Feminist theories on crime Flashcards
what the four key feminist perspectives of crime?
radical- fear of men
liberal-equality
postmodern- transgressive criminology
Marxists- female inequalities with capitalism
what ways is sociology seen as ‘malestream’ according to heidensohn?
female crime is seen as less important , e.g. petty theft compared to car theft
male crime is seen as more glamorous
Its difficult to find female crime e.g. lack of female gangs
Sociology is also researched by men in the interest of men
How does pollak argue women are treated?
That men have a protective attitude towards women making them less likely to be arrested, prosecuted and punished if their mothers
what is chivalry factor ?
leds to leniency towards women the police may be more likely to caution than to charge. The courts impose lesser sentences as men feel sorry for women as they are gentlemen
how does heidensohn disagree with chivalry factor?
That women are actually treated more harshly , especially when offense involves breaking expectations of female behaviour e.g. harming children
suggests there might be a double standard - with leniency for lesser offenses but harsher treatments when gender role expectations are broken
how does heidensohn suggest women in our patriarchal society are socially controlled at home, in public, at work
at home- caring, cookie, cleaning
in pubic- cant do what men do as they are labelled as slags
at work- controlled by male supervisor
what does lee say that support that females are socially constructed in public?
women less likely to be in occupations were white collar crime takes place, public spaces are more dangerous for women then men that’s why they are likely to avoid this
what female teenagers do is constrained by negative labels they can acquire among peers
how does mcrobbie and garber support that females are controlled more in public?
support that female youths face tougher social control from parents because they are seen as more vulnerable and dependent than male youths , thus explaining their lack of involvement in deviant subcultures
how does stanko suggest women are victims of male crime?
examined women fear of crime and argued that the anxieties and dangers women face are largely a fear of men , which reflects women location in a gendered world
how does carol smart suggest women are victims of crime?
she argues that the accounts of women victims of rape , harassment and domestic violence have a far greater value than the dominant accounts of such crimes derived from men
how do these theories differ to liberal feminism ?
lf had created more criminals as women were adopting more male characteristics as a means of fulfilling male social roles
how does vicky pryce suggest the majority of women in holloway were victims of male crime?
she claimed that most other women were there because of something their husbands brothers and farther had done, women knew what they were doing didn’t necessarily want to do it
50% had been abused in some way
what is the problem with vicky pryce?
class inequalities - as she managed to return to her position as an economic influencing government, despite a criminal record surely demonstrates a class bias and not a gender bias
what does carlen suggest a ‘gender deal’ influence female criminality?
patriarchal ideological promises women a satisfying life through bringing up children and supporting a husband- being a good wife and mother , women who reject these roles raise their possibilities of offending
how does adler say women liberation influence female criminality?
said that women liberation had created more criminals as women were adopting more male characteristics as a means of fulfilling male social roles ‘ladettes’
