Overview
While much of the criminal justice system is oriented toward street crime there are important mechanisms that seek to regulate the crimes of powerful including white collar crime, organised crime, institutional crime and corruption. In this unit you will examine the distinctive position of each of these forms of crime and the major hurdles they present for law enforcement and the courts. You will critically examine the different institutional responses to crimes of the powerful particularly in structures of accountability and the creation of regulatory agencies. You will also discuss emerging areas of study such as systemic inequality and generational crime. This knowledge will be applied through the development of an organisational audit or compliance plan that regulates illegal behaviour.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2021
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from student feedback
It was great to have guest lecturers who are experts in their fields
We will continue to engage with relevant experts in their fields
Feedback from student feedback
"Thank you again for following up on this (Moodle issue) to ensure I can get graded"
We will continue to follow up with students if there are any submission or technology issues.
Feedback from student feedback
Thank you again for an awesome term during a terrible time (COVID 19)
We will continue to work with students to ensure they do not feel isolated during difficult times.
- Debate the underlying social factors that shape crimes of the powerful in Australia and internationally
- Develop an accountability-based organisational audit or compliance plan
- Discuss different regulatory approaches to crimes of the powerful
- Identify the organisational factors and structures that underpin white collar, organised and institutional crime
- Use criminology theory to evaluate the success of anti-corruption programs.
No external accreditation is relevant to this award.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 40% | |||||
| 2 - Presentation - 10% | |||||
| 3 - Online Quiz(zes) - 20% | |||||
| 4 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books - 30% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 40% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Presentation - 10% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Online Quiz(zes) - 20% | ||||||||||
| 4 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books - 30% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Zoom
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
k.e.buchanan@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction: Criminology's Class Divide
Chapter
Roche, D.L. & Friedrichs, D.O. (2018). Crimes of the Powerful: An Agenda for a Twenty-First Century Criminology. In W.S. Dekeseredy & M. Dragiewicz (Eds.) Routledge Handbook of Critical Criminology (2nd ed., pp. 180-189). Routledge. https://www-taylorfrancis-com.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/books/edit/10.4324/9781315622040/routledge-handbook-critical-criminology-walter-dekeseredy-molly-dragiewicz
Lynch, M.J. (2018). Conflict and Crime: Marx, Engels, Marxist/Radical Criminology, and the Explanation of Crime. In Triplett, R.A. (Ed.) The Handbook of the History and Philosophy of Criminology. John Wiley & Sons. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/detail.action?docID=5144712&pq-origsite=primo
(Note: this chapter can be found under Part 1 > Section 2)
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
White-Collar Crime in the Financial Sector: From the Enron Scandal to the Global Financial Crisis
Chapter
Jordanoska, A. & Schoultz, I. (2019). The 'Discovery' of White-Collar Crime: The Legacy of Edwin Sutherland. In M.L. Rorie & C.F. Wellford (Eds.) The Handbook of White-Collar Crime (pp. 3-15). John Wiley & Sons. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/detail.action?pq-origsite=primo&docID=5896936
Pinsker, J. (2016, August 18). Why Aren't Any Bankers in Prison for Causing the Financial Crisis? The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/08/why-arent-any-bankers-in-prison-for-causing-the-financial-crisis/496232/
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workbook Task #1
Module/Topic
White-Collar Crime: Money Laundering, Tax Evasion and the Panama Papers
Chapter
Anonymous (2016). The Revolution Will Be Digitised. International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. https://www.icij.org/investigations/panama-papers/20160506-john-doe-statement/
Fitzgibbon, W. (2021, April 3). The Fight Against Offshore Crime Will Be a Long Campaign. International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. https://www.icij.org/investigations/panama-papers/the-fight-against-offshore-crime-will-be-a-long-campaign/
The Panama Papers: What's Been Revealed So Far? (2016, April 7). The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/06/panama-papers-all-revelations-so-far-data-leak
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workbook Task #2
Module/Topic
Political Corruption Part I
Chapter
Funderberk, C. (2012). Political Corruption: Causes and Consequences. In C. Funderberk (Ed.) Political Corruption in Comparative Perspective: Sources, Status and Prospects (pp. 1-18). Taylor & Francis. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/detail.action?pq-origsite=primo&docID=5208371
