Studying online (if an online offering is shown below)
There are now 2 possible online modes for units:
Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.
Click on an offering mode for more details.
Unit Overview
- Description
At the turn of the 21st century, the United States, esteemed as the “land of the free,” developed one of the most extensive prison systems in the history of the world. This unit draws on the tools of historical analysis, bolstered by criminological and sociological theories, to unpack this profound contradiction. Based on the dictum *nullem crimen sine lege* (there is no crime without law), it introduces students to key events in US history and key concepts in the historical sociology of crime, deviance, and rebellion, via foundational categories of identity and difference: race, class, gender, dis/ability, sexuality, citizenship, Indigeneity, and alienage. Drawing on topics ranging from witchcraft trials to indefinite detention in the War on Terror, from fugitive slaves to unfree Indigenous labor in Spanish missions, from lynch mobs to the death penalty, from police militarization to prisoners' rights movements, and from border policing to mass immigrant deportation, students will assess the ways in which notions of crime and deviance have evolved in historical contexts to produce a massive American carceral state, and the social movements that have emerged to challenge it.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
Availability Location Mode Not available in 2025 UWA (Perth) Face to face - Details for undergraduate courses
- Level 3 elective
- Outcomes
Students are able to (1) assess historiographical issues characteristic of US History through the lens of crime and punishment; (2) evaluate the conceptual problems posed by interrogating the histories and theories of crime and punishment in the United States; (3) demonstrate a detailed understanding of the US histories of punishment; (4) locate and analyse appropriate sources for student-driven research essays; and (5) present arguments in both written and oral assessments using the conventions of the historical discipline.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) participation and weekly reflection; (2) annotated bibliography; and (3) research essay. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Associate Professor Ethan Blue
- Unit rules
- Prerequisites
- Any level two unit from the History
or Criminology major - Incompatibility
- HIST2224 American Outlaws: Crime and Punishment in the United States
- Advisable prior study
- Any Level 2 units in History.
in the school of Humanities.
in the Criminology major.
or the Law and Society Major
- Contact hours
- Lectures: one hour per week for 12 weeks
Workshops: two hours per week for 12 weeks - Note
- Students who have completed HIST2224 should not take this unit.
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.