Men and crime Flashcards
How many people arrested, commit crime, prosecuted and go to prison are male and what percentage of women make up the total prison population?
Arrested- 85%.
Prosecuted- 75%
Go to prison- 99%
Women total prison population- 5%
Why is female crime rising?
Increased liberation of women, allowed to do what they want?
What is the sex-role theory in terms of men in crime?
‘normal’ masculinity’ ( Socialisation to be tough/ dominant) more open to criminality than ‘normal’ femininity.
What are Walter and Miller’s focal concerns?
Miller- working-class boys socialised into values, more likely engage in delinquent behvaiour- focal concerns.
6 focal concerns.
E.g., Toughness- prove tough. Trouble- find themselves in trouble through excitement.
Do the focal concerns cause crime?
• No values mean crime inevitable, more likely criminal.
Crtique Miller’s focal concerns
Miller’s focal concerns found in working-class communities.
Do lower class have distinct norms and values from rest of society, contradicts functionalism that institutions in society ensure social solidarity/ value consensus.
Doesn’t consider gender, only talks about boys- feminist critics, masculine values than lower class ones.
Give an alternative critique to Miller’s focal concerns.
Matza alternative view- concerns those of working-class girls, might be features of lower class/ youth values.
Matza- all have deviant values learn not to act on them.
Why are women less likely to commit crime?
Feminists- marginal position of women in patriarchal society means commit fewer crimes than men.
Fewer opportunities to commit crimes because of marginalisation, opposed to men commit occupational crime, more likely in work aren’t confined to domestic roles.
Men have more opportunity.
Describe Heidensohn’s control theory
patriarchy imposes control. Girls controlled by relatives.
Boys spend more time away from authoritative figures, account for higher lvl criminality.
Critique Heidensohn’s control theory
Outdated- young women more independent today than in past- significant increase in female criminality in recent yrs.
Define normative masculinity.
socially approved ideas of ‘real man’.
E.g., money, sexual, control successes.
According to Messerschmitt, how does normative masculinity influence crime?
lots male crime due to men trying to prove ‘real men’.
Explains WCC (mainly men)- about status/ competition, domestic violence.
Working-class street violence- men with low status use to act out masculinity when lack power in society.
What do radical feminists say men commit more crime than women for?
prove control over women- explains domestic violence across all classes.
According to Heidensohn, what do men do in public and private sphere’s?
DV way men express control in private sphere- in public sphere street harassment.
What does Strain theory say is the reason men commit crime?
not all men achieve goal through legitimate means of job, few opportunities- crime show success.
Men lack opportunity to do utilitarian crime frustrated, seek to prove status through violence.
Isn’t just working-class men turn to crime to prove status; companies- high paid men turn to fraud to make more money than male peers.
