gender-based approaches Flashcards
describe the history of feminist theory:
Mary Wollstonecraft - pioneer of modern feminist thought
argued against idea that women are naturally inferior
inspired by the enlightenment ideals
argued for equal education opprtunities
what belief is feminist theory rooted in?
not biological - it’s the difference in opportunity (education without discrimination = equal smartness)
main argument of feminist theory?
fix discrepancies in education system and making it egalitarian
First wave feminism (late 1800s):
suffragette’s campaigned for women’s right to vote, own property, etc.
granted in 1920/1922
second wave feminism (1960s):
alongside other movement
legally equal but inequalities still exist
emphasize: reproductive rights, pornography, childcare, pay gaps, domestic/sexual abuse
intellectual disagreements in second wave feminism led to…?
different branches of feminism: Marxist, radical, liberal, conservative, etc.
third wave feminism (1980s):
emphasis on intersectionality (how gender, sexuality, race intersect)
interest in deconstructing how gender is defined, represented, performed.
“gender as performative”
fourth wave feminism (2010s):
incorporation of diverse voices
challenges traditional gender roles/expectations
exposing sexual abuse, discrimination, harassment
not a unified theory
what is feminist criminology?
developed to examine crime and gender directly
past, crime viewed through male standard
what are the key concerns of feminist criminology?
why do men offend at higher rates? why are women disproportionately impacted? media depictions. how does CJS impact/punish women vs men? is it biological or socialized?
what is the liberation hypothesis?
as women gain more freedoms/power, they are subject to fewer sources of crime and more opportunities for crime
how are women treated differently in the media?
seen as emotional beings, impulsive, potential double standards, less violent than men, less capable of evil acts, sexualized or not taken seriously
what is the evil woman hypothesis?
breaking two rules: legal and gender
takes more ‘evilness’ for a woman to be violent and should be punished harshly
what is the chivalry hypothesis?
female offending is less severe and more justifiable because they are helpless and need state protection
liberal feminism assumptions and criticisms:
assumption: society historically has excluded women, more female representation needed to be less discriminatory
criticism: for “middle-class white women” excludes ALL women
sees system as fixable
radical feminism assumptions and criticisms:
assumption: society is inherently patriarchal, wants to control women
men and women have biological differences
men are inherently violent and male violence is ‘legalized’ via porn, marriage, CJS, society
criticism: an essentialist view
Marxist & socialist feminism assumptions and criticisms:
assumptions: applying class exploitation to family units
society devalues female labor
oppression is rooted in the capitalist system - this pushes women to victimization and the crimes go unpunished often
criticism: may be ‘class reductionist’ and doesn’t give alternative solution
Black & postcolonial feminism assumptions and criticisms:
assumptions: previous versions were ‘white-centric’
looks at WOC, how sexism, class oppression, racism work together
sees CJS as racist control and often ignored (overrepresentation/MMIWG)
criticism: ‘dividing’ women into smaller groups - losing collective power?
postmodern and post structural feminism assumptions and criticisms:
assumptions: gender roles are social constructs
patriarchal norms should be deconstructed
criticism: too much emphasis on language - distract from real issue?
what is masculinist theory?
explain how/why men are conditioned to violence/crime
less to do with biology - more with cultural attitudes, expectations
overlooked male victimization
hegemonic/toxic masculinity
criticisms of gender based approches?
ignored inherent biological differences?
hard to emperically test
