Why do women commit crime ?

Question 1

What are the 2 possible sociological explanations for why women commit crime ?

Answer 1

Class and Gender Deals ​
Liberation Thesis

Question 2

What does Carlen (1988) say about Class and Gender deals ?

Answer 2

Although some female criminals are middle class, most serious female criminals are working class

Question 3

According to Carlen what is a class deal ?

Answer 3

Material rewards in return for working hard ​

Question 4

According to Carlen what is the gender deal ?

Answer 4

Material and emotional rewards from family life if they conform to the social expectations attached to being a mother and wife

Question 5

Why are Carlen’s views mostly criticised ?

Answer 5

Because they see women’s behaviour as determined by external forces, which underplays free will

Question 6

What does Adler (1975) say about the liberation thesis ?

Answer 6

As society is becoming less patriarchal, so female crime rates will rise

Question 7

What did Hand and Dodd (2009) add ?

Answer 7

Between 2000 and 2008, police statistics show the number of females arrested for violence rose by an average of 17% each year

Question 8

What do Steffenmeister and Schwartz (2009) conclude about women lack of involvement in violent crime ?

Answer 8

They argue that the rise in arrests is due to the justice system ‘widening the net’

Question 9

What does Sharpe (2009) say about moral panic ?

Answer 9

That professionals such as judges and police were influenced by media stereotypes of ‘ladettes’