Degrees
Masters

Master Degree in Crime and Deviance

School of Social Sciences

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ECTS

Vacancies

Schedule

Evening

Duration

1.5 Years

Language

Portuguese

Teaching type

In person

Tuitions EU Students

1st Year: 1500.00€

2nd Year: 750.00€

Tuitions Students outside EU

1st Year: 3000.00 €

2nd Year: 1500.00 €

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School of Social Sciences

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Presentation

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Catarina Fróis

Director

Accreditation

A3ES

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verified Accredited

schedule 3 Years

event 2025-08-29

article A3ES self evaluation report

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Registo DGES

DGES initial reference: R/A-Cr 144/2025

DGES reference update:

Programme structure

2026/2027

Unidades curriculares	Semester	ECTS
Gender, Justice and Discrimination	1	6.0
Global Threats - Terrorism and Organized Crime	1	6.0
Introduction to Forensic Psychology	1	6.0
Mechanisms of Crime Control	1	6.0
Conceptualization and Intervention in Contexts of Social Vulnerability	2	6.0
Freedom, Rights and Garanties	2	6.0
Territories of Fear	2	6.0

Recommended elective

Unidades curriculares	Semester	ECTS
Master Dissertation in Crime and Deviance Final Work	1	30.0
Master Project in Crime and Deviance Final Work	1	30.0

Recommended elective

Objectives

Generic

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Learning

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Mandatory Curricular Course

Master Dissertation in Crime and Deviance

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
OA1: Carry out autonomous qualitative, quantitative or theorectical research on their their research projec topic.
OA2: Make a literature review, and use theories and case studies to analyse their research topic.
OA3: Develop skills in defining theoretically based methodological strategies, and to define and conduct empirical or theoretical research.
OA4: Analyze research results based on the defined theoretical framework.
OA5: Write an original dissertation on the chosen topic

At the beginning of this course, students must already have a relevant research project in the field of crime and control studies, as well as a supervisor. With their supervisor, students should:
CP1- Identify relevant literature and develop theoretical and empirical bibliographic review
CP2 - Define the research program, methodological procedures and strategies
CP3 - Conduct the defined empirical or theoretical research
CP4 - Analyze and interpret results
CP5 - Define dissertation plan
CP6 - Writing the dissertation

The assessment of this CU is based on the completion of an individual dissertation, which must demonstrate scientific and methodological rigor and an original contribution to the field. The assessment process includes:
Written document (Dissertation)
Scientific and technical quality of the work, including the formulation of the research problem, literature review, methodological development, data analysis and interpretation of results.
Clarity and coherence of the argument, adequacy of the bibliographical references and respect for the rules of academic writing.
The work's original contribution to the advancement of knowledge.
Public defense
Clear and structured presentation of the dissertation before an academic jury.
Ability to answer questions and critically discuss the results.
Mastery of the concepts covered and capacity for scientific argument.
The grade is awarded by the Jury, applying the grades in force for the master's degree

Mandatory

Eco, Umberto. 2015. Como se Faz uma Tese em Ciências Humanas. Lisboa: Ed. Presença Silverman, David. 2024. Interpreting Qualitative Data. Londres: Springer, 7ª ed.

Optional

Mandatory Curricular Course

Master Project in Crime and Deviance

The student who successfully completes this course should be able to:
OA1: Carry out and operationalize the results of a bibliographic research using all the resources available for this purpose;
OA2: Identify and formulate a problem relevant to the project work;
OA3: Prepare a literature review relevant to the problem formulated;
OA4: Generate empirical arguments dominating the methodologies and instruments of investigation/intervention appropriate to the problem under analysis;
OA5: To communicate in writing and orally the work done and the argumentation elaborated.

