Gender and Crime Flashcards
Heidensohn - why women commit less crime than men
patriarchal control theory - argues women have at least one male figure in their life who does not want them to commit crime
Parsons - why women commit less crime than men
functionalist sex role theory - due to their biology and the way they are socialised, women are nurturing by nature, and therefore are incapable of/do not want to commit crime. women are too preoccupied being a mother
Pollack - women committing crime
chivalry thesis - men have a protective attitude towards women and thus are more lenient, so their crimes are less likely to end up in official statistics. for instance, women are more likely to be ‘let off’ for crimes such as speeding
Adler - women committing crime
liberation thesis - women are now becoming much more qual in society with men, therefore they now commit more crime
Carlen - women committing crime
suggests that women have 2 deals, the class deal and the gender deal.
the class deal: they work hard if they will be financially rewarded in life
the gender deal: if they are a good mother and wife, they will be treated well
when both deals break down, women turn to crime
Messerschmidt - why men commit more crime than women
argues that masculinity is an accomplishment that men constantly work at constructing and presenting to others. this is referred to as the hegemonic masculinity, which is the dominant and prestigious form men wish to accomplish. therefore, Messerschmidt sees crime and deviance as a resource that different men may use to accomplish masculinity
Winlow - why men commit more crime than women
argues globalisation had led to a decline in traditional manual jobs in which many working class males could express their masculinity through. however, there has been an increase in the night-time leisure economy which has provided a combination of legal employment and criminal opportunities to express masculinity
