ACR214 - Inequality, Power and Justice
Unit details
| Year | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online, Community Based Delivery (CBD)* |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 1: Emma Ryan |
| Prerequisite: | Students must complete 4 credit points at any unit level |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour on-campus lecture per week 1 x 1-hour on-campus seminar per week |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour online lecture per week (recordings provided) 1 x 1-hour online seminar per week |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Note:*Community Based Delivery (CBD): only for students of the National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation NIKERI Institute (located at the Waurn Ponds campus) | |
Content
While criminal justice systems across the world aim to promote neutrality and objectivity, extensive historical and contemporary research identifies how these processes can also discriminate against certain classes of people. For example, criminal justice processes can expose women, Indigenous people, people with intellectual disabilities, LGBTQIA+ people as well as other identifiable populations to specific forms of harm which can result in death, serious injury and more widespread cultural persecution or even destruction. This unit adopts a critical framework to analyse Australian criminal justice and its legacies of inequality. It is informed by a range of critical Indigenous, gender and disability perspectives that encourage us to understand and question mainstream understandings of crime and its control. The unit explores how a range of criminal justice interventions can compromise the pursuit of self-determination for individuals and groups who experience structural disadvantage, which commonly results in cycles of criminalisation, discrimination and trauma. The unit also examines how critical approaches to examining discrimination can support the development of improved practices that enhance equality and safety in the criminal justice system and help to recognise and limit harms generated by existing practices.
Learning Outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Critically analyse and report on scholarship relating to social injustice in the criminal justice system. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO8: Global Citizenship |
| ULO2 | Work collaboratively with others to effectively communicate the findings and analyses of criminological concepts, theories and technical knowledge using multimedia. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO7: Teamwork |
| ULO3 | Describe and problematise one or more major trends in disproportionate enforcement and unjust treatment within the criminal justice system. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO4: Critical thinking GLO8: Global Citizenship |
| ULO4 | Identify and analyse national and/or global developments that challenge and seek to reform, decolonise or abolish criminal justice institutions. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO5: Problem Solving GLO8: Global citizenship |
These Unit Learning Outcomes are applicable for all teaching periods throughout the year.
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Research and Writing Exercise | 1000 words or equivalent | 25% | Week 4 |
| Assessment 2: (Group) Presentation | 15-minute presentation | 25% | Information not yet available |
| Assessment 3: Report | 2000 words or equivalent | 50% | Week 11 |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
There is no prescribed text. Unit materials are provided via the unit site. This includes unit topic readings and references to further information.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.