Social Distribution of Gender Flashcards
1
Q
What are the gender patterns of crime?
A
- Heidensohn and Silvestri observe that gender differences are the most significant feature of recorded crime
- Men are more likely to commit crimes than women
- 4/5 convicted offenders are male
- Males are more likely to be repeat offenders, have longer criminal careers and commit more serious crimes
2
Q
Are statistics accurate?
A
- Sociologists question whether they are real or whether statistics are misleading due to the way they are produced
3
Q
What are the two reasons female offending is underestimated?
A
- Female crimes are less likely to be reported or noticed. Eg. Shoplifting, prostitution
- They are also more likely to receive a lenient sentencing
4
Q
What is the Chivalry thesis?
A
- Pollak believed men are socialised into acting chivalrous towards women
- Also women are more secretive and subversive so are able to get away with more crime
- This is seen in official statistics as they are more likely to get bail, fine or shorter sentence
5
Q
What is double jeopardy?
A
- Heidensohn believes that women are not always treated chivalrously as women are on trial for both the crime and the extent to which they deviated from femininity
6
Q
What is double deviancy?
A
- Carlen argues that women who are sexually promiscuous, neglectful or violent are seen as far worse than a male criminal.
- This is double deviancy and reflecting in the sentence
7
Q
What did Farrington and Morris argue?
A
- They argued the more serious the crime, the less difference in sentencing
8
Q
What is a criticism of the Chivalry Thesis?
A
- It is outdated as there is now more women in the criminal justice system therefore more equality within the system
9
Q
Is the criminal justice system bias?
A
- Many feminists argue the CJS is biased against women and have double standards when women deviate from gender norms
10
Q
What did Sharpe argue about female offending?
A
- Girls receive harsher punishments for sexually promiscuous activity
11
Q
What did Stewart argue about female offending?
A
- Magistrates punish women more harshly when they do not conform to gender ideals of monogamous heterosexuality and motherhood
12
Q
What did Carlen argue about female offending?
A
- Carlen says that women are not jailed based on the nature of the crime but ability as wives and mothers. Girls who are seen to be uncontrollable are more likely to recieve custodial sentences rather than conventional lives. Similar to mothers with children in care in comparison to those with custody
13
Q
What did Walklate argue about female offending?
A
- Often in rape cases, the victim is on trial rather than the perpetrator
14
Q
What did Adler argue about female offending?
A
- Women who are deemed to lack respectability are less likely to have their testimony believed
15
Q
What three ways do we use to explain the gender differences in offending?
A
- Offences
- Sex role theory
- Control theory
16
Q
How does the type of offence affect the offending differences?
A
- Women are more likely to commit fraud and theft offences
- Men are more likely to commit sexual offences, robbery or violence
17
Q
What is the functionalist sex role theory and how does it explain crime?
A
- Sex role theory explains gender differences based on gender socialization, gender roles and gendered identities
- The norms and values associated with femininity are not compatible with crime however masculinity is
- Parsons argues this is because the expressive role means they internalise values such as caring and empathy
- Women traditionally are attached to their children and community
- Also gender roles means they are busier due to the dual burden which reduces the opportunity to commit crime
- The early socialisation of the instrumental role of traditional masculinity explains the higher male crime rate
- Boys reject feminine models of behaviour and distance themselves through aggression and risk taking
- Sutherland stated this is because boys are taught to be rough and tough
18
Q
What is an evaluation of the sex role theory?
A
- Hirschi’s bonds of attachment can link to things such as community and family
- Youth crime look up to older gang members show that dominance is needed (Cohen)
- However it is less relevant due to the decline of traditional gender roles
- Biological assumptions of sex role are inherently sexist
19
Q
What did McRobbie argue?
A
- McRobbie believed that teenage girls were less likely to commit crime because they were more likely to spend time in their bedrooms than going out therefore have no opportunity to commit crime (Bedroom Culture)
- However this research could be seen as out of date as boys also spend time in bedrooms on games
- However the activities that girls and boys participate in their bedroom are different some encouraging crime (violent video games)
20
Q
What is the patriarchal control theory and who suggested it?
A
- Heidensohn argued that living in a patriarchal society imposes greater control over women and this reduces their opportunity to offend
- Control theory is an explanation for gender differences in crime is because of the idea that women and girls are controlled more than boys and men are
- The canalisation of gender roles during primary and secondary socialisation has historically been the comparative freedom that boys enjoy
- Boys can stay out later and have less surveillance however girls are more controlled by fathers and partners
- Women are controlled in the home, public and work place
Home = Domestic roles, less likely allowed to come and go, violence against wives for performance of duties, patriarchal control (bedroom culture)
Work = Sexual harassment, subordinate positions, glass ceiling and supervisors
Public = Male violence, media reporting of rape to create fear, sexual verbal abuse, lack of respectability
21
Q
What is an evaluation of the patriarchal control theory?
