Criminal Behaviours - Social Psychological Explanations: Gender Socialisation Flashcards
(9 cards)
When describing this explanation, what are the 3 components
-patterns of socialisation (Sutherland)
- role models (Cohen)
- differences in social control (2015, 95 + Heidensohn)
Describe patterns of socialisation
- Socialisation: the process whereby an individual learns to adjust to a group or society that they’re a part of and behave in a manner that is approved by that particular group/society. It is how we learn the norms, customs and skills necessary to participate in our society.
- Socialisation is considered to be a major reason for gender differences seen in criminal behaviour
- Edwin Sutherland (1949) claims that there are 3 different ways that during socialisation, boys end up committing more crimes than girls. These are:
1) Boys are encouraged to be risk taking and tough. Whereas girls are not encouraged
2) Girls are also more closely supervised and controlled during socialisation than boys
3) Society expects girls to be more conforming (abiding by norms) than boys. So boys may have better opportunities due to not being limited - these differences in socialisation become ingrained and lead to more young men becoming criminals as they have both the inclination and opportunity to commit more crime
Describe role models
- Social learning theory suggests that we learn about gender behaviours through observation and imitation of role models
- For girls = mum and For boys = dad
- Albert Cohen (1995) suggested:
- It’s a more difficult process for boys than girls because girls have more easy access to their mother. Whereas fathers are more elusive role models and less frequently available.
- As a result, boys will rebel against the socialisation offered by their mother, especially if that socialisation leads to any typically feminine traits.
- In addition boys pursue any opportunities that offer them the chance to develop their masculinity
- Boys and young men seek out all male peer groups. These groups may reward demonstrations of ‘masculine’ behaviours such as aggression, toughness, risk-taking and rule-breaking. → all behaviours which may lead to deviant and ultimately criminal behavior
- Anne Oakley (1972) notes ‘the dividing line between what is masculine and what is criminal may at times be a thin one’.
Describe Differences in socialisation control
- In 2015, 95% of the UK’s prison population was men
- Patriarchal societies are where men and fathers dominate. Such societies impose greater control over women; reduces the opportunity that women have to commit crimes.
- Frances Heidensohn (1985) says that women are ‘controlled’ at home, at work and in public.
1) In the home, as daughters, girls are dependent on the care/provision from their parents and especially their fathers. Daughters aren’t able to stay out as late as sons and are required to do more housework than sons, so as a result girls learn to develop socialising opportunities which involve the home, such as sleep overs. As adults, women have fewer opportunities to commit crime because of the greater time and movement restrictions placed on them by their domestic roles, such as caring for young children
2) In the workplace, the ‘glass ceiling’ prevents women from rising to senior positions and having fewer opportunities to commit white collar crime
3) In public, the way the media reports on crimes such as rape also controls women by increasing the fear they have for being out in public, especially alone at night. This fear again causes women to stay at home and have less opportunity to commit crime. The manner in which the media reports on female criminals is also ‘controlling’ as women who commit crimes are risking ‘double jeopardy’ not only by rejecting society’s norms and values, but are also rejecting their own femininity.
When evaluating this explanation, what do you talk about
:)
- Chivalry hypothesis (pollak)
- useful application (‘Man up project’ + ‘A band of brothers’, 90)
:(
- lack of historical validity
- testosterone (Dabbs ET al, 10/11, 9/11)
Write a paragraph on the strength of the chivalry hypothesis
P: Supporting evidence of chivalry hypothesis shows how gender socialisation in men leads to underestimation in female criminality
E: Pollak argue that men in positions of authority can bias they justice system (such as police officers or judges) because they’re socialised to be protective and chivalrous towards women, which then causes more lenient treatment to female offenders compared to male offenders, making it less likely that women are arrested for criminal behaviour compared to men
T: This is a strength as it highlights how the bias in the justice system that stems from gender socialisation results in the underrepresentation of women in crime statistics.
COUNTER: However this holds low historical validity as modern training programmes for law enforcement focus on promoting gender-neutral, impartial decision-making which reduces biases in judicial processes.
Write a paragraph for the weakness of testosterone
P: weakness is that it overemphasises role of socialisation and neglects how biological factors influence criminality
E: Dabbs et al found a significant link between high levels of testosterone and violent criminal behaviours in males, 10/11 prisoners with highest testosterone conc. had committed violent crimes (e.g. assault or murder) while 9/11 with lowest testosterone conc. committed non-violent offenses.
T: weakness as this would suggest that the explanation doesn’t fully capture the full extent of what causes criminality. Being overly focused on social factors and ignoring the role of biological factors renders this explanation incomplete —> any application may not be fully effective
Write a paragraph for the weakness of a lack of historical validity
P: A weakness of the social psychological explanation is that it fails to account for the changing nature of gender roles in modern society. Over recent decades, traditional notions of masculinity and femininity have shifted significantly.
E: For example, men are increasingly encouraged to express emotions and engage in more non-violent, nurturing behaviors, while women are increasingly taking on roles traditionally associated with men, such as those in leadership and high-powered professions. This evolution of gender roles means that behaviors previously associated with men (such as aggression) are less tied to their socialization, and the traditional socialization theories may no longer apply as they once did.
T: Therefore, this is a weakness because it overlooks the evolving nature of gender norms, meaning that the explanation fails to reflect the current societal context. As a result, the idea that men are inherently socialized to be more aggressive or dominant, and women to be nurturing or passive, is less relevant today, as these gender roles are becoming more fluid and less restrictive. Therefore this explanation has low historical validity
Write a paragraph for the strength of useful application
P: strength is that there’s practical applications through the ‘Man up project’
E: it provides positive male role models to adolescent men, e.g. in the programme called ‘a band of brothers’. These role models don’t display deviant behaviour, aggressive risk-taking behaviour, but are instead rewarded for healthier versions of masculinity - like communication rather than confrontation, vulnerability and sharing feelings which is then vicariously reinforced through the respect of older males in the community.
T: They report in their input statement that 90% of adolescent men reduce their offending behaviour, which is a strength for fostering a more positive, healthier and safer society. This success seen also proves validity for the explanation that is it gender socialisation of ‘masculine’ behaviours that creates deviant and criminal behaviour.
