Feminism theory

Question 1

Define malestream

Answer 1

word coined by feminists to describe the type of sociology that concentrates on men, is mostly carried out by men and then assumes that the findings can be applied to women as well

Question 2

Define chivalry thesis

Answer 2

claims women will be treated more leniently for committing certain crimes

Question 3

Define bedroom culture

Answer 3

a way of socialisation for females; they learn behaviour inside the house with friends e.g. communication with their peers (subcultures) – McRobbie & Garber

Question 4

Define Hegemonic masculinity

Answer 4

Connell + Messerschmitt ‘normative or hegemonic masculinity’ refers to the dominant form of masculinity within the gender hierarchy. Associated with whiteness and heterosexuality

Question 5

Frances Heidensohn – why women have been ignored in sociological research

Answer 5

Male dominance of offenders
Male domination of sociology
Sociological theorising
Vicarious identification - The research and theories developed by sociologists is therefore male dominated.

Critical of male dominance, defines views as being malestream
Women less criminal = biologically different / socialised differently to men

Question 6

Official statistics – women and the criminal justice system

Answer 6

4 out of 5 convicted offenders in England and Wales are male
Even when reported females are less likely to be prosecuted

Can be argued female crime is underestimated by OS, female crime isn’t always reported (prostitution)

Question 7

Biological theory

Answer 7

scientists like Lombroso argued men and women were biologically different as men have higher levels of testosterone they are ‘naturally’ more aggressive, he says ‘normal’ females have a disposition that repels them from criminal behaviour
Can be criticised as doesn’t take into account your ability/desire to commit crime

Question 8

Sex Role theory

Answer 8

Nuclear family
Men take on the breadwinner role, women take the expressive role, responsibility for socialising the children
Boys (OS most likely to commit crime) distance themselves, engaging in ‘compensatory compulsory masculinity’ through aggression and anti-social behaviour

Question 9

Evaluation of sex role theory

Answer 9

X Walklate criticises Parsons for assuming that because women are biologically capable of bearing children they are best suited to the expressive role
X These roles show that women lack the values typically associated with delinquency – ‘laddette’ challenges

Question 10

Transgression - postmodern approach

Answer 10

Smart introduced the concept of ‘transgressive criminology’
activities that cause harm rather than strictly activities that are beyond the law of the land – beyond standard criminology
Criminology is malestream and ignores that many things that are harmful to women are not illegal – Me Too movement
It considers ideas diverse diverse as self-imposed curfews: treatment of women as pictures domestic abuse – more strongly discussed

Question 11

Evaluation of Transgression

Answer 11

X Female crimes such as shoplifting are less reported

Question 12

Social control

Answer 12

Women’s behaviour is conformist, women commit fewer crimes then men as patriarchal society has greater control over women, reduces ability to offend – apparent at home, work and public

Question 13

Home

Answer 13

Dobash and Dobash - violent attacks are a result of partner’s dissatisfaction with wives and a challenge to their authority

Daughters also subject to patriarchal control. Treated differently (expectations)

Question 14

Public

Answer 14

Women controlled in public places through fear of violence. Islington Crime Survey 54% of females scared to go out after dark compared to 14% of males.

Question 15

Work

Answer 15

Females controlled by males supervisors and managers. Sexual harassment ‘keeps women in their place’. ‘Glass ceiling’ prevents women from rising to senior positions.

Question 16

Carlen

Answer 16

• uses Hirschi’s control theory to explain female crime, argues humans act rationally, controlled by being offered a ‘deal’
• Argued w/c women led to conform through the promise of ‘two deals’

Gender deal - refers to working class women being controlled by the possibility of a decent relationship and children

Class deal - refers to WC women being controlled by the possibility of a reasonably paid job, allowing a decent quality of life.

Question 17

Evaluation of Carlen

Answer 17

• Carlen conducted her research on 39 women – can’ generalise, it not representative
• The women had no reason to lie, very in depth research, high in truth/validity

Question 18

Gender and policing

The ‘Chivalry Thesis’

Answer 18

men have a protective attitude towards women
Men are socialised to act in a chivalrous way towards women
Argued women are more deviant than they appear, protected by chivalry factor – by police, courts etc
Pollak argues ‘men hate to accuse women and thus send them to their punishment
Official statistics – not correct, not valued, getting away with crime

Question 19

Evidence for The ‘Chivalry Thesis’

Answer 19

• Ministry of justice: 49% of females were recorded as having caution in 2007, for males 30%
• Food-Page et al: only 1 in 11 females had been caught or prosecuted, this was over 1 in 7 for males
• Hood: study of over 300 defendants found women were about 1/3 less likely to be jailed, despite similar cases

Question 20

Evidence against The ‘Chivalry Thesis’

Answer 20

• Farrington and Morris: sentencing 408 offences of theft in a magistrates court that found women weren’t sentenced more leniently for similar offences
• Women may appear to be treated more leniently simply because their crimes are less serious
• Box: SRS women who commit serious crimes don’t get treated more favourably. Women are more likely to admit to crimes and show remorse and therefore more likely to receive caution

Question 21

Feminists argue the CJS is patriarchal

Answer 21

Smart quotes Judge Wild: “women who say no do not always mean no. It is not just a question of how she says it, how she shows it and makes it clear. If she does not want it, she has to keep her legs shut”

Quote shows women who dress provocatively in a way that is more susceptible to sexual violence deserve it

Walklate – in rape cases it is not the defendant on trial but the victim
Adler – Women who are deemed to lack respectability find it difficult to have their testimony believed at court

Question 22

The Liberation thesis

Answer 22

• society becomes less patriarchal and more equal, women’s crime rates will become similar to men’s
• Adler – argued female crime rate was increasing due to women’s liberation
• Women were starting to compete with men for jobs and becoming more like men in other ways e.g. smoking, drinking and sexual activity
• Women would no longer commit traditionally ‘female’ crimes (prostitution), they committed typically male offences (acts of violence, WCC)
• There are more women in senior positions at work, which gives them the opportunity to commit serious WCC such as fraud

Question 23

Evidence for The Liberation thesis

Answer 23

Adler argues the pattern of female crime has shifted, cites crimes regarded as typically male such as embezzlement and armed robbery

Martin Denscombe – midlands teenagers found females were just as likely as males to engage in risk-taking behaviour, adopting a more ‘male’ stance

Question 24

Critics reject Adler’s thesis on several grounds

Answer 24

• Female crime rate began rising 1950-long before women’s liberation movement (engaged late 1960s)
  Most female criminals are working class – group least likely to be influenced by the women’s liberation movement
• Chesney-Lind USA poor/marginalised women are more likely to be criminals than liberated women
• Box – increase in women’s property crime has more to do with poverty (especially in lone parents) than their liberation