Students

PICT711 – Understanding the Crimes of the Powerful

2018 – S2 External

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Tricia Daly
Credit points Credit points
4
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
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.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • Have a deep understanding of the problems of definition of the various forms of business, corporate, and State criminality.
  • Have an appreciation of the role of corporate and State criminality in the context of the social and political life.
  • Have an understanding of the forms of individual business or corporate and/or State crime, including such forms of financial crime, fraud, genocide and corruption.
  • Be familiar with the challenges involved in regulating, prosecuting and punishing these crimes from a global and local perspective.
  • Communicate effectively in oral and written formats.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Mid-semester quiz (online) 15% No Week 7
End of semester quiz (online) 15% No Week 13
In class/Online participation 10% No All semester
Essay 60% No Week 12

Mid-semester quiz (online)

Due: Week 7
Weighting: 15%

This quiz will include questions on the readings and discussions had from week 1-7

It will be due on the Friday of week 7 at 11:55 pm.

You will have one hour to answer the quiz.

You will only have one attempt at the quiz.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Have a deep understanding of the problems of definition of the various forms of business, corporate, and State criminality.
  • Have an appreciation of the role of corporate and State criminality in the context of the social and political life.
  • Have an understanding of the forms of individual business or corporate and/or State crime, including such forms of financial crime, fraud, genocide and corruption.
  • Be familiar with the challenges involved in regulating, prosecuting and punishing these crimes from a global and local perspective.

End of semester quiz (online)

Due: Week 13
Weighting: 15%

This quiz will include questions from the readings and discussions had from week 8-13.

It will be due on the Friday of week 13 at 11:55 pm.

You will have one hour to answer the quiz.

You will have one attempt at the quiz.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Have a deep understanding of the problems of definition of the various forms of business, corporate, and State criminality.
  • Have an appreciation of the role of corporate and State criminality in the context of the social and political life.
  • Have an understanding of the forms of individual business or corporate and/or State crime, including such forms of financial crime, fraud, genocide and corruption.
  • Be familiar with the challenges involved in regulating, prosecuting and punishing these crimes from a global and local perspective.

In class/Online participation

Due: All semester
Weighting: 10%

Internal students are expected to participate actively in class discussions.

External students are expected to participate actively in online discussions.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Have an appreciation of the role of corporate and State criminality in the context of the social and political life.
  • Have an understanding of the forms of individual business or corporate and/or State crime, including such forms of financial crime, fraud, genocide and corruption.
  • Be familiar with the challenges involved in regulating, prosecuting and punishing these crimes from a global and local perspective.
  • Communicate effectively in oral and written formats.

Essay

Due: Week 12
Weighting: 60%

You will submit a 2,500 word essay.

You will choose a case of corporate or state crime and use it to illustrate and discuss the theoretical and empirical issues discussed in class.

The essay is due on the Wednesday of week 12, before 11:55 pm.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Have a deep understanding of the problems of definition of the various forms of business, corporate, and State criminality.
  • Have an appreciation of the role of corporate and State criminality in the context of the social and political life.
  • Have an understanding of the forms of individual business or corporate and/or State crime, including such forms of financial crime, fraud, genocide and corruption.
  • Be familiar with the challenges involved in regulating, prosecuting and punishing these crimes from a global and local perspective.
  • Communicate effectively in oral and written formats.

Delivery and Resources

== STUDENTS ENROLLED IN PICT711 MRes CONTACT THE CONVENOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO DISCUSS YOUR FINAL ASSESSMENT AS IT VARIES FROM THE ONE DESCRIBED ABOVE ==

UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS

You should spend an average of 9 hours per week on this unit. This includes listening to lectures, reading weekly required materials as detailed in iLearn, and preparing assessments. Internal students are expected to attend all seminar sessions, and external students are expected to make significant contributions to on-line activities. In most cases students are required to attempt and submit all major assessment tasks in order to pass the unit.

REQUIRED READINGS

The citations for all other required readings for this unit are available to enrolled students through the unit iLearn site, and at Macquarie University's library site. Electronic copies of required readings may be accessed through the library or will be made available by other means.

TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED

Computer and internet access are essential for this unit. Basic computer skills and skills in word processing are also a requirement. This unit has an online presence. Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/ Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.

SUBMITTING ASSESSMENT TASKS

All text-based assessment tasks are to be submitted, marked and returned electronically. This will only happen through the unit iLearn site. Assessment tasks must be submitted as a MS word document by the due date. This should be in Times New Roman font, size 12, double spaced. Citation style will be Harvard. Most assessment tasks will be subject to a 'TurnitIn' review as an automatic part of the submission process. The granting of extensions of up to one week are at the discretion of the unit convener or nominated delegate such as a tutor. Any requests for extensions must be before the due date for the submission of the assessment task. Extensions beyond one week are subject to the university’s Disruptions Policy

LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS

If an assignment is submitted late, 5% of the available mark will be deducted for each day (including weekends) the paper is late. For example, if a paper is worth 20 marks, 1 mark will be deducted from the grade given for each day that it is late (i.e. a student given 15/20 who submitted 4 days late will lose 4 marks = 11/20). The same principle applies if an extension is granted and the assignment is submitted later than the amended date.

