crime + deviance: why do men commit crime? Flashcards
what is one way sociologists explain men’s higher rates of offending?
the concept of masculinity
what are the 2 types of masculinities that Messerschmidt explains?
hegemonic masculinity + subordinated masculinities
how is hegemonic masculinity defined?
work in paid-labour market, subordinate of women, heterosexism + the driven and uncontrollable sexuality of men
what is subordinated masculinity?
have no desire for hegemonic masculinity, include gay men, lower class + some ethnic minorities who lack resources to
how do white m/c youth break rules to demonstrate masculinity?
have to subordinate themselves to teachers to achieve m/c status leading to accommodating masculinity
- outside school - masculinity takes opposing form e.g. drinking, vandalism
how do white w/c youth break rules to demonstrate masculinity?
less chance of educational success so masculinity is oppositional in + out of school
- sexist attitudes, being tough, opposing teachers authority
how do black lower w/c youth break rules to demonstrate masculinity?
may have few expectations of reasonable job due to racism
- may use gang membership + violence to express masculinity
what is the difference in the type of crime m/c men vs w/c men commit?
white m/c men commit white collar + corporate crime to accomplish hegemonic masculinity
poorer groups may use street robbery to achieve a subordinated masculinity
why is Messerschmidt criticised for having a circular argument?
is masculinity an explanation of male crime or just an description of male offenders?
why else is Messerschmidt criticised?
- he doesn’t explain why not all men use crime to accomplish masculinity
- he overworks the concept of masculinity to explain virtually all male crime
how has globalisation led to male crime according to Winlow?
has led to a shift from a modern industrial society to a postmodern de-industrial society
caused the loss of many manual jobs where men used to be able to express their masculinity
what did Winlow’s study of bouncers in Sunderland find?
found that working as bouncers, men were able to accomplish masculinity through the use of violence
how did Winlow link to Cloward + Ohlin’s conflict and criminal subculture?
in Sunderland, the subculture was one of conflict as men accomplished masculinity through violence but this had not developed into a criminal subculture due to lack of organised criminal gangs
how does Winlow say it changed to a professional criminal subculture?
under post-modern conditions, violence was no longer just a means of asserting masculinity but a way of earning a living
why is Winlow’s study important?
it demonstrates how the expression of masculinity may change as society changes from modern industrial society to a postmodern de-industrialised one