The nature of the UC does not allow the definition of a programme with concrete subjects, as it seeks to apply competences already acquired to carry out project work. However, some of the subjects in the UC, adapted and variable according to the specificities of each project, comprise:
CP1: Formulation of the problem and respective theoretical framework (Introduction and Diagnosis of needs)
CP2: Definition of the intervention programme
CP3: Method of implementation and evaluation of the program;
CP4: Writing and presentation standards (Preparation for defense)

The master's project work must be defended in public exams where the technical components, the form of the written work and the public presentation and defense will be evaluated, respecting the norms established by ISCTE-IUL. The Project must be submitted in accordance with the formal requirements and deadlines established by ISCTE-IUL

Mandatory

Optional

Mandatory Curricular Course

Gender, Justice and Discrimination

Faculty

Catarina Fróis

OA1 – CP1-CP3.3
OA2 – CP1-CP3.3
OA3 – CP1.4,CP2.3,CP2.4, CP2.5
OA4 – CP1, CP1.1., CP1.2, CP1.4, CP 1.5, CPA1.3, CP3, CP3.1.,CP3.2, CP3.3

CP1. Gender and Culture
CP1.1. Culture, Tradition, and Hegemony
CP1.2. Powers: State, Society, and Culture
CP1.3. Identity, Practices, and Daily Violence
CP1.4. Case Study: Domestic Violence
CP1.5. Case Study: Honor Crimes

CP2. Justice and Discrimination
CP2.1. Implications of Gender Differences in Everyday Justice Experiences
CP2.2. Implications of Gender Differences in the Experience of Safety
CP2.3. Case Study: Police Stations and Combating Gender-Based Violence
CP2.4. Case Study: Court and Incarceration
CP2.5. Case Study: Care Institutions

CP3. Organizations and Social Movements
CP3.1. United Nations Gender Equality Promotion Programs
CP3.2. Gender Equality Commissio
CP3.3. Promotion of Human Security

Assessment during the semester

Submission of two individual written assignments throughout the semester on pre-established dates (80%)
Attendance and active participation in class debates and discussions (20%)
Minimum required grade of 9.5 on all assessment components
Exam-Based Assessment

Final semester exam covering all course content (100%)
Passing grade required: above 9.5
Under no circumstances does the periodic assessment contribute to the exam grade.
The assessment criteria for assignments, class participation, and the exam include the precision in presenting and discussing scientific literature and conceptual and methodological proposals, analytical creativity in argumentation, and critical reflexivity.

Mandatory

Brettell, Caroline e Carolyn Sargent, orgs., Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspectiv, 2017, Londres: Routledge, 7ª edição
Htun, Male e S. Laurel Weldon, The Logics of Gender Justice. State Action on Women's Rights around the World, 2018, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Merry, Sally Engle, Human Rights and Gender Violence. Translating International Law into Local Justice, 2006, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
Owen, Barbara, In Search of Safety. Confronting Inequality in Women's Imprisonment, 2017, University of California Press
Basu, Srimati, The Trouble with Marriage. Feminists Confront Law and Violence in India, 2015, Berkeley: University of California Press

Optional

Schmidt, Bettina e Igo Schroders, orgs., Anthropology of Violence and Conflict, 2001, Londres: Routledge
Teunis, Nils e Gilbert Herdt, orgs., Gender Inequalities and Social Justice, 2006, Berkeley: University of California Press
Santos, Cecilia MacDowell, Women's Police Stations. Gender, Violence, and Justice in São Paulo, Brazil, 2005, Londres: Palgrave Macmillan
Hodgson, Dorothy, Gender, Justice, and the Problem of Culture, 2017, University of Indiana Press
Wies, Jennifer e Hillary Haldane, orgs, Applying Anthropology to Gender-Based Violence. Global Responses, Local Practices, 2015, Lexington Books
Nussbaum, Martha and Jonathan Glover, orgs., Women, Culture and Development. A Study of Human Capabilities, 1995, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Johnson, Jessica, In Search of Gender Justice. Rights and Relationships in Matrilineal Malawi, 2018, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Own
Frois, Catarina, Female Imprisonment. An Ethnography of Everyday Life in Prison, 2017, Londres: Palgrave Macmillan
Griffiths, Anne, In the Shadow of Marriage. Gender and Justice in an African Community, 1997, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
Ripero-Muñiz, Nereid, Cosmopolitan Refugees. Somali Migrant Women in Nairobi and Johannesburg, 2023, Londres: Berghahn
Hagemann, Karen Sonya Michel e Gunilla Budde, orgs., Civil Society and Gender Justice, 2008, Londres: Berghahn