WORD LIMITS FOR ASSESSMENT TASKS

Stated word limits include footnotes and footnoted references, but not bibliography, or title page. Word limits can generally deviate by 10% either over or under the stated figure. If the number of words exceeds the limit by more than 10%, then penalties will apply. These penalties are 5% of the awarded mark for every 100 words over the word limit. If a paper is 300 words over, for instance, it will lose 3 x 5% = 15% of the total mark awarded for the assignment. This percentage is taken off the total mark, i.e. if a paper was graded at a credit (65%) and was 300 words over, it would be reduced by 15 marks to a pass (50%). The application of this penalty is at the discretion of the course convener.

REASSESSMENT OF ASSIGNMENTS DURING THE SEMESTER

Macquarie University operates a Grade Appeal Policy in cases where students feel their work was graded inappropriately.

FOR INTERNAL STUDENTS

The Unit is delivered in Seminar format. This consists of a one hour lecture and one hour of class discussion and/or exercises on relevant topics.

FOR EXTERNAL/OUA STUDENTS

For online students there will be an online forum on Ilearn for each week.

In this forum the convenor will post 1 or 2 questions to be discussed by the students in said forum.

=== Please refer to the Policies and Procedures section below for important information on academic honesty and other University policies. ===

Unit Schedule

Unit Schedule
Week 1 Introduction to the Unit, Admin and some housekeeping.
Week 2 Explaining Corporate and State crime.
Week 3 State crime I - Genocide - The Holocaust
Week 4 State Crime II - War Crimes - Iraq
Week 5 State crime III - Dictatorships - Latin America
Week 6 State Crime IV - Colonialism - Australia
Week 7 State Crime IV - Corruption - FIFA
Week 8 Essay Workshop
Week 9 White Collar Crime - Ponzi Schemes - B. Madoff
Week 10 White Collar Crime - Fraud - ENRON
Week 11 White Collar Crime - Environmental - Adani
Week 12 White Collar Crime - Bribery/COI - Food for Oil Scandal
Week 13 Unit Conclusion - Final Thoughts

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

PG - Capable of Professional and Personal Judgment and Initiative

Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Have an appreciation of the role of corporate and State criminality in the context of the social and political life.
  • Have an understanding of the forms of individual business or corporate and/or State crime, including such forms of financial crime, fraud, genocide and corruption.

Assessment task

  • In class/Online participation

PG - Discipline Knowledge and Skills

Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Have a deep understanding of the problems of definition of the various forms of business, corporate, and State criminality.
  • Have an appreciation of the role of corporate and State criminality in the context of the social and political life.
  • Have an understanding of the forms of individual business or corporate and/or State crime, including such forms of financial crime, fraud, genocide and corruption.
  • Be familiar with the challenges involved in regulating, prosecuting and punishing these crimes from a global and local perspective.

Assessment tasks

  • Mid-semester quiz (online)
  • End of semester quiz (online)
  • In class/Online participation
  • Essay

PG - Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Have a deep understanding of the problems of definition of the various forms of business, corporate, and State criminality.
  • Have an appreciation of the role of corporate and State criminality in the context of the social and political life.
  • Have an understanding of the forms of individual business or corporate and/or State crime, including such forms of financial crime, fraud, genocide and corruption.

Assessment tasks

  • Mid-semester quiz (online)
  • End of semester quiz (online)
  • In class/Online participation
  • Essay

PG - Research and Problem Solving Capability

Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Have a deep understanding of the problems of definition of the various forms of business, corporate, and State criminality.
  • Be familiar with the challenges involved in regulating, prosecuting and punishing these crimes from a global and local perspective.

Assessment tasks

  • Mid-semester quiz (online)
  • End of semester quiz (online)
  • Essay

PG - Effective Communication

Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Have a deep understanding of the problems of definition of the various forms of business, corporate, and State criminality.
  • Be familiar with the challenges involved in regulating, prosecuting and punishing these crimes from a global and local perspective.
  • Communicate effectively in oral and written formats.

Assessment tasks

  • In class/Online participation
  • Essay

PG - Engaged and Responsible, Active and Ethical Citizens

Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Have an appreciation of the role of corporate and State criminality in the context of the social and political life.
  • Have an understanding of the forms of individual business or corporate and/or State crime, including such forms of financial crime, fraud, genocide and corruption.
  • Be familiar with the challenges involved in regulating, prosecuting and punishing these crimes from a global and local perspective.

Assessment task

  • In class/Online participation

Changes since First Published

Date Description
26/07/2018 Removed Rolando as convenor as Tricia Daly is convening the unit