the social distribution of crime ---> gender Flashcards
TYPES OF CRIME STATISTICS
3 types of crime statistics
- police recorded statistics
- victim studies
- self report studies
one example of police recorded statistics
official statistics
what do official statistics tell us about rates of?
reporting, recording and conviction, public and police practice and trend in crime over time
how often is the official crime tate compiled?
annually by the police for the home office
what does the official crime rate show that criminals are likely to be?
male, w/c, young, disproportionately black, poor educational record and come from a ‘broken home’
2 strengths of official crime statistics
- easily accessible and up-to-date (published yearly)
- use the statistics to generate and test sociological explanations of crime e.g., left realists take official statistics at face value
2 weaknesses of official crime statistics
- CSEW shows the public don’t alway report crimes e.g., due to a belief the police would or could do nothing, shame. this lowers the validity of official statistics
- police dont record all crime. e.g., due to lack of evidence and resources CSEW estimates police only record 75% of reported crime. creates a dark figure of crime
why cant police recorded statistics be taken at face value?
they can be seen as a social construction
what are victim studies?
the CSEW asks people to report all cases where they have been a victim of crime in the last year.
what do victim studies give a clearer idea of?
the extent of crime, who is likely to be a victim and people’s fears about crime
2 strengths of victim studies
- overcome the problem of offences not recorded by police, so are more valid e.g., domestic violence
- they’re a social survey so provide quantitative data that is representative and reliable and favoured by positivists
2 weaknesses of victim surveys
- people may have been a victim of crime and not realise it or they may give false answers
- people may have difficulty remembering whether and how they’ve been a victim of crime which reduces the validity of the data
what are self-report studies?
ask ordinary people to confess to crimes they committed over the past year
what do self-report studies give a better picture of?
high levels of petty criminality
what crimes do self-report studies focus on?
minor misdemeanour rather than serious acts of deviance
2 strengths of self-report studies
- useful to find out about ‘hidden offenders’ who aren’t caught by police
- can uncover ‘victimless’ crime such as illelgal drug use
2 weaknesses of self-report studies
- respondents can forget, play-down or exaggerate the extent of criminal activity they’ve been involved in
- most are done on young people so samples are unrepresentative
GENDER AND CRIME
what % of offenders that commit sexual offences are male?
97%
what % of offenders that commit sexual offences are female?
3%
why did male-dominated criminology traditionally neglect female criminality?
because females were seen as committing less crime, and female behaviour was seen as less in need of controlling
what % of females have a criminalconviction by the age of 40?
9%
what % of males have a criminalconviction by the age of 40?
32%
EXPLANATIONS FOR MALE CRIME
what is Messerschmidt (1993) main idea?
masculinity as a social construct
what does Messerschmidt say about masculinity?
men have to work at constructing and presenting it to others
what does Messerschmidt say is the most dominant form of masculinity?
hegemnic masculinity
what is hegemonic masculinity?
‘work in the paid-labour market, the subordination of women, heterosexism and the driven and uncontrollable sexuality of men’
what kind of masculinities do other men have?
subordinated masculinities
3 examples of men who may have subordinated masculinities
- gay men
- lower-class men
- ethnic minority men
what does Messerschmidt see crime and deviance as a way for some men accomplishing?
masculinity
why do white middle-class youths accomodate masculinity in school?
they have to subordinate themselves to teavhers in order to achieve m/c status
how do white middle-class youths accomodate masculinity outside school?
through drinking, pranks and vandalism`
what do white working-class youths construct their masculinity around?
sexist attitudes, being tough and opposing teachers’ authority
where do white working-class youths express their masculinity?
inside and outside of school
what study does white working-class youths’ masculinity link to?
Willis
how may black working-class youths express their masculinity?
gang membership and violence
why may black working-class youths use violence to express their masculinity?
they may have few expectations of a reasonable job
what does Messerschmidt acknowledge that some m/c males may commit?
white collar and corporate crime to accomplish hegemonic masculinity
2 criticisms of Messerschmidt
- he doesnt explain why not all men use crime to accomplish masculinity
- masculinity may not be an explanation of male crime but a description of male offenders
what is a crisis of masculinity?
a lack of opportunities in modern society for males to exert their traditional masculine traits
how has a decline in manufacturing industry and an increase in the service industry led to a crisis of masculinity according to Campbell (1993)?
men in the past were able to express their masculinity through physical labour so they can no longer accomplish their masculinity through work and support for their families
who does Jock Young say this crisis is particularly experienced by?
young men who have never had a job
4 ways people experiencing a crisis of masculinity respond
- toughness
- aggression
- sexual talent
- respect for manhood backed up by physical strength
how are these responses shown in rap?
women are portrayed as ‘bitches’, ‘whores’ and pimping and gun law are expressions in which men can earn respect
what did Hobbs et al (2003) study?
the night-time economy
how did Hobbs et al (2003) study the night-time economy?
using participant observation and interviews with police, bouncers
how did Hobbs describe the night-time economy?
