Gender expectations of crime : male

Question 1

What is the sex-role theory for males involvement in crime ?

Answer 1

• The expectations for women are limited to mariage and motherhood which means there is less pressure to achieve success
• The pressure to be the breadwinner causes males to commit crime

Question 2

Why does hegemonic masculinity cause crime ?(Connell)

Answer 2

• people commit crime for status
• want to live up to ‘manly’ expectations

Question 3

What does Messerschmidt say about males committing crime ?

Answer 3

• Believe that youth crime is a way of ‘doing masculinity’
• Different ages and classes achieve masculinity differently

Question 4

What does Mesher say about males committing crime ?

Answer 4

• says hegemonic masculinity is ‘hyper-masculinity’
• dangerous and accepting of violence this enhance status

Question 5

What does Baird say about males committing crime ?

Answer 5

• violent gang culture
• young males replicate the masculinity exposed to whilst they grew up
• Whether they turn to the violence depends on there ability as they grow up to avoid gang male role models

Question 6

What does Winlow say about males comiitting crime ?

Answer 6

• Looks at the working class masculinity in Sunderland
• In the 80’s there was mass unemployment which left men without the traditional ‘breadwinner status’
• Violence became significant as a way to express there masculinity
• crime became an ‘entrepreneurial concern’ as a way to make money (e.g through drug dealing, stolen goods)