Mandatory Curricular Course

Global Threats - Terrorism and Organized Crime

Faculty

Catarina Fróis

This course aims to deepen the understanding of terrorism and organized crime as global threats, analyzing dynamics, typologies and historical evolution. The aim is to explore the connections between these forms of transnational crime and their social, political and economic impacts, including the effects on the stability of states, individual freedoms and human rights. Institutional responses and combat strategies will be examined, considering regulatory frameworks, international cooperation and the role of security forces and intelligence services. The course will also address emerging challenges, such as the impact of digital technologies on radicalization, illicit financing and the coordination of criminal networks, as well as the role of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity in their prevention and repression. The critical approach adopted will allow for an in-depth analysis of the social, political and cultural dimensions of these threats.

CP1. Terrorism and Organized Crime: Concepts and Framework
- Definition, typologies and historical evolution.
- Transnational crime and global challenges.
CP2. Terrorism: Strategies and Impacts
- Political, ideological and religious motivations.
- Radicalization, recruitment and the use of digital networks.
- International security and fundamental rights.
CP3. Organized Crime and Illicit Networks
- Transnational groups, human trafficking and cybercrime.
- Relations with corruption and illicit financial flows.
CP4. Responses and International Cooperation
- Prevention and repression strategies.
- International legislation and the role of organizations such as INTERPOL and Europol.
CP5. Emerging Challenges
- Artificial intelligence, digital surveillance and new forms of crime.

Assessment throughout the semester - requires a minimum attendance of 80% of classes
The assessment of this curricular unit will consist of three components:
1. Individual Work (40%) - Critical Essay:
In-depth development of a central CP theme (e.g. organized crime, radicalization, international security, trafficking, cybercrime).
2. Group Work (40%) - Text Analysis, Presentation and Report:
Critical analysis of two texts - classic and contemporary - from the reference and/or complementary bibliography, articulating theoretical concepts and empirical practice.
3. Class Participation (20%) - Debate and Discussion
Prior reading and contributions to discussions on texts and cases studied.

Assessment by Exam: Written Test - 100%

Mandatory

Ahmed, Shamila. 2020. The ‘War on Terror’, State Crime & Radicalization. A Constitutive Theory of Radicalization. Londres: Palgrave Avis, Maya, Daniel Marciniak e Maria Sapignoli, orgs. 2024. States of Surveillance. Ethnographies of New Technologies in Policing and Justice. Nova Iorque: Routledge Ball, Kirstie e William Webster, orgs. 2018. Surveillance and Democracy in Europe. Nova Iorque: Routledge Hufnagel, Saskia e Anton Moiseienko, orgs. 2020. Policing Transnational Crime. Law Enforcement of Criminal Flows. Nova Iorque: Routledge Maguire, Mark, Catarina Frois and Nils Zurawski. 2014. The Anthropology of Security. Perspectives from the Frontline of Policing, Counterterrorism and Border Control. London: Pluto Romaniuk, Scott, Francis Grice, Daniela Irrera, Steward Webb, orgs. 2017. The Palgrave Handbook of Global Counterterrorism Policy. Nova Iorque: Palgrave Ventura, João Paulo. 2024. Terrorismo e Crime Organizado. Ericeira: Diário de Bordo

Optional

Brayne, Sarah. 2020. Predict and Surveil: Data, Discretion, and the Future of Policing. New York: Oxford University Press Chenoweth, Erica, Richard English, Andreas Goas e Stathis Kalyvas, orgs. 2019. The Oxford Handbook of Terrorism. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Frois, Catarina, org. 2008. A Sociedade Vigilante. Ensaios sobre Identificação, Vigilância e Privacidade. Lisboa: Imprensa de Ciências Sociais Khan, Sheila, Ahmed Nazir e Machado, Helena. 2021. Racism and Racial Surveillance. Nova Iorque: Routledge. Monahan, Torin e David M. Wood, orgs. 2018. Surveillance Studies: A Reader. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Mandatory Curricular Course

