gender Flashcards
chivalry thesis - pollak
• Most of the agents of criminal justice are men - police officers, magistrates, judges etc.
• Men have been socialised to be ‘chivalrous to women - to be protective and considerate.
• At each stage in the system, officers and juries do not like to arrest women or find them guilty.
• Therefore, they are less likely to appear in statistics - skewing the statistics - meaning a greater % of male offenders and ‘invisible’ female offenders.
evaluation of chivalry thesis
- Box (1981) reviewed UK/USA self report studies show that women who commit serious offences are not treated more leniently
bias against women - heidensohn
- argues the courts treat women more harshly - this occurs when they deviate from gender norms e.g ‘wayward’ girls can end up in care without committing an offence.
- A double standard - boys are not punished for premature sexual activity.
evaluation of bias against women
+ - Walklate - evident in rape cases where the victim is on trial, proving her respectability in order to have her evidence accepted - Judges make victim blaming sexist remarks
control theory - heidensohn
• women’s behaviour is strikingly conformist.
• Women commit fewer crimes because patriarchal society imposes greater control over them
• At home, the domestic role with management of housework and childcare, results in severe restriction of time and movement, means little opportunity to offend.
• Daughters are subject to patriarchal control - expected to do more housework, socialise within the home + curfews = less opportunity to engage in deviant behaviour on the streets
evaluation of control theory
+ 54% of females did not go out after dark compared to 14% of men
class and gender deals - Carlen
• Carlen argues women conform through the promise of 2 types of reward or ‘deals’ :
1. The class deal - women who work will be offered material rewards with a decent standard of living and leisure opportunities
2. The gender deal - patriarchal ideology promises women material and emotional rewards from family life by conforming to the norms of the domestic gender role.
If these rewards are not available or worth the effort then crime becomes more likely.
evaluation of carlen
- ignores white collar crimes
Liberation thesis – Adler
• As women become more liberated from patriarchy their offending will become similar to men’s. Liberation is leading to a new type of female criminal and a rise in the female crime rate e.g. girl gangs
• Due to patriarchal control and discrimination lessening, women have begun to adopt traditional male roles in both legitimate (work) and illegitimate (crime) spheres.
evaluation of liberation thesis
• The Female crime rate began to rise in the 1950s, long before women’s liberation.
• Most female criminals are working class – who have not experienced women’s liberation.
sex role theory - parsons
• the socialisation of males and females - gender roles in the traditional nuclear family
• males = instrumental (breadwinner), public domain of work. Boys are encouraged to be tough, aggressive and risk taking. more chance of crime
• females = expressive (domestic/childcare), private domain of the home. therefore girls are intuitive, passive and conformist. less chance of crime
evaluation of sex theory
Walklate criticise the biological determinism of this theory - the capacity to bear children does not mean a direct relationship to be the most qualified to care for them and to occupy the expressive role
gender patterns in crime - official stats
• 4 out of 5 convicted offenders in England and Wales are male.
• A higher proportion of male than female offenders are convicted of violent or sexual offences.
• Males are more likely to be repeat offenders and have longer criminal careers.
