KRIM2965 – Social Harm and Criminalization
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
The criminalization of certain acts is typically justified on the basis that they are harmful. A cursory glance at any society, however, reveals that many harms are not criminalized, especially when they implicate actors and institutions in positions of power. What, then, is the relationship between criminalization and harm? Why are some harms criminalized and others tolerated? What about the harms caused by economic and political structures, including the very process of criminalization itself? This course will explore these questions by drawing on insights from the fields of zemiology (the study of social harm), criminology, sociology of law, philosophy, history and political science. Thanks to this multidisciplinary approach, students will gain a nuanced understanding of the dynamic relationship between social harm and criminalization and how it intersects with broader power structures.
The course starts with an overview of the main theories of social harm and situates them within wider traditions of philosophical and criminological thought. The course then dives into key empirical areas in the study of social harm and how they can be analyzed using social harm perspectives and other relevant theoretical approaches.
Core themes include:
- The relationship between harm, power and criminalization,
- Philosophical understandings of harm,
- Social harms associated with capitalism, colonialism, and consumerism,
- Gendered and racialized harms,
- Environmental degradation and animal harm.
Learning outcome
Knowledge:
Students will gain a nuanced understanding of social harm and how it can be used to critically examine their social realities. By the end of the course, students will have a solid grasp of the relationship between harm and criminalization and how that relationship is shaped by local and global power dynamics. They will also gain new insights on the following questions:
- What are the major theories of social harm?
- Does the concept of social harm help us better understand pressing social issues?
- Can social harm perspectives be used to challenge certain institutions, practices and societal structures?
- Why are certain harms criminalized and others tolerated or justified?
Skills:
Students will learn:
- To link theories of social harm to concrete empirical contexts,
- To engage with a wide range of theoretical perspectives relevant to the study of social harm,
- To develop their own understanding of social harm.
Competences:
Students will:
- Improve their ability to critically reflect on the effects of social harm in their societies,
- Improve their ability to work and think across disciplinary boundaries.
Admission
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Overlapping courses
10 credits overlap with KRIM4965 – Social Harm and Criminalization
Teaching
There will be eight lectures taught in English.
Examination
Students are graded on the basis of a final 3-day take-home exam.
Size: Maximum 2500 words. Front page, contents page (optional) and bibliography are not included. If footnotes are used in the text (at the bottom of each page), they are included in the 2500 word limit. Papers that exceed the 2500 word limit will not be accepted.
Any exam at the University of Oslo is being checked for both correct word count and incidents of cheating.
Use of sources and rules for citing
You must familiarize yourself with the rules that apply to exam support materials, and the use of sources and citations. If you violate these rules, you may be suspected of cheating or attempted cheating. You can read about what the university considers cheating, and the consequences of cheating here.
General rules on cheating and plagiarism apply during all exams. You must provide a reference whenever you draw upon another person’s ideas, words or research in your answer to the exam question(s). You cannot copy text directly from textbooks, journal articles, court judgments etc. without highlighting that the text is copied. Verbatim quotes must be put in quotation marks, italicised or otherwise highlighted to clearly mark that they are not the candidate’s own words. Failure to cite sources or highlight quotes in your exam answer constitutes a breach of exam regulations and will be regarded as cheating.
Digital home examination
The home examination is conducted in the digital examination system Inspera. You will need to familiarize yourself with the digital examination arrangements in Inspera.
Read more about home examinations using Inspera.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English.You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Marking criteria
This guide is used by examiners for grading this course.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.