Crime and Deviance - Gender

Official Crime Statistics and Gender

• According to the official statistics, women commit relatively few crimes compared to men and are far less likely to be arrested and sent to prison
• 8% of the total UK prison population is female
• This could mean that women are very good at crime and less likely to get caught or commit less detectable crims
• Most sociologists accpet that women are simply less criminal tan men
• Some sociologists have also argued that the police and courts treat women more favourably han men, the chivalry argument; when stopped by the police women are able to use their femininity and cultural capital to talk there way out of minor offences
• Yet he evidence for such claims is inconclusive

Traditional Theories Applied to Women

Merton and Strain Theory

If not being able to achieve the American dream causes some men to innovate why don't more women innovate?

Eileen Leaonard argued that women's goals are more about successfl relations than making money, and their goals are more easily accessible

Subcultural Theory and Enironmental Theory

Woemn are mainly invisible in both these theories, as it was simply taken for granted that men committed the crimes

Labelling Theory

Once again women are mainly invisible in studies to do with labelling

However feminists have rgued that labelling i sa very important concept which could be applied to why the police and courts treat women differently

Marxist Theories

Women are once again not refered to i these theories and studies

Feminist Views…