Gender and Crime Flashcards
func
Parsons -differences in crime and deviance to the gender roles in the traditional nuclear family.
Cohen lack of a role model boys turn to street gangs as a source of male identity, where status is earned through toughness and aggression
Heidonsohn & Carlen support suggesting that females have more to lose if they turn to crime. Their socialisation means that their central role as ‘Guardians of Domestic Morality’ carries with it an expectation to set a good example and to not take risks.
eval of func
Outdated. - biological assumptions
Heidensohn: Patriarchal Control - fem
most significant aspect of women’s behaviour is how conformist they are. This is because patriarchal society imposes a greater control over women and reduces their opportunities to offend. This control operates at home, in public and at work:
The private domestic sphere, The public sphere, The workplace
how does The private domestic sphere, The public sphere, The workplace affect women
The private domestic sphere: DDoL and childcare provide= less time and opportunity for crime and women face more serious consequences if they do become involved. Teen girls are likely to be more closely supervised by their parents than boys, reducing their chances of getting into trouble
The public sphere: controls via fear of physical or sexual violence if they go out alone at night. Women also face the threat of losing their reputation of being ‘respectable’ if they engage in deviance, for example through gossip, the application of labels like ‘slag’ or ‘slapper’ by men etc
The workplace: Women SH by male bosses which restricts their opportunities to deviate. Plus, womens’ subordinate position (e.g. glass ceiling), prevents women from rising to senior positions where there is greater opportunity to commit fraud etc.
Carlen: class and gender deals - fem
The class deal: The material rewards that arise from working in paid employment, enabling women to purchase things like consumer goods and enjoy a respectable life and home;
The gender deal: The rewards that arise from fulfilling their roles in the family and home, with material and emotional support from a male breadwinner.
Most women accept and achieve these deals and the rewards and security arising from them, and therefore conform and do not commit crime not available to some women, due to poverty, unemployment, abusive partners etc. Such women may then make a rational decision to choose crime as it offers the possibilities of benefits like money, food and consumer goods which are not otherwise available.
evidence for Carlen: class and gender deals
Evidence for the class deal (from her research)
Many experienced problems and humiliations in trying to claim benefits
Evidence for the gender deal (from her research)
Some had been abused physically or sexually by their fathers or partners
eval for fem
YES- Shows many patriarchal controls that prevents women from deviating, shows failure of patriarchal society to deliver promised deals to some women remove the controls that prevent them from offending.
NO- Sees woman’s behaviour as being determined by external factors- underplays free will and choice.
Very small sample size and may be unrepresented. Mostly wc women
Chivalry Thesis – Women are getting away with it more
Anderson (1976) suggests that the Criminal Justice System is ‘Paternalistic’ and as such has a stereotypical view of females as helpless and naïve. As such the CJS is more likely to treat females more leniently than men and let them off for offences
Evid for chivalry theory
Hood (1992) study over 3000 defendants and found that women were 1/3 less likely to be jailed for a similar offence to a man.
Female offenders= less serious threat than men, and are therefore more likely to benefit from more informal approaches to their offences, such as cautions or warnings rather than being charged
Pollak - men raised to be respectful and courteous to women more likely to treat them with leniency, however women are also much more subversive due to biology and therefore are better at hiding their crimes.
Flood + Page - that women who admitted to their crime and showed remorse were less likely to be charged then men in the same situation.
Campbell - women were more likely to be cautioned then charged.
eval for chivalry thesis
Women aren’t always treated as chivalrously by the Criminal justice system Protests after “she was asking for it” Ireland
Walklate- Questions of the way that the rape and SA cases are prosecuted.
Carlen and Heidensohn - Double deviancy breaking gender roles and committing a crime. More punishment needed.
Farrington and Morris - More serious the crime the less differences in sentencing
More women in criminal justice system- Chivalry thesis is out of date
