Topic 5 - Gender, Crime and Justice

AQA Sociology A Level

Chivalry Thesis

• POLLACK

• AO1 - Men are socialised to act chivalrous towards women

• Less likely to arrest them AO2 - letting them off for a speeding ticket

• Women therefore do not commit less crime, they are just let off

• AO3 - self report studies - men do commit more crime

Class and Gender Deal

• CARLEN - Marxist Feminism

• AO1 - Class Deal; women commit crime for material rewards. Gender Deal; being a good wife for rewards of love from husband

• 15-46 year old w/c women - survey

• AO2 - Maireed Philpott and Mick Philpott - house burned down for bigger house - class deal

• AO3 - Not all women in poverty commit crime - deterministic

Control Theory

• HEIDENSOHN - Radical Feminism

• AO1 - Women unable to commit crime due to the patriarchal control of society

• Women are controlled at home, in public and in the workplace

• AO2 - Women are controlled in the public through the threat of legal punishment and the threat of embarrassing themselves and their family

• AO3 - Fails to recognise the feminist movement and the liberation of women

Liberation Thesis

• ADLER - Feminism

• AO1 - Liberation of women has led to a rise in female crime - women are becoming more masculine

• AO2 - 2004 - 2007 crime rose by 25% for women

• AO3 - Female crime rate started rising in the 50’s before the women’s liberation movement

Masculinity and Crime

• MESSERSCHMITT

• AO1 - Men express their masculinity through violence and crime - hegemonic masculinity which excludes gay men

• AO2 - ‘Laddish Culture’ in schools (link to Willis)

• AO3 - Men can express their masculinity in other ways e.g. joining the army

Bouncers in S