A
- Recognises that patriarchy can push some women into crime and more likely to be in poverty
- This may be outdated as girls are more free today
- Functionalists argue gender roles allows society to function
22
Q
What does Carlen argue?
A
- Control Theory Pat Carlen’s study
- Working class women are generally led to conform through the promise of the two deals
- If these rewards are not available or worth the effort, crime becomes more likely
- The deals are gender and class deals
23
Q
What is the class deal?
A
- The class deal offers material rewards for those respectable working class women
- These women had failed to find a legitimate way of earning which made them feel oppressed. They therefore used crime to escape this
24
Q
What is the gender deal?
A
- This is the idea that women do domestic labour in exchange for love which is therefore conforming to patriarchal family norms
- Most women either did not have the opportunity or did not see the reward.
- Many women reached the conclusion crime was the only route to a good standard of living
25
Q
What is an evaluation of Carlen’s study?
A
- She recognised there are middle class offences
- Carlen used unstructured interviews which increased the validity of her findings
- However she only studies working class so it is not representative
- It was also a small scale so unrepresentative
- It underplays the importance of free will and only blames external factors
26
Q
Has female crime increased?
A
- There has been increasing female crime since the 1950’s
- Male crime has decreased yet female crime rate has increased
- However it has began to decrease
- It has increased by younger girls committing less serious crimes
27
Q
What is the liberation thesis?
A
- Patriarchal society exercises control over women to prevent them from deviating from gender ideals, then if society becomes less patriarchal and more equal, female crime rates will become similar to men.
- Adler argues as women become liberated from patriarchy, their crimes will become as frequent as men which leads to a rise of crime rates
28
Q
How does the liberation thesis explain female crime?
A
- Patriarchal control has lessened and therefore women have adopted traditional male roles in legitimate and illegitimate spheres.
- Liberation has led to a new female criminal and rise in female crime rates
- More women are in senior positions giving them opportunity to commit white colour crime
29
Q
What is an evaluation of the liberation thesis?
A
- Female crime rates has increased
Evidence = Denscombe: Study of female gangs which showed ladette culture where women are characterised by masculine cultures such as binge drinking - Does not explain WC female crime as they may not be as liberated
- Female crime has increased before women’s liberation
- Heidensohn and Silvestri argue that women are not more liberated or commit more crime but it is as a result of the increasing crime rates of labelling attempting to crack down on women deviating gender roles
30
Q
What is the feminisation of poverty?
A
- ## Women continue to be more likely to live in poverty
31
Q
What is toxic masculinity?
A
- Behaviours and attitudes associated with men such as aggression and dominance. There is a pressure on men to be masculine and dominant which can lead to crime
32
Q
How does the sex role theory explain male criminality?
A
- Men are socialised into assertive and dominant behaviours which revolve around crime such as risk taking behaviour.
- Men are seen to have toxic masculinity which is certain behaviours associated with men which explain crime
33
Q
What is hegemonic masculinity and how does it explain crime?
A
- Connell argues hegemonic masculinity has become a male gender identity
- This defines what is a real man and traditional factors of this
- Men must be dominant as they are then see as odd or subordinate masculinity which may receive intimidation
34
Q
What does Messerschmidt argue about the assertion of masculinity?
A
- Men turn to crime to assert their masculinity when legitimate means of masculinity are blocked such as financial success
- Therefore crime is a masculine-validating resource
35
Q
How does Messerschmidt explain crime amongst classes?
A
White middle class youths = Fewer expectations of a reasonable job and express masculinity through violence which achieves material status
White working class youths = Subordinate themselves to teachers to achieve middle class status so therefore it opposes this outside of school in forms of drugs and alcohol
Black working class youths = Less chance of educational success so opposing both inside and outside of school (Paul Willis)
36
Q
What is an evaluation of Messerschmidt?
A
- Explains working class male crime and hegemonic masculinity
- Evidence through Willis’ study
- Masculinity is often a focal concern for working class
- However it is not a complete explanation of why men use crime to prove masculinity and overexaggerates the use of masculinity
37
Q
How does the labelling theory explain male crime?
A
- Men are stereotyped as being more violent which leads to the self-fulfilling prophecy on how they should behave which would lead to criminal behaviour
- Also men are labelled as providers so may feel they need to turn to crime to fulfil this
38
Q
What is an evaluation of the labelling theory for male criminality?
A
- Not all men are criminal
- Now women are in the world of work therefore it does not continue to explain men being the breadwinner. Men are not the sole providers
39
Q
Why do men have more opportunity?
A
- Men have more opportunity to commit crime and more likely to be in situations that lead to violent action or access to white collar crime
- This is because they have more free time, less social control and more positions of responsibility