Introduction to Forensic Psychology

Students should be able to:
OA1) Introduce the fundamental principles of Forensic Psychology, exploring its various applications in the fields of Criminal Law, Civil Law and Family and Children's Law.
LO2) Understand and critically analyze the role of Forensic Psychology, in interconnection with other areas of knowledge, in intersection with the justice system, in various contexts (courts, prisons, support services for victims and aggressors, among others) and in interdisciplinary assessment with victims and aggressors.
LO3) Identify methods and techniques in forensic contexts;
OA 4) Reflect on the principles and ethical challenges of Forensic Psychology

CP1) Introduction to Forensic Psychology: Specificities and areas of activity. Relationship between Psychology, Law and other areas of knowledge. CP2) Contributions of psychology in interdisciplinary assessment and intervention with victims: in the context of promotion and protection (ill-treatment and neglect), in criminal proceedings (crimes of a sexual nature and domestic violence) and in the testimony process. CP3) Contributions of psychology in interdisciplinary assessment and intervention with offenders: in the context of guardianship-educational proceedings (young offenders); in the context of criminal proceedings (sex offenders and spousal offenders). Assessment of the risk of reoffending. CP4) Cognitive and emotional variables that influence decision-making processes: heuristics and biases. CP5) Ethical and deontological principles.

Based on ISCTE's pedagogical model, different teaching strategies will be used: Theoretical and expository classes, to transmit the fundamental concepts of the Psychology of Justice. Discussion of texts and scientific articles, to encourage critical thinking and familiarization with the academic literature in the area. Real or Simulated Case Studies, to develop the capacity for critical analysis and practical application of knowledge. Practical Work, to develop specific skills in this area of knowledge.

Mandatory

Almeida, Fátima e Mauro Paulino, coords. 2012. Profiling, Vitimologia & Ciências Forenses: Perspetivas atuais. Lisboa: Pactor. Anciães, Alexandra e Rute Agulhas. 2022. Grande Livro sobre a Violência Sexual: Compreensão, Prevenção, Avaliação e Intervenção. Lisboa: Edições Sílabo. Crighton, David A. e Graham Towl, orgs. 2021. Forensic Psychology. Nova Iorque: Wiley, 3ª ed. Pessanha, Elisabete, Joana Alexandre e Ângela Maia. 2023. Contributos da avaliação técnica na tomada de decisão judicial no âmbito tutelar educativo em Portugal: Uma análise documental. Psicologia, 37 (1), 30-38. doi: https://doi.org/10.17575/psicologia.1770
Agulhas, Rute e Alexandra Anciães. 2023. Casos Práticos em Psicologia Forense. Lisboa: Edições. Sílabo Bartol, Curt e Anne Bartol. 2025. Introduction to Forensic Psychology. Research and Application. Londres: SAGE, 7ª ed. Barroso, Ricardo e David Neto, orgs. 2020. A Prática Profissional da Psicologia na Justiça. Lisboa: Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses. Brown, Jennifer e Miranda Horvath, orgs. 2021. The Cambridge Handbook of Forensic Psychology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Canter, David. 2010. Forensic Psychology. A very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ireland, Jane, Carol Ireland, Martin Fisher e Neil Gredecki, orgs. 2017. The Routledge International Handbook of Forensic Psychology in Secure Settings. Nova Iorque: Routledge. Matos, Marlene, Gonçalves, Rui e Carla Machado, orgs. (2011). Manual de Psicologia Forense: Contextos, Práticas e Desafios. Braga: Psiquilibrios Edições.

Optional

Mandatory Curricular Course

Mechanisms of Crime Control

At the end of the course students will be able to:

LO1. Identify classic authors in the study of social control.
LO2. Understand the mechanisms of social control and crime repression: Identify and analyze the traditional and contemporary means used to combat crime, from classic policing to the application of emerging technologies.
LO3. Explore the technological tools applied to criminal repression: systems based on artificial intelligence, electronic surveillance, genetic databases and biometrics.
LO4. Critically discuss the social and ethical impacts of these technologies: dynamics of discrimination, mass surveillance and loss of privacy associated with the use of technological tools in criminal repression.

