Gender- Women Flashcards
Why do women appear to commit less crimes?
Chivalry thesis
Ao1 chivalry thesis
Pollack states The chivalry thesis is the idea that women are less likely to be prosecuted for offences as the criminal justice system is more lenient towards them
Self report studies found that when individuals are asked about what crimes are committed the finding show that females are treated more leniently
They found that males are 2.33 times more likely to admit to a crime
Women also more likely the men to be cautioned rather than prosecuted
Ao3 chivalry thesis
If women appear to be treated more leniently it may be, because the offences are less serious according to the box
The low rate of prosecutions of females may be because crimes they admit to are less serious and less likely to go to trial
Women offenders are also more likely to show remorse, and this may help to explain why they are more likely to receive a caution instead of going to court
Why do women commit less crime than men?
Functionalist sex role theory
Heidensohn patriarchal control
Carlen: class and gender deals
The liberation thesis
Ao1 functionalist sex role theory
Parsons -Women perform the expressive role at home including socialisation, girls therefore have a adult role model present, but boys reject feminine models of behaviourinvolving gentleness and emotion
Mens instrumental role is perform outside the home, for example of breadwinner
As a result boys distance themselves from femininity in the home by engaging in compensatory compulsory masculinity
For example risk taking, aggression and antisocial behaviour, which makes up for the absence of a male role model.
Ao3 functionalist sex role theory
Feminists criticise functionalist explanations by ignoring the role of patriarchy and creating gender differences in patterns of offending
Walklate criticises Parsons for assuming that women are biologically suited to the caring role so his explanation for crime is based on assumptions, made about biology
Ao1 heidensohn, patriarchal control
Heidensohn argues women commit fewer crimes then men because patriarchal society imposes greater control over women, this reduces their opportunities to offend
Control at home - women are controlled and public spaces by fear of male sexual violence, and the media reports frightens women entertain indoors. Women may avoid going into pubs for the fear of gaining a bad reputation.
Control at work- the glass ceiling prevents women rising to senior positions where there more opportunities for white collar crime
Ao3 heidensohn patriarchal control
The liberation thesis argues now women have become liberated from the patriarchy, so their offending has become similar to mens
There’s a rise in the female crime rate
Patriarchal control and discrimination has lessened and opportunities have become equal
Ao1 carlen class and gender deals
Carlen studied 39 working class women who had been convicted of a range of crimes. He found out the most convicted serious crimes were from working class females
He argues that humans are rational and are controlled by being offered a deal or reward in return for confirming to societies rules
There are two deals. This is the class deal and gender deal.
The women in carlens had failed to find a legitimate way of earning a living must have been in poverty, so therefore the class deal bought nothing for them, so they turn to crime to escape poverty
Ao3 carlen class and gender deals
Carlens sample is small and unrepresentative, which consists largely of serious defenders
Feminism tends to see women’s behaviour as determined by external forces, such as patriarchal control, and the ignores the importance of free will in offending
Ao1 liberation thesis
Alders liberation thesis argues that as women become liberated from patriarchy, they offend similar to men
Women liberation is leading to a new type of female criminal and arise in female crime rate
Alder argues that patriarchal, controlled and discrimination has lessened and opportunities have become more equal
As a result, women have begun to adopt traditional male roles in both legitimate and illegitimate spheres
Women no longer just commit traditional female crimes, for example shoplifting, and prostitution
Ap3 liberation thesis
The female crime rate had began to rise long before the liberation movement
Most female criminals are working class and this is a group, which is least likely to be influenced by women’s liberation as it benefited the middle-class more