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workbook Task #3
Module/Topic
Political Corruption Part II: 'Soft' Corruption
Chapter
McMenamin, I. (2016, May 31). No Bribes Please, We're Corrupt Australians! The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/no-bribes-please-were-corrupt-australians-59657
Schluter, W.E. (2017). Soft Corruption: The Problem. In Soft Corruption: How Unethical Conduct Undermines Good Government and What to Do About It (pp. 1-16). Rutgers University Press. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/detail.action?pq-origsite=primo&docID=4789870
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workbook Task #4
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Crimes of the State: Crimes Against Humanity and International Criminal Law
Chapter
Bassiouini, M.C. (2010). Introduction: Crimes of State and Other Forms of Collective Group Violence by Non-State Actors. In D. Rothe & C. Mullins (Eds.) State Crime: Current Perspectives (pp. 1-22). Rutgers University Press. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/detail.action?docID=816482&pq-origsite=primo
Mullins, C. (2010). The Current Status and Role of the International Criminal Court. In D. Rothe & C. Mullins (Eds.) State Crime: Current Perspectives (pp. 275-292). Rutgers University Press. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/detail.action?docID=816482&pq-origsite=primo
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workbook Task #5
Module/Topic
Colonialism and Dispossession
Chapter
Agozino, B. (2003). Introduction. In Counter-Colonial Criminology: A Critique of Imperialist Reason (pp. 1-12). Pluto Press. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/detail.action?docID=3386251&pq-origsite=primo
Cunneen, C. & Porter, A. (2017). 44: Indigenous Peoples and Criminal Justice in Australia. In Deckert, A. & Sarre, R. (eds.) The Palgrave Handbook of Australian and New Zealand Criminology, Crime and Justice (pp. 667-682). Springer. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/detail.action?pq-origsite=primo&docID=5123292
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workbook Task #6
Quiz #1
Module/Topic
Police Crime: Corruption and Brutality
Chapter
Office of Police Integrity (2007). Part 4: Troubled Times. Past Patterns, Future Directions: Victoria Police and the Problem of Corruption and Serious Misconduct (pp. 63-84). https://www.ibac.vic.gov.au/docs/default-source/reports/opi-report/past-patterns-future-directions---feb-2007.pdf?sfvrsn=dc586175_8
Cunneen, C. (2020, September 30). "The Torment of Our Powerlessness": Police Violence Against Aboriginal People in Australia. Harvard International Review. https://hir.harvard.edu/police-violence-australia-aboriginals/
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workbook Task #7
Module/Topic
Organised Cybercrime
Chapter
Payne, B.K. (2018). White-Collar Cybercrime: White-Collar Crime, Cybercrime, Or Both? Criminology, Criminal Justice, Law & Society (19)3, 17-33. https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/docview/2164138515?pq-origsite=primo
Rushe, D. & Borger, J. (2021, June 14). Age of the Cyber-Attack: US Struggles to Curb Rise of Digital Destabilisation. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jun/14/age-of-the-cyber-attack-us-digital-destabilization
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workbook Task #8
Module/Topic
Corporate Crime: Wage Theft and Exploitation
Chapter
Four Corners (2015). 7-Eleven: The Price of Convenience [Video]. ABC News/Clickview. https://clickv.ie/w/Swrq
Hodal, K. (2019, February 25). One in 200 People is a Slave. Why? The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/feb/25/modern-slavery-trafficking-persons-one-in-200
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workbook Task #9
Module/Topic
Environmental Crimes and 'Green' Criminology
Chapter
White, R. & Monod, S.W. (2017). 41: Green Criminology. In Deckert, A. & Sarre, R. (eds.) The Palgrave Handbook of Australian and New Zealand Criminology, Crime and Justice (pp. 617-632). Springer. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/detail.action?pq-origsite=primo&docID=5123292
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workbook Task #10
Workbook Due: Week 11 Friday (1 Oct 2021) 5:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Recap: Towards a Power-Conscious Criminology?
Chapter
Quinney, R. (2011). Crime Control in Capitalist Society: A Critical Philosophy of Legal Order. Critical Criminology (pp. 181-202). Taylor & Francis. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/detail.action?docID=1112419
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz #2
Quizzes (2) Due: Week 12 Friday (8 Oct 2021) 5:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books
Your workbook will consist of 10 weekly tasks (from weeks 2-11) designed to facilitate your engagement in the course content and active participation in learning activities. Each workshop will be designed around a challenge that gauges your understanding of the course content with the support of your fellow learners, and enables exploration and discussion of key concepts and ideas. There will be a range of different sorts of activities from week to week. Your workbook will consist of individual submissions in which you reflect on the workshop activities, demonstrate your engagement with the course content and show what you have learnt.
