LA3025 May B1

LLB
BSc DEGREES WITH LAW

Criminology

Thursday 18 May 2023

You have FOUR HOURS AND 15 MINUTES in which to write your answers.

You must answer FOUR of the following EIGHT questions.

You must answer all parts of a question unless otherwise stated.

© University of London 2023

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 Chap 2
1. ‘Calling something a crime is easy but having the State define some Limitatio
actions or omissions as crimes is often a mistake. It narrows the possible
range of responses and types of explanations. It results in a process of
ns of
labelling and enables those in power to avoid facing up to the complex criminol
social and economic issues that are really at stake.’ ogy
Discuss.

2. ‘The knowledge base for criminology is confusing. Official criminal

statistics, for example, instead of being “objective” arise from diverse
processes of decision making and as such are social constructs.
Unfortunately, this is also true of all the alternatives.’

Discuss.

3. Explain how YOUR views on crime and criminality have CHANGED as

a result of undertaking this module. Use specific examples from the
literature and explain how they impacted upon you and how you
interpreted them.

4. ‘Criminology should not be an academic subject confined to University

but a critical imagination that analyses the multiples of criminological
messages and displays that we are surrounded with every day. These
come through in the mass media, including newspapers and television
news, as well as in novels, films, art exhibitions, museums and the
organisation of social space.’

Discuss with reference to particular examples.

5. ‘There is no one feminist perspective in criminology; this diversity is both

a strength and a weakness.’

Discuss.

6. Answer EITHER (a) OR (b):

(a) ‘Perspectives from sociology AND psychology are not mutually

exhaustive attempts to explain crime. A full explanation would blend
the sociological and psychological.’

Discuss.

(b) ‘The early writers and themes of classicism and positivism remain
highly influential; this is not because criminology refuses to move on
but because their basic premises, although mutually contradictory,
captured fundamental issues in the human condition.’

Discuss.

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7. ‘Sometimes all the background features that analysists use to attempt to
explain crime are irrelevant; it is just the power of the situation. A set of
contextual existential choices lead to events and outcomes otherwise
unexpected.’

Discuss.

8. ‘Punishment: in theory is rational; in practice it is illogical.’

Discuss.

END OF PAPER

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