SOCI293-23S2 (C) Semester Two 2023

The History of Gangs in New Zealand

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 July 2023
End Date: Sunday, 12 November 2023
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 30 July 2023
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 1 October 2023

Description

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.

Learning Outcomes

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.

University Graduate Attributes

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.

Prerequisites

Any 15 points at 100 level in SOCI, ANTH, CRJU, or
LAWS, or
any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA.

Course Coordinator

Jarrod Gilbert

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Weekly Quizzes 10%
Essay 1 20% 2000 words
Essay 2 30% 2500 words
Final Exam 40%

Textbooks / Resources

Required Texts

Jarrod Gilbert; Patched: The History of Gangs in New Zealand ; Auckland University Press, 2013.

Indicative Fees

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 .

All SOCI293 Occurrences

  • SOCI293-23S2 (C) Semester Two 2023