Each submission will be between 200-300 words and worth 3 marks, for a total of 30%. They will be due on the Friday of the week to which they relate. You will be graded on your satisfactory completion of the workbook task.
If you are unable to attend any workshops, these activities can be completed with your peers in a study group that you may arrange at your convenience.
Week 11 Friday (1 Oct 2021) 5:00 pm AEST
Review/Exam Week Monday (11 Oct 2021)
- Active engagement in workshop activities and creative thinking in response to problems
- Clear and succinct reporting on activities
- Reflecting on what you have learnt and your learning process
- Understanding of key ideas, theories and concepts from the course content and ability to relate these to concrete situations
- Participation in group activities and supporting your peers' learning
- Debate the underlying social factors that shape crimes of the powerful in Australia and internationally
- Discuss different regulatory approaches to crimes of the powerful
- Use criminology theory to evaluate the success of anti-corruption programs.
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
2 Online Quiz(zes)
There will be 2 multiple choice quizzes that will take place on weeks 7 and 12. These are designed to engage you with the set readings and help you to gauge your comprehension of key concepts and ideas in the course.
Each quiz will contain 10 questions drawn randomly from a larger selection, and each question will be worth 1% for a total of 20% (10% per quiz). The week 7 quiz will assess content from weeks 1-6, and the week 12 quiz will deal with weeks 7-11.
The quizzes will be open for one week. Once you begin, you will have 24 hours to complete them. You will be able to save your progress and return to the quizzes at any point within the 24 hours.
2
Other
Week 12 Friday (8 Oct 2021) 5:00 pm AEST
Week 12 Friday (8 Oct 2021)
- Comprehension of set reading materials
- Application of key concepts from the readings to topics in this unit
- Evaluate and respond to questions using evidence provided in set reading materials
- Identify the organisational factors and structures that underpin white collar, organised and institutional crime
- Use criminology theory to evaluate the success of anti-corruption programs.
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
3 Presentation
For this assessment you will find your own example (not contained in the course material) of either white-collar crime or corruption. In your presentation, you will create visual cues that explain your chosen case, such as a map, a timeline of events, graphs, diagrams or flowcharts. You should also supplement this with a brief (200-300 word) introduction to/overview of your chosen case.
Vacation Week Friday (20 Aug 2021) 5:00 pm AEST
Week 7 Friday (3 Sept 2021)
- Explanation of chosen case study
- Creating a helpful and accurate visual representation of key actors and/or events
- Understanding of course content and the nature of white-collar crime/corruption
- Clear and concise expression
- Develop an accountability-based organisational audit or compliance plan
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Ethical practice
4 Written Assessment
For your final assessment, you will choose any example of a crime of the powerful relating to one of the topics from weeks 2-11. It may be an example that we have discussed in class, or you may find your own.
In Part I (750 words) you will explain and analyse your chosen case: what sort of crime it is, what happened, who was involved, the repercussions of the crime, and the consequences faced by the perpetrators (if any).
In Part II (750 words) you will present a proposal for how such crimes should be dealt with going forward and improving accountability. Your proposal may be preventative in nature, or it can deal with punishing such actions. It can suggest (for example) laws and legislation, regulations or regulatory bodies, internal policy, or ways to deal with the issue in the law enforcement or the judicial system. You may wish to propose an idea that has already been suggested by others or successfully implemented elsewhere; the important thing is that you engage with broader discussions about how we deal with such crimes of the powerful and prevent or respond to abuses of power in society.
You are expected to do research and include references for both Part I and Part II.
Review/Exam Week Friday (15 Oct 2021) 5:00 pm AEST
- Understanding and analysis of chosen case study
- Awareness of legal and regulatory frameworks that apply to chosen case
- Understanding of key concepts and ideas from the course material and the role of power in chosen case
- Critical engagement with debates on how to prevent or respond to abuses of power and ensure accountability
- Clear and succinct written expression
- Adequate research and accurate referencing according to APA 7 style guide
- Debate the underlying social factors that shape crimes of the powerful in Australia and internationally
- Develop an accountability-based organisational audit or compliance plan
- Discuss different regulatory approaches to crimes of the powerful
- Identify the organisational factors and structures that underpin white collar, organised and institutional crime
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
