feminist view on crime Flashcards
control theory
women don’t commit because they are controlled too much
liberation thesis
women are committing more crime because they are getting more rights
heidensohn 1996: patriachal control
> women commit fewer crimes than men because patriarchal society imposes greater control over women and reduces their opportunities to offend
control at home - housework and childcare imposes severe restrictions on their time and movement and confines them to the house for long hours
dobash and dobash 1979
violent attacks result form men’s dissatisfaction with their wives performance of domestic duties & exercise control through their financial power
control in public
controlled in public places by the threat or fear of male violence against them. islington crime survey found that 54% of women avoided going out after dark compared to 14% of men
sue lees 1993
school boys maintain control through sexualised verbal abuse. e.g labelling girls as ‘slags’
control at work
women’s behaviour at work is controlled by male supervisors and managers. sexual harassment keeps women ‘in their place’ and their subordinate position keeps them from committing crime
carlen: class and gender deals
> 39 16-46 year old working class women who had been convicted of crimes including theft, fraud, drugs, arson etc.
the class deal
women who work will be offered material rewards, with a decent standard of living and leisure opportunities
the gender deal
patriarchal ideology promises women material and the emotional rewards from family life by conforming to the norms of a conventional domestic gender role
the liberation thesis
adler 1975 - as women become liberated from patriarchy, their crimes will become as frequent and as serious as men’s. changes in the structure of society have led to changes in women’s offending behaviour - patriarchy has lessened and society has become more equal women have adopted ‘male’ roles in work and crime
denscombe 2001
midlands teenagers’ self images found that females were as likely as males to engage in risk taking behaviour and were adopting more ‘male’ stances.
e.g desire to be in control and look ‘hard’
