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Understanding the Crimes of the Powerful - PICT711

This unit examines crimes committed by powerful individuals and institutions: white collar crimes, corporate crimes and state crimes. From the Nazi death camps of WWII, to the Bhopal and BHP Gulf oil spill environmental disasters of more recent decades, the most harmful crimes are not those committed by offenders on the ‘street’, but rather by individuals and organisations occupying the most influential and privileged positions in our societies. This unit reorients the criminological gaze upwards, away from traditional street offenders and towards the most powerful criminals who occupy corporate boardrooms, parliaments and military organisations. Students will explore contemporary examples of each of these types of offence, examine the characteristics of powerful offenders, and address why crimes of this magnitude often go unaddressed by both contemporary criminologists and our systems of criminal justice.

Credit Points: 4
When Offered:

S2 Evening - Session 2, North Ryde, Evening

S2 External - Session 2, External (On-campus sessions: None)

Staff Contact(s): Dr Rolando Ochoa
Prerequisites:

Admission to MRes  Prerequisite Information

Corequisites:

NCCW(s):
Unit Designation(s):
Unit Type:
Assessed As: Graded
Offered By:

Department of Security Studies and Criminology

Faculty of Arts

Course structures, including unit offerings, are subject to change.
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