An introduction to crime and criminology

This course provides an introduction to crime and criminology, aiming to explore societies' fear and fascination with crime, define what constitutes a crime, and delve into the field of criminology. By the end of the course, learners will be able to understand different perspectives on crime, question traditional notions of criminal behavior, and develop their criminological imagination. The course employs a quiz to test understanding and encourages learners to be open to diverse viewpoints on the subject. The intended audience for this course includes individuals interested in understanding the complexities of crime, exploring the field of criminology, and challenging conventional beliefs about criminality.

• Introduction
• Learning outcomes
• 1 Fear and fascination with crime and criminals
• 1 Fear and fascination with crime and criminals
• 1.1 Societies fearful of, yet fascinated by crime
• 1.2 What is crime?
• 1.3 Defining crime
• 2 Once a crime always a crime?
• 2 Once a crime always a crime?
• 2.1 Graffiti: crime or free expression?
• 2.2 Questioning what is a crime and what is not
• 3 What is criminology?
• 3 What is criminology?
• 3.1 What kinds of questions do criminologists seek to answer?
• 3.2 What do criminologists do?
• 3.3 Criminology at The Open University
• 3.4 Being open to multiple perspectives on problems of crime
• 4 What is the criminological imagination?
• 4 What is the criminological imagination?
• 4.1 Exploring your criminological imagination
• 5 Crime and criminology quiz
• 5 Crime and criminology quiz
• Conclusion
• References
• Further reading
• Acknowledgements