CP1. Introduction to Means of Criminal Repression:
History and evolution of mechanisms of social control and criminal repression.
Sociological theories on social control (Durkheim, Weber, Foucault).
CP2. Emerging Technologies in Criminal Control:
- Introduction to artificial intelligence applied to policing and justice.
- Genetic databases: how they work, applications and controversies.
- Biometrics, electronic surveillance and predictive algorithms.
CP3. Ethical and Social Impacts: Privacy, surveillance and panoptic society; Algorithmic discrimination and the perpetuation of social inequalities; Access to and use of genetic databases: between public security and individual rights.
CP4. Case Studies: Case studies such as the implementation of the Prum Treaty. DNA-based criminal investigation: media cases and legal implications. Mass surveillance and digital security: global challenges.

Assessment throughout the semester - requires a minimum attendance of 80% of classes
The assessment of this curricular unit will consist of three components:
1. Individual Work (40%) - Critical Essay:
In-depth development of a central theme of PC (Artificial Intelligence, surveillance, genetic databases, social control).
2. Group Work (40%) - Text Analysis, Presentation and Report:
Critical analysis of two texts - classic and contemporary - from the reference and/or complementary bibliography, articulating theoretical concepts and empirical practice.
3. Class Participation (20%) - Debate and Discussion
Prior reading and contributions to discussions on texts and cases studied.

Assessment by examination: Written Test - 100%

Mandatory

Avis, Maya, Daniel Marciniak e Maria Sapignoli, orgs. 2024. States of Surveillance. Ethnographies of New Technologies in Policing and Justice. Nova Iorque: Routledge Ball, Kirstie e William Webster, orgs. 2018. Surveillance and Democracy in Europe. Nova Iorque: Routledge Brayne, Sarah. 2020. Predict and Surveil: Data, Discretion, and the Future of Policing. New York: Oxford University Press Cohen, Stanley. 1985. Visions of Social Control: Crime, Punishment, and Classification. Cambridge: Polity Foucault, Michel. 1975. Vigiar e Punir: História da Violência nas Prisões. Lisboa: Relógio D’Água Frois, Catarina, org. 2008. A Sociedade Vigilante. Ensaios sobre Identificação, Vigilância e Privacidade. Lisboa: Imprensa de Ciências Sociais Machado, Helena e Rafaela Granja. 2023. Genetic Surveillance and Crime Control. Social, Cultural and Political Perspectives. Nova Iorque: Routledge Monahan, Torin e David M. Wood, orgs. 2018. Surveillance Studies: A Reader. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Optional

Ahmed, Shamila. 2020. The ‘War on Terror’, State Crime & Radicalization. A Constitutive Theory of Radicalization. Londres: Palgrave Cole, Simon. 2001. Suspect Identities: A History of Fingerprinting and Criminal Identification. Harvard: Harvard University Press Cunha, Manuela. 2019. Criminalidade e Segurança. Lisboa: Fundação Francisco Manuela dos Santos. Inda, Jonathan Xavier. 2006. Targeting Immigrants. Government, Technology, and Ethics. Oxford: Blackwell Khan, Sheila, Ahmed Nazir e Machado, Helena. 2021. Racism and Racial Surveillance. Nova Iorque: Routledge. Machado, Helena. 2021. Crime e tecnologia: Desafios culturais e políticos para a Europa. Porto: Afrontamento.

Mandatory Curricular Course

Conceptualization and Intervention in Contexts of Social Vulnerability

In this course, students are expected to:
LO1) Understand the main theories and approaches to social vulnerability.
LO2) Analyze risk and protective factors associated with different groups in situations of vulnerability.
LO3) Identify effective social intervention methodologies in various contexts: Community and territorial intervention; Networking and intra- and intersectoral coordination; Empowerment programs and resilience promotion.
LO4) Develop an ethical and critical approach to social intervention, promoting evidence-based practices.

S1) Social Vulnerability: Definition and key concepts; Structural, social, and individual factors of vulnerability; Theoretical perspectives on social exclusion and inclusion.
S2) Groups in Situations of Vulnerability: Children and young people at risk; Migrant and refugee populations; People experiencing homelessness; Ethnic minorities.
S3) Models and Strategies of Social Intervention: Community and territorial intervention; Networking and coordination with social services; Empowerment programs and resilience promotion.
S4) Ethics and Deontology in Social Intervention.

The assessment throughout the semester includes: an individual written test (60%) and an oral presentation of a group project (40%). The assessment by exam (1st or 2nd sitting) consists of an individual test (100%).

