Crime and gender Flashcards
How are violent female criminals viewed by society ?
Female killers are extra,et rare compared to males. When females commit violent crimes it is ifiten attributed to other factors like:
Dominant male partner
Result of abuse from males
Mental illness
How do gender roles in the family cause boys to engage in “compensatory compulsory masculinity”- functionalist sex role theory?
Boys reject feminine models of behaviour
Seek to distant selves from such models by engaging in “compensatory compulsory masculinity” through aggression and anti social behaviour
Summarise Cohens point on the difficulty of socialisation for boys?- functionalist sex role theory
Relative lack of an adult role means bias more likely to turn to all male street gangs as a a source of identity- status earned by acts of toughness and risk taking
How do the new right contribute to the ideas of functionalist sex role theory?
Argues absence of a male role model in matrifocal lone parents families leads to boys turning to criminal street gangs as a source of identity/ status
How does walklate criticise this explanation- functional sex role theory?
Parsons assumes that because women Have biological capacity bear children, they are best suited to expressive role and is bases on biological assumptions
What did Heidensohn believe?
Women experienced
Control at home
Control in public
Control at work
Which makes them less likely to commit crimes
Explain Heidensohn’s control at home?
Imposes severe restrictions on their times and movements as they confined to house for long period of time
What do Dobash and Dobash say to support Heidensohn’s control at home?
Many violent attacks result from mens dissatisfaction with their wives performance of domestic duties
Daughters are subject to patriarchy and develop bedroom culture
Explain Hiedensohn’s control in public?
Controlled by threat of male violence- 54% of women avoided going out after dark compared to only 14% men
Media reporting rape adds to womens fear
What does Lees say to support Heidensohn’s control in public?
School boys maintain control through sexualised verbal abuse if girls fail to conform to gender roles
Explain Heidensohn’s control at work?
Controlled by male supervisors and managers
Sexual harassment used to “keep women in workplace”
“Glass ceiling” prevents women from rising to senior positions, means they can’t engage in white collar crime
How can we use the idea of risk taking to explain the lack of female crime?
Women are risk averse therefore less
Likely as it brings a huge risk
More protective if their children and would have more to lose than men if they end up in prison
How can we evaluate the view that risk taking explains female crime activity ?
Benscombe- changing gender roles
15-16 year old girls were increasingly taking on roles
Means it’s outdated
How can we use knowledge and opportunity to explain female crime activity?
Mcrobbie- bedroom culture means girls are indoors and boys outdoors which means boys have more opportunity for crime
How can we use knowledge and opportunity as an explanation for female crime activity?
Adulthood, demands of children is very consuming
In employment they are restricted
Have less knowledge of how to commit crimes
Example- breaking locks requires some basis of masculine behaviour
What is the chivalry thesis?
Most criminal justice agents- police officers, magistrates and judges- are men and men are socialised to act “chivalrous” towards women
How does Graham and Bowling’s research support the chivalry thesis?
Although males more likely to offend, difference was smaller than that recorded in offices statistics. Men more likely to be prosecuted
What does Hales et al say to support the chivalry thesis?
Young men significantly more likely to be offenders in all major categories. Studies suggest gender gap gets greater as offence becomes more serious
What does Adler say about the liberation thesis?
Patriarchy is becoming less significant meaning women can now engage in “men” crime like violence
How can we criticise the liberation thesis?
Women taking parts in serious things like drugs, often derive from things like prostitution a not very liberated act
What is Carlen’s class deal?
Women who work will be offered material rewards. Women who fail to find a legitimate way of evening a decent living feel they had nothing to lose from crime
What is Carlen’s gender deal?
The patriarchy promises material and emotional rewards from family life.
Most women saw disadvantages in the deal and turned to crime
What is Lyngs “edge work”
Crime is a way of proving masculinity and is thrilling
“Edgework”- behaviour that is on the edge of acceptability
What is the”complexity of womens role in society”?- gender and white collar crime
Women engage in paid employment and have maternal instincts, this produced many motives for crimes
What is the difference between women and men when committing white collar crime?
Men will normally have accomplices where as women will normally work alone
