Use the Tab and Up, Down arrow keys to select menu items.
An introduction to the sociology of gangs, focusing on the historical development of gangs in New Zealand and the methods which have been taken to control them.
This course will examine the rise and development of gangs in New Zealand, as well as the internal and external forces that have influenced their evolution.
Primarily, students of this course will gain a comprehensive understanding of gangs and gang related issues in New Zealand. Despite an extensive body of overseas scholarly literature, the topic of gangs has hardly been addressed in this country. SOCI293 examines the broad factors that influence gangs, underscoring the essential need to take a holistic view of them and the society within which they exist. The theoretical components of the course, relating to both gang development and the factors behind it, will encourage students to engage with a difficult subject in a creative, logical and sophisticated manner. Moreover, it will impress upon them the need to challenge conventional ‘wisdom’ when that wisdom is not supported by facts. By looking at issues such as gang policy and gang control measures, students in this course will gain vocationally-relevant competency in a number of areas, including policy development, policing, social work, and law. In this way, graduates will gain practical knowledge that will advantage them in a number of career paths. A further learning outcome will stem from interrogating the many issues facing researchers conducting studies in difficult areas. Gaining access, collecting data, handling oneself in the field, and staying safe are all important considerations for budding ethnographers. Finally, and importantly, the course will address the issue of research ethics, and will examine the often-difficult balance between collecting data and protecting sources.
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:
Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award
Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.
Employable, innovative and enterprising
Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.
Any 15 points at 100 level in SOCI, ANTH, CRJU, orLAWS, orany 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA.
Students must attend one activity from each section.
Jarrod Gilbert
Jarrod Gilbert; Patched: The History of Gangs in New Zealand ; Auckland University Press, 2013.
Domestic fee $821.00
International fee $3,750.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .