Master of Science Programme in Cultural Criminology

<p>Why do people commit crimes that seem irrational or destructive? How do actions become meaningful and appealing, or dirty and deviant? Cultural criminology explores the emotions, meanings and social dynamics behind deviance, crime and control. </p><p>Cultural criminology understands crime and control as embedded in society, not separate from it.</p><p>This two-year Master’s programme gives you the tools to understand crime, deviance and social control from a cultural perspective.You study how norms, emotions and power shape behaviour, and how crime emerges and gains meaning in specific spaces and situations.</p><p>Combining sociology, social anthropology and critical criminology, the programme examines how crime is experienced by those involved, how media portray criminality, and how courts, prisons and law enforcement respond.</p><p>Rather than focusing on statistics, you analyse the meanings behind actions - from graffiti and corruption to online harassment - and how these are shaped by culture. Traditional criminology tends to see crime as something individual and separate from society. Cultural criminology understands crime and control as part of broader cultural structures and societal order. Actions that appear pointless or destructive can have deep meaning for those involved. This is a central insight in the department’s research and an important part of the teaching.</p><p>The programme prepares you for academic work or professional roles where cultural understanding is essential. It is the only programme of its kind in Europe, grounded in research in criminology, social anthropology and cultural sociology at the Department of Sociology.</p>