Gender and crime
- Created by: zoe_chetty
- Created on: 15-01-19 13:13
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- Gender, crime and justice
- Crime gender gap
- In england and Wales 2013
- Men accounted for nearly three quarters of all persons convicted, 95% of prisoners
- Men are more likely to be repeat offenders and they commit more serious crime
- By the age of 40, 9% of females had a criminal conviction against 32% of males
- In england and Wales 2013
- Chivalry thesis
- The CJS is more lenient to women because its agents are men. They are socialised to act 'chivalrously' towards women
- Pollack argues men have a protective attitude towards women, so they are unwilling to arrest, charge, prosecute or convict them
- Evidence for
- Graham and Bowling- admitting an offence
- Home office statistics
- Females are generally regarded by police as a less serious threat than men
- Evidence against
- Farrington and Morris study of sentencing
- Buckle and Farrington observational study of shoplifting
- Box- self report studies
- Although women are far less likely to commit serious offences, those who do face more sever punishment
- Women are twice as likely to be denied bail when charged with drug offences
- Many women in prison appear to have been sentenced more severely than men in similar situations
- Functionalist: sex role theory
- Parsons believes that socialisation gives us our gender roles
- Girls do not develop deviant values
- Crimes are an extension of these roles
- Girls follow female role model- caring and gentle
- Walklate- too much biological assumption that women are gentle
- Control theory
- Heidensohn- women conform because they are controlled by the patriarchal society and this reduces their opportunity to offend
- Home- nuclear family is like a prison. Gender expectation in housewife role. Domestic violence as control if they fail
- Men control finances, limiting their wives activities. Daughters are monitors (bedroom culture)
- Public- women fear sexual violence so they stay at home
- Modern relationships more equal
- More policing of domestic violence
- Greater sexual freedom
- Poverty/ Marginalisation
- Carlen- promise of reward for conformity to femininity.
- Class deal- if they work they are promised material rewards and a decent standard of living
- Gender deal- material/ emotional rewards, good family life if they fulfil expectations
- If no reward, women feel frustrated and choose crime
- Too much focus on male control of the class/ gender deal. Doesn't consider free will
- Liberationist Theory
- Changing role of women
- Adler- changing structure of society= increased female crime
- Less control of women by men. Greater self-confidence and assertiveness
- Westwood- identities reconstructed, no longer traditional role
- Female crime rate began rising in 1950s before female liberation
- Most female criminals are wc who havent been affected by female liberation
- What causes men to offend?
- The assertion of masculinity
- Connell- hegemonic masculinity. Independence, self confidence, toughness, aggressions, subordination of women
- Messerschmidt- masculinity is a social construct, accomplishment. Men have to work to constantly achieve and assert their masculinity
- Some men have more resources to draw on to do this than others
- Hegemonic masculinity
- The dominant prestigious form of masculinity. Paid work, subordination of women, heterosexuality
- Subordinated masculinity
- Gay, lower class, ethnic minority. Lack of resources to accomplish hegemonic masculinity and so turn to crime
- White, middle class youths
- Subordinate themselves to teachers in order to achieve middle class status
- Accommodating masculinity in school, oppositional form outside
- White lower class youths
- Less chance of educational success. Their masculinity is opposed in school and out of school
- Oppose teachers and hold sexist attitudes to construct their masculinity
- Black lower class youths
- Few expectations of a reasonable job. Use gang membership and violence to explain their masculinity
- Criticisms of Messerschmidt
- He does not explain why all men use crime to accomplish masculinity
- Is masculinity a cause of crime or just a description of male offenders?
- The assertion of masculinity
- Crime gender gap
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