Crime And Deviance 3 - Gender

Question 1

Stats for crime and gender?

Answer 1

75,000 males in prison, 3,200 females

Question 2

Pollak (1950) reasons for crime stats?

Answer 2

Men socialised to be chivalrous to women and at all stages of the system women aren’t arrested or found guilty

Question 3

Evidence for Pollak (1950) theory?

Answer 3

Page et al (2000) 49% females received a caution in 2007 compared to 30% males, 1 in 11 female self-reported offenders have been cautioned or prosecuted vs 1 in 7 males
Females more likely to be remanded on bail than in custody
Women more likely to be given a fine/community sentence
Women have shorter sentences

Question 4

Criticism against Pollak (2000)?

Answer 4

Farrington and Morris (1983) 408 offences of theft, women not sentenced more leniently
Buckle and Farrington (1984) observational study of shoplifting 2x more men than female, numbers more equal in official stats, suggests women more likely to be prosecuted
Ignores many male crimes don’t get reported (crimes of powerful, crimes against women, etc.)
Women could just have less serious offences and more likely to show remorse, prompting a caution

Question 5

Heidensohn (1985) control theory?

Answer 5

Heidensohn (1985) womens behaviour conformist because patriarchal society imposes greater control over them and reducing offending oppurtunities
Confinement to domestic sphere means less leisure time
Attacks on women controls them in the public
Reducing womens opportunity to commit major criminal activity through glass ceiling and reason for #MeToo
She also recognises it can be push women into crime

Question 6

Carlen (1988) gender and crime and deviance?

Answer 6

39 unstructured tape recorded interviews with 15-46 year old convicted working class women
Argues women conform through 2 types of deals: class deals (material rewards) and gender deals emotional and material rewards)
If these aren’t available or worth it, crime becomes more likely
The women she spoke to, 32 had always been in poverty, and many of them have been abused, in care, homeless, unemployed or had an addiction

Question 7

Evaluation of feminist theories?

Answer 7

Heidensohn and Carlen are too deterministic
Carlen’s work maybe unrepresentative (sample size, preference for serious offences)

Question 8

Liberation thesis?

Answer 8

Freda Adler (1975) changes in societies structure have led to changes in women offending (more power in legitimate structure and illegitimate structure)
Women have increased in confidence and have greater oppurtunities

Question 9

Evidence for liberation thesis?

Answer 9

1950s to 1990s female share of offences rose from 1 in 7 to 1 in 6
Denscombe (2001) study of Midlands teenagers self images found females were as likely as males to engage in risk taking behaviour and girls want to be in control and appear that way

Question 10

Liberation thesis criticism?

Answer 10

Female crime rates began rising in 1950s before womens liberation movement
Most female criminals WC which least affected by womens liberation than MC
Chesney - Lind (1997) women branching out to ‘male’ offences e.g drugs, but links is often ‘unliberated’ ‘female’ offence
Laidler and Hunt (2001) female USA gang members meant to conform to gender roles
Does theory overestimate womens liberation

Question 11

Functionalist sex role (Parson’s) theory for crime and deviance?

Answer 11

Boys encouraged to be tough and risk taking so more likely to commit crimes
Girls are intuitive, passive and conformist so less chance of crime

Question 12

Evidence for functionalist sex role theory?

Answer 12

A.K. Cohen, boys find sense of identity in street gangs, they earn status by acts of toughness, risk taking, etc.
New rights beliefs on crime

Question 13

Criticism of functionalist sex role theory?

Answer 13

Theory suggest socialisation is the biggest reason however the original Parson’s theory was based on biological differences
Walklate (2003) criticises biological determinism in the theory, women may not be the most qualified to care for children just because they can give birth

Question 14

Gender Role Socialisation theory?

Answer 14

Messerschmidt (2000) boys in UK socialised into hegemonic masculine value system that emphasise being a ‘real man’ by having power and being tough, which effects the crimes they commit (middle class white collar crime, working class against ethnic minorities or homosexuals)

Question 15

Support for Messerschmidt (2000)?

Answer 15

Campbell (1993) males lose opportunity to express their masculinity through physical labour leading to ‘crisis of masculinity’
Young (1999) crisis more acute for young men who have never had a job and may not even be marriage material. Some respond by creating subcultures of glorifying extreme masculinity

Question 16

Criticisms of Messerschmidt (2000)?

Answer 16

Doesn’t explain why not all men turn to crime
In danger of a circular argument
Over-works masculinity to explain all crime