In TMA 05, you will write your final essay of the module. Throughout DD212, you have been developing the skills of constructing an argument and supporting it with evidence. You have also practised connecting theories and concepts with policies, practices and lived experiences in order to understand criminological issues. TMA 05 requires you to draw on all of these skills to produce a somewhat longer essay than you have written so far. In this final assignment, you will bring your learning from across the module together by evaluating concepts introduced in different blocks in relation to one another, and work with the Power and inequality theme and/or the administrative/alternative spectrum of criminological theories to develop an analysis. This will deepen your conceptual understanding, and extend your ability to think and write critically. TMA 05 also provides an important stepping-stone to your remote seen exam, which will again require you to make similar connections across blocks.
As this is the final assignment of the module, these notes provide a little less direction than you have been given in your assignments so far. Look back at your tutor’s feedback on your previous TMAs for guidance. In particular, you should pay attention to what you have learned about understanding the question, essay planning and developing an argument.
You should include a word count for each part of the assignment, and a reference list at the end of the TMA. Neither these nor your headings should be included in the word count.
Block 4 has introduced you to the idea that the concept of ‘crime’ is limited in terms of understanding governmental and state responses to a variety of social harms and issues. TMA05 asks you to examine social practices and problems that are captured by the concepts of ‘invisible crime’ and ‘invisible victims’, but neglected or minimised by the concept of ‘crime’ and institutions of criminal justice.
The framing of the question implies that some of the harms illuminated by the concepts of ‘invisible crime’ and ‘invisible victims’ might be significant, even if they are not classed as crimes. Your task in this essay is to consider the extent to which you agree that they are, and – if so – what the implications of that might be. Should the law be extended to include them within the definition of ‘crime’ and give recognition to their victims – or not? Could your answers to these questions instead suggest that the concept of crime is limited in ways that warrant greater attention? These are the kinds of questions that the instruction to ‘critically discuss’ implies: the question invites you to consider the relative advantages and disadvantages of using each concept. In this way, your essay will critically evaluate not only ‘crime’, but also ‘invisible crime’, ‘invisible victims’ and by association, the broader ideas of ‘social harm’ with which the latter concepts are closely connected.
There is no single ‘correct’ way to approach this task. However, in order to respond to it effectively, you will need to develop a clear line of argument. The requirement to bring together material from more than one block enables you to take the discussion in one of a several very different directions. You must use the module’s Power and inequality theme, and/or the administrative/alternative spectrum of criminological theories to organise your discussion and support your analysis. Consider carefully which of these devices will lend itself best to developing and communicating the points you want to make.
However you decide to tackle the essay, you must use evidence to support and illustrate your claims throughout. In examining the evidence you have explored across the module, consider: what is officially counted as ‘crime’, and what kinds and scale of harms do these definitions exclude? How do the harms captured by the concepts of ‘crime’ and ‘social harm’ compare in terms of – for example – their physical costs? What knowledge about crimes, social harms, and their victims, does analysis of the evidence produce? What limitations are there to the ability of the concept of ‘crime’ to address the structures of power and inequality that underpin the harmful practices and relations with which the concepts of ‘invisible crime’ and ‘invisible victims’ are ultimately concerned? And conversely, how are concepts such as ‘invisible crime’ and ‘invisible victims’ that rely on ideas of social harm, rather than the objective framework of the law, themselves limited? What case could be made in support of maintaining distinctions between crime and other forms of harm?
Your essay may consider one or more of these issues, as you think relevant, or may choose a focus not suggested here. You will not be able to cover everything, so must select ideas and evidence for your essay with care, paying attention to the themes and connections that will give your argument coherence. To help inform that process, remember what you have learned on the module so far about constructing an argument and drawing connections between theories and concepts, and evidence.
Part 1 Essay (worth 100%)
Word limit: 1800 words
Critically discuss the limitations of the concept of ‘crime’, with reference to the concepts of ‘invisible crime’ and ‘invisible victims’. Use the module theme of power and inequality and/or the administrative/alternative spectrum of criminological theory to support your analysis. Your answer must draw on ideas and/or evidence from at least two blocks, including material from at least one chapter of the module textbook and one online study week.
Part 2 Reflection (not marked)
Word limit: 200 words
Submit a short reflection of approximately 200 words on the process of completing the assignment. You will be provided with prompts to guide you.
