Teaching Criminology: The Human Element

As part of the SCCJR’s ‘Teaching Criminology’ series, the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research is organising a session which explores the ‘human element’ in teaching criminology. The session bridges the gap between criminologists as researchers and criminologists as teachers by recognising the ‘human’ side that is inherent in both roles and that allows criminologists to shift from one role to the other. This element becomes particularly prominent when criminologists engage in research and teaching of sensitive topics, and when they become a vessel for transferring and interpreting the knowledge gained through research to be used in the classroom.

By bringing together SCCJR staff and its international partners, the session explores these questions from a variety of different perspectives, such as:

• How do we translate our (sensitive) research into teaching – what do we emphasize, modify, or omit?
• How do we perceive ourselves and our responsibilities in disseminating knowledge and experiences that we have gained through research of this kind?
• What precautions do we take while teaching to avoid harming the students who might have personal, crime-related experiences?

To explore these issues, the three discussants will share their experiences in researching and teaching topics such as immigration, sentencing, rehabilitation, and desistance. This is an open session that might be of interest to all those who teach or plan to teach criminology, and is for that reason particularly suitable for (although in no way limited to) PGRs and ECRs.

Discussants:

• Francesca Soliman, Edinburgh Napier University (UK)
• Miha Hafner, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)
• Fergus McNeill, University of Glasgow (UK)

Moderator:

• Milena Tripkovic, University of Edinburgh (UK)