and is able to describe key concepts and theories that explain how media influence societal ideas and responses to crime.
  • the student knows how to critically evaluate the accuracy of mediated depictions of crime and crime control.
  • the student is able to analyze the mediated representations of crime (including visual data – e.g. photographs, films, documentaries) through the use of media-analysis methods on a particular chosen crime issue.
  • the student is familiar with cultural and social context of media and crime nexus.
  • the student is able to present the outcome of research on the topic in the form of a written paper in English language.
  • the student is able to present the outcome of research on the topic in the form of an oral presentation in English language.
Inhoud
Evidence of the increasing influence of both journalistic and social media on crime perception and responses to crime is abundant. Furthermore, social media have often been proven to have instrumental value for those involved in crime as well as those involved in suppressing it. Therefore, it is of pivotal importance to ensure that future lawyers, judges, criminologists, as well as other social science practitioners interested in crime are educated to be media-savvy and have a shrewd understanding of the crime-media domain.

The course ‘Crime, Media, Culture’ examines mediated representations of crime in journalistic media, popular culture, and social media platforms. Additionally, it provides students with the basic theoretical knowledge to understand the relation between crime and media, as well as methodological tools suitable for scrutinising crime representations. Thereby, ‘Crime, Media, Culture’ aims to teach students of law, social sciences, and media studies how to (1) scrutinize crime representations critically, (2) assess implications thereof, and (3) apply this unique set of skills in their future practice.

This course elucidates two important aspects of the nexus between crime, media and culture. First, news media accounts are an important source of information about crime. This is especially so for organized, clandestine and serious criminal acts that most people do not experience personally. Yet, the way media frame an issue not only influences the way the public feels and thinks about it, but also contributes to certain types of responses and policies aimed at tackling crime. Second, to understand the nexus between media and crime, it is important to keep in mind that the news-making process is subject to influences of power and culture, and more frequently guided by the desire for profit than any journalistic imperative to illuminate the social world and share information of public interest. Students taking this course will explore the complex and dynamic context of crime reporting and discuss how it affects crime and crime control.

The course will be thought in English and will be open to international students of various disciplines. This further increases the pull of potential students and helps nurture the international profile of REBO faculty. In addition to that, the fact that the course is thought in English helps further develop English language skills of REBO students and teaches them to communicate about criminological and media related phenomena in English.
 
Place of the course within the curriculum:
  • Optional course in the minor Criminology
  • Optional non-legal course 
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