Title: Criminology in Greece Today
Edition in Honour of: Stergios Alexiadis
Editing: Stratos Georgoulas
Publicated: ΚΨΜ

The undergraduate curriculum of the Department of Sociology of the University of the Aegean encompasses the following courses,  run by the staff members of the Laboratory of the Sociology of Youth, Leisure and Sports. 

Subject of the Course
Sociological approach of deviance, as a structural category, formed by a composite of social-historical factors, as well as parameters of human evolution.

Where is  emphasis placed  on
The emphasis in this course will be placed on special issues, regarding the protection of youth and particularly on issues regarding drug abuse, deviant behaviours and web surfing as a contemporary activity which is part of youth leisure.

Why this course is included in the Curriculum
According to the principles of the Curriculum, compulsory courses enhance the scientific identity of the students and offer to them more specialized knowledge, which is useful for a wide range of sociological occupations in the labour market. The course is in accordance with the above, as well as with the general planning of the Department, part of which is the Section of the Sociology of youth, sports and recreation.

Objectives of the Course

The basic objective of this course is students’ familiarization with the theoretical models of the sociological analysis of deviance. At the same time, the course aims at the understanding and operational use of concepts and methodological tools, in relation to issues, such as prevention and repression of juvenile delinquency. The acquisition of knowledge will be mainly tested through critical essays on the research work, which already exists in greek and foreign literature.

What will the student be taught:
By finishing this course, which lasts one semester, you should be able to discuss about and to apply concepts, such as crime, criminal, criminality and crime policy, preventive measures against drug abuse, etc., as well as to approach with adequate understanding the following issues:

• Deterministic perspectives on criminality
• New theoretical approaches of criminality
• Institutional frame of crime-fighting measures in Greece
• New crime-fighting proposals at international level
• Youth and delinquency. Causes and measures
• Youth and drug abuse. Causes and measures.
• Youth and web surfing as a form of deviance 

INTRODUCTION

What the course refers to
A sociological analysis of one of the main sectors of social economy in modern western societies. The theoretical models of the sociology of leisure which constitute the avant-garde of contemporary sociological thought, compose an exemplary field for the study of social behaviours and life-styles, as they record and analyse prevailing social time in modern years.

Where is emphasis placed on
The study of the disposal patterns of leisure is a significant part of the study of  contemporary greek society, mostly as regards social development and improvement of the quality of life. In addition, an examination will be made of crucial issues, such as the theoretical concern about the development of “leisure industry”, -with particular emphasis on the industry of spectacle and tourism-recreation-, the connection between leisure and health-therapy, -with emphasis on specialized programmes of therapeutical treatment for the disadvantaged and the pensioners-, and also game and its’ influence (psychological, social) on children. The latter have created respective professional sectors which show signs of an increased development during the last years in western societies. Respective issues such as leisure and civilization-culture, leisure and social differentiation, leisure and national identity, are of critical importance to the study of the process of evolution of a local community, a social group, a state in post-industrial society.

Why is this course included in the Curriculum
According to the principles of the Curriculum, compulsory-optional courses enhance the scientific identity of the students and offer them more specialized knowledge which is useful for a wide range of sociological occupations in the labour market. The course is in accordance not only with the above mentioned objective, but also with the general planning of the Department, part of which is the Section of the Sociology of youth, sports and recreation.

Objectives

The basic objective of this course is the familiarization of students with the theoretical models of the analysis of leisure as a social phenomenon. At the same time, the course will aim at the understanding and operational use of concepts, such as leisure, as well as of methodological tools, regarding working time and mass culture. The acquisition of knowledge will be mainly tested through critical essays on the research work, which already exists in greek and foreign literature.

What will the student be taught:
By finishing this course, which lasts one semester, you should be able to discuss about and to apply concepts, such as leisure, methodological tools regarding working time or mass culture, theoretical models which deny the existence of leisure and approach with adequate understanding the following issues:

• The Relation among individual-society-time
• New relations in the sector of employment and the role of technologies
• Issues concerning youth and the problems that plague it
• Issues, such as language-culture 
• Marginalization, violence, crime and social control agencies
• Distribution of culture according to gender 

What the course refers to
Sociological analysis of a primarily social phenomenon. The course aims at researching the significance of sports to societies and at analysing the influence of social systems, social values and norms on human behaviour.

Where is emphasis placed on
The emphasis will be placed on the development of sports within industrial societies and their evolution until the 21st century. Within this framework., a study will be made concerning the birth of modern Olympic Games, in connection with the analysis of the bourgois culture, team sports in relation to the competition among national states and contemporary globalized environment. Finally, particular emphasis will be placed on phenomena of social pathology, which emerge in modern forms of sports (dopping, commercialization, violence, etc.)

Why is this course included in the Curriculum
According to the principles of the Curriculum, compulsory-optional courses enhance the scientific identity of the students and offer them more specialized knowledge which is useful for a wide range of sociological occupations in the labour market. The course is in accordance with the above, as well as with the planning of the Department, part of which is the Section of the Sociology of youth, sports and recreation.

Course objectives

The basic objective of this course is the familiarization of students with the theoretical models of the analysis of sports as social phenomenon. At the same time, the course will aim at the understanding and operational use of concepts and methodological tools, in relation to the sociological analysis of sports. The acquisition of knowledge will be mainly tested through critical essays on the research work, which already exists in greek and foreign literature.

What will the student be taught:
By finishing this course, which lasts one semester, you should be able to discuss about and to apply concepts, such as commercialization, mass sports, high performance sports and professional sports, as well as  methodological tools regarding the sociological analysis of sports  and  to approach with adequate understanding the following issues:

• Subject of the sociology of sports. The birth of sports as a sociological phenomenon 
• The development of sports in contemporary Greece. The revival of Olympic Games
• The social functions of sports 
• The organization of sports. Sports as a state-protected good. Sports and politics
• The commercialization of sports. Professionalism or dynamic of athletic associations
• Sports violence. Other phenomena of social pathology
• Sportsfans-supporters-spectators 
• Sports as a maintenance factor of masculinity. Sports and women
• European sports policies