gender-based approaches

Question 1

describe the history of feminist theory:

Answer 1

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

Question 2

what belief is feminist theory rooted in?

Answer 2

not biological - it’s the difference in opportunity (education without discrimination = equal smartness)

Question 3

main argument of feminist theory?

Answer 3

fix discrepancies in education system and making it egalitarian

Question 4

First wave feminism (late 1800s):

Answer 4

suffragette’s campaigned for women’s right to vote, own property, etc.
granted in 1920/1922

Question 5

second wave feminism (1960s):

Answer 5

alongside other movement
legally equal but inequalities still exist
emphasize: reproductive rights, pornography, childcare, pay gaps, domestic/sexual abuse

Question 6

intellectual disagreements in second wave feminism led to…?

Answer 6

different branches of feminism: Marxist, radical, liberal, conservative, etc.

Question 7

third wave feminism (1980s):

Answer 7

emphasis on intersectionality (how gender, sexuality, race intersect)
interest in deconstructing how gender is defined, represented, performed.
“gender as performative”

Question 8

fourth wave feminism (2010s):

Answer 8

incorporation of diverse voices
challenges traditional gender roles/expectations
exposing sexual abuse, discrimination, harassment
not a unified theory

Question 9

what is feminist criminology?

Answer 9

developed to examine crime and gender directly
past, crime viewed through male standard

Question 10

what are the key concerns of feminist criminology?

Answer 10

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?

Question 11

what is the liberation hypothesis?

Answer 11

as women gain more freedoms/power, they are subject to fewer sources of crime and more opportunities for crime

Question 12

how are women treated differently in the media?

Answer 12

seen as emotional beings, impulsive, potential double standards, less violent than men, less capable of evil acts, sexualized or not taken seriously

Question 13

what is the evil woman hypothesis?

Answer 13

breaking two rules: legal and gender
takes more ‘evilness’ for a woman to be violent and should be punished harshly

Question 14

what is the chivalry hypothesis?

Answer 14

female offending is less severe and more justifiable because they are helpless and need state protection

Question 15

liberal feminism assumptions and criticisms:

Answer 15

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

Question 16

radical feminism assumptions and criticisms:

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Marxist & socialist feminism assumptions and criticisms:

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Black & postcolonial feminism assumptions and criticisms:

Answer 18

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?

Question 19

postmodern and post structural feminism assumptions and criticisms:

Answer 19

assumptions: gender roles are social constructs
patriarchal norms should be deconstructed
criticism: too much emphasis on language - distract from real issue?

Question 20

what is masculinist theory?

Answer 20

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

Question 21

criticisms of gender based approches?

Answer 21

ignored inherent biological differences?
hard to emperically test