Masters in CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY AND SOCIAL SECURITY. DEVIANCE, INSTITUTIONS AND PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERACTIONS

MASTERS IN CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY AND SOCIAL SECURITY.
DEVIANCE, INSTITUTIONS AND PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERACTIONS

Director: Francesca Vianello, Ph.D.
University Of Padua (Italy)
Dipartimento Di Filosofia, Sociologia, Pedagogia E Psicologia Applicata (Fisppa)
Sezione Di Sociologia. Via M. Cesarotti 10/12, Padua

This masters program offers complete information about the themes related to the production of deviant phenomena and their social construction, with particular reference to the petty criminality, organized crime, relations between migration and deviance, juvenile deviance, prison overcrowding and the interpretation of the socially diffused feelings of insecurity. Our aim is to develop a critical and deconstructionist approach with reference to the main theoretical frameworks of criminology, sociology of deviance, and penal law analysis.

Some of our study areas are:

SOCIOLOGY OF LAW

The activities related to this teaching program are dedicated to the study of the fundamental theoretical frameworks of sociology of law, with particular attention to the penal law and the normative assets of the institutional control agencies. The main themes which will be the subject in-depth examination are: the normative structures of informal and formal norms the social and individual mechanisms of laws interiorization the law’ symbolic functions, the law between elements of crisis and dynamics of evolution.

THEORETHICAL CRIMINOLOGY

The teaching activities are here intended to analyse the theoretical frameworks of Sociology of Deviance and the principal themes of the theoretical debate which defined
such discipline evolution. Taking into consideration the theoretical specificities of Sociology of deviance and criminology, the study of the contents deriving from etiological and constructionist approaches will be developed. In the frame of the distinction between consensual and conflict models, space will be given to the different methodological approaches typical of the socio-criminological research. Particular attention will be dedicated to the relation between economic assets, labour markets and forms of crime.

PENAL LAW AND PENOLOGY

This program will be specifically dedicated to the comparison between penal law theories and doctrines in their historical, political and cultural dimensions. Particular attention will be given to the analysis of the relation between explicit and latent functions of the penal law and the rhetorical articulation in the field of penal sanctions legitimization.

SOCIOLOGY AND HISTORY OF THE TOTAL INSTITUTIONS

The teaching activities collocated in this program provide students with a wide look at the history and sociology of total institution. With particular reference to the institutions of penal detention, the elements of interest deriving from the Convict Criminology and from the ethnographic research in the field will be taken into consideration.

CRIME AND IMMIGRATION

The teaching activities co-located in this program will expose students to a broad look of the history and sociology of total institution. With particular reference to the institutions of penal detention, the elements of interest deriving from the Convict criminology and from the ethnographic researches in the field will be taken into consideration.

CRIME AND MEDIA

The analysis of the relation between media representations and production of moral panic’s waves will be central for this teaching program, particularly oriented to identify the characteristics of the media construction of criminality and of the enemy within figures. Specific attention will be dedicated to the role played in such processes by moral
entrepreneurs and political actors. From a thematic point of view, an in-depth study will examine the relation between security and gender issues in the political and media rhetoric.

SOCIOLOGY OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

The fundamental sociological theories in the field of the sentencing and the penal sanctions will be presented in this program. Specific attention will be dedicated to research dealing with these matters in Italy and other western countries and to the comparative description of the related methodologies.

DETENTION AND INMATES RIGHTS

With reference to the shift from the welfare to the penal state, this program will deal with the effects of a repressive criminal policy on the conditions of detention and on the sphere of inmates’ rights. In cooperation with Antigone’s national observatory on the condition of detention and with the DAP (Ministry of Justice), attention will be dedicated to the assets of the prison systems and to the innovative forms of inmates rights’ protection.

SOCIAL PSICOLOGY OF THE TOTAL INSTITUTION

The thematic focus will be the relationship between operators and guests/committed for a critical redefinition of it in order to exceed the constriction, conformist and obedience practices that involve the subjection of individual identity in total institutions.

SOCIOLOGY OF DEVIANCE AND METHODOLOGY

Acquisition of the main theories developed by the sociology of deviance and criminology from a sociological approach; Acquisition of the main empirical research methodologies applicable to studies of sociology of deviance; Ability to apply the theories and the use of research methodologies in relation to concrete cases.