Gender Flashcards
1
Q
What are issue the main issues ?
A
- The underreporting of female crime
- Explaining real differences in male and female criminality
- Explaining female criminality
2
Q
Underreporting of female crime theories :
A
- Chivalry factor
- men genuinely commit more crime
- Crimes by men against women are hugely underreported
3
Q
Explaining real differences in male and female criminality (5)
A
- gender role socialisation (hyper-masculine values)
- crisis of masculinity
- Edgework theory
- Sex role theory (gender role socialisation)
- Patriarchal control theory
4
Q
Explaining female criminality
A
- control theory (class and gender deals)
- Feminisation of poverty
- liberation thesis
5
Q
The underreporting of female crime (Chivalry factor)
A
- Pollock
- Male law enforcement treat female offenders with courtesy and sympathy by ‘letting them off the hook’
- Women are more likely to be cautioned than men so female crime becomes the dark figure
- Even if cases go to court then women are less likely to be imprisoned if convicted eg they may have children and are seen as less violent
6
Q
Evidence against the chivalry factor :
A
- Not all women are treated with chivalry
Women who aren’t ‘typically’ feminine eg transgender/single women/young sexually active girls/women who commit crimes against children - Men genuinely commit more crime - evidence suggests men commit crime more crime eg taking drugs, violence and taking risks with their safety
- Crimes against women are underreported eg women are assaulted on average 35x by their partner before reporting
7
Q
Gender role socialisation into hyper masculine values (why men commit more crime)
A
- Connell : men learn to accept ‘manly’ norms and values eg physical labour, providing for a family + emotionally tough
- Men aspire to hegemonic masculinity (dominant view of masculinity) : providing overt heterosexuality eg pursue sex and GFs)
- Messerschmidt
- Men might use crime to show their masculinity
- MC men use white collar crime to show their dominance eg tax evasion and fraud
- WC use street crime and violence eg assault and drug dealing
8
Q
Evaluation of gender role socialisation in to ‘manly norms’
A
- Ignores other motives of crime such as materialism
9
Q
The crisis of masculinity
A
- Winlow studied Sunderland
- Masculinity in the industrial era was expressed through work eg manual labour
- Deindustrialisation led to a crisis in masculinity (decline in industry, women began to enter the workforce and men lost their identity)
- Night economy was created eg pubs and clubs and criminal opportunities became available
- Lots became bouncers which created opportunities for drug dealing etc
- Postmodern culture promotes bodily capital which encourages violence (physical strength)
10
Q
Evaluation of the crisis of masculinity
A
- Over focuses on masculinity as a cause of crime and ignores economic motives for crime
11
Q
Edgework theory
A
- Katz :
- crime gives men a sense of pleasure and control
- Lyng :
- crime is committed as edge work behaviours which are risky and thrilling
- the nature of thrills varies by crime eg speeding in cars gives an adrenaline boost and some people commit theft for the thrill of a chase
- Crime is a rational action for most men
12
Q
Evaluation of the edge work theory
A
- theory isn’t explicitly relevant to men
13
Q
Sex role gender theory (gender role socialisation)
A
- Oakley + Parsons
- Girls learn traits which reduce the risk of crime eg to be passive, share things, preparing for roles in the future (expressive leader), bedroom culture (inside activities) and encouraged to be more emotional and empathetic (so therefore more likely to feel bad for the victims)
- Cohen and Murray
- father’s lack involvement in socialisation (play an instrumental role)
- Boys lack strong male role models (fathers may be absent)
- Girls have positive behaviour to imitate eg mothers are actively involved in their uprisings
14
Q
Control theory (why women commit less crime)
A
- Heidensohn (more control are less likely too commit crime)
- Domestic control : Women are responsible for housework/childcare so may fear the loss of custody
- Lack financial independence (more time at home and less opportunity to commit crime)
- Girls are subject to bedroom culture (younger females less likely to encounter deviance)
- public control : women fear male violence (women who take safety precautions are unlikely to offend)
- Women worry about their reputation more than men (don’t want their crime to be their master status)
- Workplace controls : Women are unlikely to get the opportunity to commit white collar crime
15
Q
Evaluation of the control theory
A
- Some women with high controls still commit crime
