Feminist Theories

Question 1

Heidensohn

Answer 1

Women are socially controlled in society and so do not have the opportunity to commit crime. Those that do are often judged as doubly deviant e.g a female criminal may also be seen as a bad mother/wife as well as a criminal.
Socially controlled: housewife= no income, men usually bosses so no option to commit WCC, and women avoid public through fear of negative labelling.

Question 2

Walby

Answer 2

Sociologists need to address the issue that women are increasingly becoming victims of violent and sexual assaults. Crimes against women are caused by a combination of gender inequalities across all agents of society. Education, media and culture create a situation where men think it’s okay to rape. Too many cases were rape is nt convicted.
Support- % of rape convictions has increased in recent years.

Question 3

Archer

Answer 3

Riot Girls (girls in gangs).
Girls are increasingly involved in deviant and criminal subcultures. When studying the Riot Girls, Archer found that this is because young girls typically feel marginalised in society and felt empowered by being a member of a gang culture.
Agruement- Hughes and Langan, bedroom culture.

Question 4

Adler

Answer 4

Explains that since the 1950s, women have been becoming more prevalent in society, meaning they commit more crime. Women are increasingly gaining access to the top jobs, they have less child care responsibility and less religious expectations as a result of the liberation of women. Therefore, women are engaging in more street and White Collar Crime.

Question 5

Sutherland

Answer 5

Crime is more likely to be committed by men because they are socialised to take more risks, whereas girls have a much stricter upbringing, therefore are less inclined to engage in deviant activity. Furthermore, boys have greater freedom than girls, giving them more opportunities to commit crime.