Crime And Deviance - Gender And Crime Flashcards
What do official stats show about male offenders? Include stat from England and Wales 2014
They’re more likely to commit crime
EAW 2014 -> men accounted for 95% of prison pop.
What crimes are usually committed by men?
Sex offences
Criminal damage
Robbery
What crimes are usually committed by women?
Theft
Fraud
Drug offences
What is sex-role theory?
Children are socialised into the 2 sexes from infancy
Boys -> tough, aggressive (more likely to be violent -> crime)
Girls -> prepared for the expressive role
Males are the breadwinners -> girls have a female role model at home, boys reject femininity and seek compensatory compulsory masculinity (anti-social behaviour)
What is sex-role usually associated with?
Parsons -> instrumental/expressive role
EVALUATION: Who speaks about the lack of a male role model & how that can influence boys to turn to street gangs to claim status?
Cohen
EVALUATION: What does Murray say about boys from female headed lone parent families?
They’re more likely to turn to street gangs as a source of status & identity
EVALUATION: What does Walklate say about the sex-role theory and it’s biological assumptions?
Argues that just because women can bear children doesnt mean theyre best suited for the expressive role -> FAMILY DIVERSITY (more women out to work & less women having kids)
The theory is based on biology to explain gender differences in offending-> flawed
EVALUATION: What have feminists done as a response to the sex-role theory?
Put forward alternative explanations -> control theories (HEIDENSOHN & CARLSON)
What are the similarites between the sex-role theory & control theories?
Both focus on patriarchal nature of society & women’s subordinate position in it
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Heidensohn say about patriarchal control?
Attempts to explain why women conform & commit less crimes then men
Argue patriarchal societies control women more effectively then men (more difficult to break the law)
SOCIOLOGIST: What are the 3 main things Heidensohn looks into about patriarchal control?
Control of women at home, work & public
How does patriarchal society control women at home, according to Heidensohn?
Women spend most of their time at home (childcare etc.) -> little time for crime
Daughters have less freedom then sons -> develop a ‘bedroom culture’
How does patriarchal society control women at home, according to Dobash & Dobash?
The threat of DV is imposed on women who try to reject their domestic roles -> dont committ crmie out of fear
What was Dobash & Dobash’s research into refugee women? Give one strength & weakness
Used unstructured interviews
strength -> rapport was able to gain the trust of the women & establish valid data
weakness -> sensitive topic (can result in psychological/emotional damage)
How does patriarchal society control women at work, according to Heidensohn?
Women usually controlled by male superiors (may be intimidated by various forms of harassment)
Glass ceiling -> prevents women rising to senior positions
How does patriarchal society control women in public, according to Heidensohn? Include a statistic from the Islington crime survey
Women often choose to stay home due to fear of being a victim of crime/harassment + limit their behaviour (fear of being labelled ‘slut, slag, bitch’)
54% women avoid going out after work, compared to 14% of men
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Leeds point out about boys in education?
They maintain control through sexualised verbal abuse
Who argues that women are encouraged to conform to class & gender deals?
Carlen
What are class deals, according to Carlen? What is the consequence of it?
Material rewards which occur through working in paid employment -> women can purchase consumer goods & enjoy a respectable life
What are gender deals, according to Carlen
Rewards that arise from fulfilling family roles -> material & emotional support is provided by the male breadwinner