patterns of crime Flashcards
gender trends - the chivalry thesis 1950
sociologist - Pollak
ao1: women are less likely to be prosecuted for offences, as the CJS are lenient towards them, because men have protective attitudes towards women.
a02: For - males are 2.33 more likely to admit to crime, but statistics show that they’re 4 times more likely to admit.
Against - Ched Evans case
gender trends - functionalist sex role theory(1955)
sociologist - Parsons
ao1: women would perform the expressive role at home so would mainly stay at home, whereas men would reject feminine models of behavior, men’s instrumental role is outside the home (breadwinner)
as a result boys with distance themselves from femininity by engaging in compensatory compulsory masculinity (deviant act)
Furthermore: Cohen - the absence of male role models would men boys would find their masculine identity through delinquent street gangs.
a03: Walkgate - criticising parsons for assuming that women are biollogically suited to the caring role, his theory is based on assumptions.
gender trends - patriarchal control(1985)
sociologist - Heidensohn
ao1 : women commit fewer crimes because society imposes greater control over women, reducing opportunities to offend.
control in the home - women have restricted time and are always in the home, men can impose this by use of financial power and threat of DV.
control in public - women may avoid going into pubs as there would be sites of criminal activity, may have a fear of gaining bad reputation.
control at work - women’s subordinate position reduces the opportunity to offend, ‘glass ceiling’ prevents women rising to senior positions and comiting white collar crime.
a03: The liberation thesis - women have become liberated from patriarchy so are able to commit same crimes as men.
gender trends - class and gender deals
sociologist - Carlen
ao1: studied 39 wc women who had convicted a range of crimes.
humans are rational and are controlled by being offered a deal in return for conforming to societys rules:
class deal - working will earn women a good standard of living.
gender deal - women who conform to conventional domestic role will gain material and emotional rewards through their family life.
The women within the sample had failed to find a legitimate way of living. Most had been in poverty or on benfits so believed that the class deal had brought nothing for them so turned to crime to escape poverty.
a03: small sample, unrepresentative.
The liberation thesis
As women become more liberated from patriarchy, their offending will become similar to men’s, leads to a new type of female crimes and a rise in the female crime rate.
Patriarchal controls and discrimination has lessened and opportunities have become more equal.
Women no longer commit traditional female crime e.g shoplifting they have now begun to adopt traditional male roles.
Hegemonic masculinity
Masculinity is a social construct or accomplishment and men have to constantly work at constructing and presenting it to others.
