Why Do Men Commit Crime

Question 1

What does Messerschmidt argue?

Answer 1

Masculinity is a social construct and men have to constantly work at constructing and presenting to others. Although different forms of masculinity exist, hegemonic masculinity is the dominant form that men wish to accomplish

Question 2

Hegemonic masculinity

Answer 2

Paid work in the labour market, the subordination of women, heterosexism and uncontrollable sexuality

Question 3

Which groups have subordinated masculinities

Answer 3

Working class men and ethnic minority men

Question 4

What does Messerschmidt see crime and deviance as

Answer 4

Resources that some men use to accomplish masculinity

Question 5

How do white m/c boys use crime to achieve masculinity

Answer 5

They have to subordinate themselves to teachers in order to achieve m/c status leading to an accommodating masculinity in school. Outside school their masculinity takes an oppositional form e.g drinking and vandalism

Question 6

How do white working class boys use crime to achieve masculinity

Answer 6

They have less chance of educational success so their masculinity is oppositional both in and out of school. It’s constructed around sexist attitudes, being tough and opposition of authority. Paul Willis lads study

Question 7

How do black working class boys use crime to achieve masculinity

Answer 7

May hold few expectations of a reasonable job and may use gang membership and violence to express their masculinity or turn to serious property crime to achieve material success

Question 8

Evaluation of Messerschmidt

Answer 8

Overthrows the concept of masculinity to explain virtually all male crimes from joyriding to embezzlement

Question 9

What does Winlow argue

Answer 9

In recent decades globalisation has led to a shift from a modern industrial society to a postmodern industrialised society, resulting in the loss of many traditional manual jobs through which w/c men could express masculinity by hard physical labour and supporting family

Question 10

Crisis of masculinity

Answer 10

Expansion of service sector jobs which are more feminine perceived and not providing w/c men opportunities to express masculinity. Crime is a way of overcoming the crisis

Question 11

How has the night time economy created new masculine jobs

Answer 11

Combination of legal employment, lucrative criminal opportunities and means of expressing masculinity