Feminist Criminology Flashcards
(30 cards)
What is the feminist perspective on gender as a social construct?
Gender is not a natural fact but a complex social, historical, and cultural product, related to but not directly biological sex.
How do feminist criminologists view gender in society?
gender relations order social life and social institutions in fundamental ways
gender power differences are at least as important, if not more so, than power differences based on race and age.
What are Walby’s six structures of patriarchy?
- Patriarchal Mode of Production: Unpaid domestic labor for the benefit of a husband.
- Patriarchal Relations in Paid Work: Exclusion or segregation of women in the workplace.
- Patriarchal State: Lack of women in politics and decision-making.
- Male Violence: Use of violence by men to exert power over women.
- Patriarchal Relations in Sexuality: Double standards in sexual behaviour.
- Patriarchal Culture: Beauty standards imposed on women.
What does the ‘generalisability problem’ refer to in feminist criminology?
It questions whether theories of male criminality can be applied to women.
What is the ‘gender ratio problem’ in the context of crime?
Why do women appear to commit less crime
the observation that men and boys are significantly more likely to commit crimes than women.
How does the criminal justice system reflect male dominance according to feminist perspectives?
Criminal justice decisions often discriminate against women and reinforce traditional female roles, validating the need for a feminist perspective.
What deficits are identified in mainstream criminology regarding female offenders?
often ignored or distorted the portrayal of female offenders, leading to the generalisation problem where women were either excluded or characterized as extreme.
What was Lombroso’s view on female criminals?
Lombroso argued that female criminals were genetically inferior and that there were far fewer ‘born female criminals’ than males.
How did Lombroso and Ferrero characterize female criminals?
They suggested that women were less developed and therefore committed less crime, viewing female criminals as more refined and diabolically cruel.
Why is the treatment of women and adolescent girls in the criminal justice system significant?
the disparities in how men and women are treated
Explain the chivalry hypothesis
the idea that women are vulnerable and in need of protection -women maybe being treated more leniently because they are weaker
what is the sexualisation thesis?
the idea that women are treated more punitively because they break the norm of what it means to be a women e.g. Lucy Letby or Prostitution
explain patriarchal dividend
the idea that they are treated more leniently (Otto Pollak (1961)) although recognises that this isn’t distributed equally to all women e.g. to do with race, class etc
What has been observed about women’s criminal careers compared to men’s?
Women tend to have shorter criminal careers and are more likely to ‘grow out of crime’ earlier than men.
What is the liberation hypothesis regarding female criminality?
The increase in female offending can be explained by female emancipation and new roles resulting from the women’s liberation movement.
What did Freda Adler argue in ‘Sisters in Crime’?
New roles from the women’s liberation movement led to more masculine qualities to benefit in the workforce (e. g. increased aggression and competitiveness) resulting in higher criminal participation.
How did Rita James Simon contribute to the understanding of women and crime?
She argued that more women in the workforce led to increased opportunities for involvement in crime. e.g. going to the pub after work
What criticism did Carol Smart have regarding studies of female offenders?
She argued that women offenders were treated as doubly deviant and that studying women separately could lead to marginalization
What is the core belief of radical feminism in relation to crime?
Patriarchy is the fundamental form of domination in society
female traits (compassion, nurturing) considered weak
men were more likely to dominate women
How does Marxist feminism view the relationship between patriarchy and capitalism?
arguing that male dominance stems from men owning the means of production.
Women are economically and sexually subordinated, and when they defy this, through crime or reporting victimisation- they’re punished more harshly.
What are some critiques of radical and Marxist feminism in criminology?
They are seen as overly deterministic, ignoring agency, historical variations in gender relations, and inequalities among women and men.
what are the developments of feminist criminology?
- Intersectional feminism: Considers race, sexual identity, and gender
- Toxic masculinities: Violence used to assert masculinity (Haider, 2016)
- New wave of feminism: Focus on social justice, men’s involvement, and intersectionality
What does Structured Action Theory (SAT) emphasize regarding gender, race, and class?
emphasizes that gender, race, and class are mutually constituting rather than discrete categories.
How does SAT consider crime?
argued that deviance is a core method which men who experience goal blockages use to communicate their masculinity - ‘one extreme of this could be how domestic violence is a resource for affirming ‘maleness
hegemonic masculinity
