Gender representations in crime LT8 Flashcards
what do official crime statistics about gender
males are four times more likey to commit crime than females
functionalists and radical feminists view
largely accept and believe that females are less criminally inclined than males
Parson
Maintain that males and females are socialised differently
What are males socialised into?
More committed crime as they are socialised to be tough risk taking aggressive
what are females socialised into?
caring, compassionate, sensitive and sympathetic less likely to commit crime
Cohen
argues males are socialised into masculinity and may use male street subcultures as a source of expressing this
Abbott and Wallace: Radical feminists
young women are given less freedom outside the home, reducing their opportunity for crime
what are women defined too?
the home and childcare tasks and so have limited chances to engage in street crime
Heidersohn
argue women have less opportunity to commit some type of crime because of patriarchal, male dominated society
who put forward the Chivalry thesis?
Pollak
what does the chivalry thesis argue?
that men are socialised to be protective of women
why is there an under presentation of women according to the chivalry thesis?
police force and criminal justice system are male, their chivalry mean that women are less likely to be arrested and treated leniently
postmodernist feminist view
largely reject official crime statistics. they believe females are underrepresented and attempt to explain in causal terms recent rise in female criminality
Carlen: feminist control theory
explain working class female crime in terms of rejection of class and gender deals
Rejection of class deal
unable to earn a decent living working. Crime is seen as a way of escaping poverty
