Are you curious about the mysterious dark web? Do you ever wonder about the covert smuggling of diamonds and guns? Or why individuals become modern-day internet sleuths, attempting to solve crimes online? Or who that painting really ‘belongs’ to in the British Museum? Delve into the shadows of the criminal underworld and explore the complexities of global crime.

This course is structured into three parts. The first section introduces the foundational theories, concepts, and terminology in global crime and justice. Students will understand the growing importance of knowledge production beyond traditional Anglo-American bases of power and how colonialism has shaped our understanding of the crime. In the second part, students dive deeper into responses to global crime, from the controversial death penalty for drug trafficking to the rising militarization of borders. Students investigate how vulnerable populations can become ensnared within these complex frameworks. Deepening our understanding, students will begin to untangle the complex and interwoven nature of global crimes through an in-depth study of trafficking in its many forms (human, wildlife, diamonds and antiques). Students investigate how global crimes can blur the boundaries between victims and offenders and shape borders through policing responses. Finally, we investigate state crimes, online ‘sleuthing’ and the phenomenon of ‘true crime’ consumption to illustrate how key social changes such as globalization, technology and media influence crime policing, perception and victims.

Global crime offers a multidisciplinary, critical and comparative perspective in criminology. Enabling students to explore ‘global’ crimes from an interdisciplinary perspective and meet academics, frontline worker, activists and legal practitioners shaping the field.