‘an unplanned unregulated zone where alcohol-related violence is rife’
what % of bouncers are male?
93%
how do bouncers typically maintain order?
by frequent threat or use of violence
what does being a bouncer provide opportunities for engaging in?
lucrative criminal activities
3 examples of lucrative criminal activities
- protection rackets (forcing people to give them money through threats)
- drug dealing
- importing duty free cigarettes and alcohol and selling them cheaply at clubs and pubs
why do men assert their masculinity by being a bouncer?
due to the loss of many workubg class jobs
practical weakness of Hobbs et al (2003)
they may not be able to remember everything they see and hear
ethical weakness of Hobbs et al (2003)
deception as they worked covertly as bouncers and didnt gain informed consent
theoretical strength of Hobbs et al (2003)
gaining verstehen, therefore its high in validity according to interpritivists
what did Winlow (2001)
bodily capital
examples of bodily capital
being tall, muscly, strong and using this to their advantage
where did Winlow (2001) study bodily capital?
bouncers in Sunderland (an area of de-industrialisation and unemployent)
what does Winlow argue led to men achieving masculinity through paid work and crime in the night-time economy?
globalisation and de-industrialisation
how do bouncers use their bodily capital?
they seek to develop their physical assets by bodybuilding
why do body builders use their bodily capital?
to discourage competitors from challenging them
what does bodily capital reflect in postmodern society?
signs take on a reality of their own independent of the thing they represent
1 weakness of Hobbs et al and Winlow
they are case studies that relate to specific contexts, therefore we cant generalise from them
1 strength of Hobbs et al and Winlow
they suggest that some w/c men turn to crime to accomplish masculinity
what did Katz (1988) study?
the thrill of crime
what does Katz say previous studies underestimate?
the importance of the excitement that can be gained from criminal activity
what crime does Katz say is committed for the thrill
robbery
what other acts has the ‘thrill of crime’ been used to explain?
the irrational violence of football hooligans and the use of drugs and alcohol
EXPLANATIONS FOR PATTERNS IN FEMALE CRIME
what are ‘female crimes’ less likely to be?
reported and prosecuted
why does male-dominated criminology neglect female criminality?
females were seen as committing less crime
what do some sociologists and criminologists argue statistics underestimate?
the amount of female offending
who says that the sociology of crime and deviance ignores female crime?
Frances Heidensohn (1989)
2 reasons Heidonsohn suggests for male domination
- male dominance of offenders
- male dominance of sociology
who studied the Masked Female Offender?
Pollack (1950)
what did Pollack say underestimates the extent of female crime?
official statistics
2 conclusions Pollack reaches
- nearly all shoplifting offences are committed by women which is less likely to come to the authorities’ condition
- many unreported crimes are committed by female domestic servants
2 criticisms Heidonsohn makes about Pollack
- much shoplifting is carried out by men
- even in 1950 the number of female domestic servants dropped so this would account for a small amount of crime
2 other reasons why statistics dont provide a clear picture of gender and crime
- the law
- the ‘chivalry thesis
how does the law not provide a clear view of gender and crime?
only men can be charged with rape or offences of homosexuality and only women can be charged with infantcide and soliciting as prostitutes
what does the ‘chivalry thesis’ argue?
most criminal justice agents are men who are socialised to act in a ‘chivalrous’ way towards women so they get away with committing crime
what does Pollack say that supports the chivalry thesis?
‘men hate to accuse women and send them to their punishment’
how does the chivalry thesis give an invalid picture?
it exaggerates the extent of gender differences in rates of offending
who conducted research that supports the chivalry thesis?
Haralambos and Holborn (2013)
2 things that Haralambos and Holborn (2013) found
- women are more likely than men to be given cautions instead of being prosecuted
- men are given longer sentences than women (men given 34 months for robbery, women given 25 months)
what did Stewart (2006) find that goes against the chivalry thesis?
whether a person was giveb bail or remanded in custody can be explained in terms of the seriousness of the offence
what did Walklate (2004) find in rape trials?
women’s complaints are often not taken seriously and a large majority of rapists are found not guilty
why does Walklate (2004) say women’s complaints aren’t taken seriously and rapists are found not guilty?
because it is the victim on trial not the defendant since she has to prve her respectability in order to have her evidence accepted
what does Smart (1989) say there has been numerous cases of?
male judges making sexist victim-blaming remarks
an example of a judge making sexist victim-blaming remarks
‘women who say no do not always mean no. it is not just a question of how she says it, how she shows and makes it clear. id she doesn’t want it she only has to keep her legs shut’ Judge Wild
how does Heidensohn (1985) say there is a double standard in the CJS?
women are treated badly when they deviate from the norms of behaviour that are associated with femininity for example, sexual promiscuity
how does a double standard in the CJS lead to severe punishments?
women are seen as ‘double deviants’q
what did Sharpe (2009) find from her analysis of 55 youth worker records?
7/11 girls were referred for support because they were sexaually active but 0/44 boys