Mandatory

Brown, K. 2024. “Vulnerability and Social Control at the Margins: A Contribution to an Interdisciplinary Trialogue on Vulnerability”. Hum.Stud 47: 287–306 2024. Castaños-Cervantes, Susana, Angélica e Cristina Reitz-Krueger, orgs. 2024. Working with Vulnerable Populations. A Multicultural Perspective. Londres: Springer. Castro, Fátima e Luciano Lourenço, coord. 2024. Contributos da Sociedade para a Redução do Risco em Populações Vulneráveis. Coimbra: Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra Dell’Aglio, Débora e Silvia Koller, orgs. 2011. Adolescência e Juventude: Vulnerabilidade e Contextos de Proteção. São Paulo: Casa do Psicólogo. Liamputtong, Pranee. 2007. Researching the Vulnerable. Nova Iorque: SAGE Rufat, S. & Metzger, P. (2024). Vulnerability, Territory, Population: From Critique to Public Policy. Wiley. Virokannas, E., Liuski, S., & Kuronen, M. (2018). The contested concept of vulnerability – a literature review. European Journal of Social Work, 23(2): 327–339.

Optional

Bakker, B (2021). Rethinking Vulnerability: Language, Power and Social Work. Social Work & Policy Studies: Social Justice, Practice and Theory (online: https://www.academia.edu/107233169/Rethinking_Vulnerability_Language_Power_and_Social_Work)

Mandatory Curricular Course

Freedom, Rights and Garanties

Faculty

Helena Pereira de Melo

At the end of the course unit, students should be able to:
LO1. Identify and interpret the fundamental concepts of rights, freedoms and guarantees in the context of constitutional law and international human rights law.
LO2. Critically analyze the dynamics between legal norms, cultural practices and justice systems, with an emphasis on conflicts between individual rights and the protection of collective legal goods.
LO3. Assess the limitations and tensions between fundamental rights and policies of social control, public security and the fight against crime.
LO4. Analyze the relationship between the legal system, power structures and discrimination, assessing the impact of the intersection between sex, gender, race, ethnicity and class on respect for human rights.
LO5. Reflect on the role of national and international institutions in protecting human rights and resolving conflicts related to offenses against fundamental freedoms.

CP1. Introduction to Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees: Theoretical and legal foundations; historical evolution of fundamental rights.
CP2. Constitutional Law and Human Rights: Fundamental rights in the Portuguese Constitution and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
CP3. Legal Pluralism and Fundamental Rights: Relations between normative and cultural systems and universal legal guarantees.
CP4. Limitations of Rights and Vulnerable Populations: States of constitutional exception and social control policies.
CP5. Criminal Justice and Human Rights: The impact of crime and the justice system on the exercise of fundamental freedoms.
CP6. Conflict Resolution and Legal Guarantees: The role played by mediation, restorative justice and specific rights protection mechanisms in combating gender and racial inequalities.

Assessment throughout the semester - requires a minimum attendance of 80% of classes
The assessment of this curricular unit will consist of three components:
1. Individual Assignment (40% ) - Critical Essay:
In-depth development of one of the themes discussed in the curricular unit throughout the semester (e.g. criminal justice and human rights; legal pluralism and the coexistence of normative systems; restorative justice and conflict mediation; impact of globalization on national legal systems).
2. Written Test (40%) 3. Class Participation (20%) - Debate and Discussion
Prior reading and contributions to discussions on texts and cases studied.

Assessment by exam: Written Test - 100%

Mandatory

Bettencourt, Francisco. 2023. Direitos Humanos, Lisboa: Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos Glenn, H. Patrick. 2014. Legal Traditions of the World. Sustainable Diversity in Law. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 5ª ed. Martins, Ana Maria Guerra. 2017. Direito Internacional dos Direitos Humanos. Coimbra: Almedina Novais, Jorge Reis. 2024. Manual de direitos fundamentais. Lisboa: AAFDL Queiroz, Cristina. 2024. Constituição Económica e Direitos Fundamentais, Lisboa: Petrony Simões, Vânia. 2024. Lições de direitos humanos e proteção internacional dos direitos humanos, Coimbra: Almedina

