Gender socialisation Flashcards
What did Sutherland claim in terms of gender differences during socialisation?
During socialisation, boys are encouraged to be risk-takers and to be tough, whereas girls are not.
Girls are more closely supervised and controlled by boys.
Society expects girls to be more conforming than boys.
What is socialisation? What has it long been considered to be?
The process by which we learn the norms, customs and skills necessary to participate in our society.
It has long been considered to be a major reason for the gender differences seen in criminal behaviour.
What could gender differences in socialisation lead to? Why?
More young men becoming criminals.
They have both the inclination and the opportunity to commit more crime.
What does social learning theory suggest in terms of gender behaviours?
We learn about gender behaviours through observation and imitation of role models.
For girls the key role model is their mother and for boys it is their father.
What did Cohen suggest in terms of social learning theory and role models?
Learning gender behaviours through role models is a more difficult process for boys than girls.
Girls have easy access to their mothers whereas traditionally fathers have been rather elusive role models as they are less frequently available for their sons.
As a result, boys rebel against the socialisation offered by their mother.
What opportunities to boys pursue?
Any opportunities that offer them to chance to develop their masculinity.
Boys and young men seek out all male peer groups. What may these groups reward?
Demonstrations of “masculine” behaviours such as aggression, toughness, risk-taking and rule-breaking.
These are all behaviours which may lead to deviant and ultimately criminal behaviour.
Patriarchal societies impose greater control over women. What does this mean in terms of criminality?
Patriarchal societies reduce the opportunity that women have to commit crimes.
What did Heidensohn suggested in terms of societies control over women?
Women are “controlled” at home, at work and in public.
Home - daughters are dependent on the care / provision from their parents.
Daughters not able to stay out as late as sons.
Women have fewer opportunities to commit crime because of the greater time and movement restrictions placed on them by their domestic roles.
What does the chivalry hypothesis suggest in terms of women and criminality?
Women commit more crimes than the official statistics suggest.
Police, magistrates and judges all tend to be men - men who have been socialised to act in a more chivalrous manner towards women.
What did Pollak claim in relation to men in the criminal justice system?
Men in the criminal justice system tended to have a protective attitude towards women.
As a result women were less likely to be arrested, charged, prosecuted or convicted.
What conclusion can be drawn from the chivalry hypothesis and research support?
It’s not only the gender of the person demonstrating the criminal behaviour, but also the “gender” of the criminal justice system which may be responsible for the lower levels of females seen in crime statistics.
What did Carlen report in terms of women and criminality?
When a woman was perceived as a “good” mother, she was less likely to be imprisoned.
Carlen therefore argues that its often the assessment of the character of the woman in relation to traditional gender roles, rather than the severity of the offence that determines the sentence handed out.
What argument challenges the chivalry hypothesis?
Even though males may generally commit more violent and severe offences, they get let off comparatively lightly as they are only overstepping the expectations set for their gender.
What has testosterone been linked to?
Aggressive behaviour.
What did Dabbs et al find?
9 out of 11 inmates with the lowest testosterone concentrations had committed nonviolent crimes.
10 out of 11 inmates with the highest testosterone concentrations had committed violent crimes.
What does Dabbs et al’s research suggest?
Testosterone is related to increased aggression and that differences in socialisation and social control may not be the only differences that are responsible for the criminal behaviour of males and females.
What did Eriksson et al compare?
The hormone levels of males who had a history of alcohol-related aggression with a control group of 44 men with no such behavioural history.
What does the hormone oestradiol promote?
Social behaviour and empathy.
What did Eriksson et al find?
The men with alcohol-related-aggression showed a negative correlation between oestradiol levels and testosterone related physical, violent aggression.
What did Eriksson et al suggest?
Both male and female hormones play a role in at least some criminal behaviours.
In men the hormones may promote such behaviour whereas in females the hormones reduce such behaviours.