Optional

Merry, Sally Engle. 2006. Human Rights and Gender Violence: Translating International Law into Local Justice. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Nader, Laura. 2005. The Life of the Law: Anthropological Projects. Chicago: Chicago University Press

Mandatory Curricular Course

Territories of Fear

On completion of this course, students will be able to:
LO1: Identify and analyze informal protection strategies that emerge in contexts marked by insecurity or the absence (or insufficiency) of state control;
LO2. Compare different protection practices in different territories, highlighting the historical, cultural and socio-economic factors that influence them;
LO3. Examine the role of architecture, urbanism and territorial segregation policies in the construction of protected spaces and the management of fear;
LO4: Discuss the function and limits of popular militias, vigilante groups and other forms of institutional control;
LO5. Analyze the social and moral consequences of informal protection practices in terms of violence, inequality and human rights.

CP1. Fundamental concepts: protection, insecurity, fear and informality: building a social narrative. Spaces of Repression and Places of Segregation: Center and Margins, the relationship between crime, inequality and protection strategies. CP2. Case studies - the city as a fragmented space: São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Mexico City (Mexico), Johannesburg and Cape Town (South Africa). CP3. Militias and Actors Parallel to Security Forces: the role of popular militias in contexts such as Mozambique and Nicaragua; political, social and legal implications of militias in crime control. CP4. Informal Surveillance Groups: neighborhood control in the United Kingdom; the role of communities in managing security in border areas and combating the "Other". CP5. Ethical and Social Implications of Informal Strategies

Assessment throughout the semester - requires a minimum attendance of 80% of classes
The assessment of this curricular unit will consist of three components:

1. Individual Work (40%) - Critical Essay:
In-depth development of a central theme of the Curricular Unit (e.g. security; violence; inequalities and human rights; vulnerability).

2. Group Work (40%) - Case Study, Presentation and Report:
Analysis of a contemporary case that illustrates the themes, concepts and authors studied, linking theoretical concepts and empirical practice.

3. Class Participation (20%) - Debate and Discussion
Prior reading and contributions to discussions on the texts and cases studied.

Assessment by Exam: Written Test - 100%

Mandatory

Bagaeen, Samer and Ola Suduku, orgs. 2010. Gated Communities. Social Sustainability in Contemporary and Historical Gated Developments. Nova Iorque: Routledge. Cavalcanti, Roxana. 2020. A Southern Criminology of Violence, Youth and Policing Governing Insecurity in Urban Brazil. New York: Routledge. Das, Veena. 2022. Slum Acts. New York: Wiley Delgadillo, Juan e Marcelo Bezerra, orgs. 2017. Atlas de la violencia en América Latina. San Luis Potosi: Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí Goldstein, Daniel M. 2010. Outlawed: Between Security and Rights in a Bolivian City. Durham: Duke University Press. Low, Setha. 2004. Behind the Gates: Life, Security and the Pursuit of Happiness in Fortress America. Nova Iorque: Routledge. Zaluar, Alba. 2000. A Máquina e a Revolta: As Organizações do Tráfico e os Moradores das Favelas. São Paulo: Editora Fundação Perseu Abramo

Optional

Bjørgo, Tore e Miroslav Mareš, orgs. 2020. Vigilantism against Migrants and Minorities. Nova Iorque: Routledge. Caldeira, Teresa. 2000. Cidade de Muros: Crime, Segregação e Cidadania em São Paulo. São Paulo: Edusp. Machado da Silva, Luiz, org. 2008. Vida sob cerco: violência e rotina em favelas do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro: Nova Fronteira. Mudhoffir, Abdil. 2020. State of Disorder: Privatised Violence and the State in Indonesia. Londres: Palgrave Staudt, Kathleen. 2009. Violence and Activism at the Border: Gender, Fear, and Everyday Life in Ciudad Juarez. Austin: University of Texas Press

Thesis / Final work

Faculty

2026/2027

Catarina Fróis

Associate Professor (with aggregation)

Helena Pereira de Melo

Associate Professor (with aggregation)

Employability

contacts

School of Social Sciences

home Edifício 1, Sala 1E05

email candidaturas.ecsh@iscte-iul.pt

call (+351) 210 464 016

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