Gender, crime and justice

What are the theories about why crime statistics for women

Chivalry thesis

Functionalist sex role theory

Patriarchal control

The Liberation thesis

The class and gender deals

Chivalry thesis

Pollak

-the idea that women are treated more leniently by the police and courts who are made up by mainly men who have been socialised to be chivalrous towards women

Functional sex role theory

Due to women’s biology and the process of socialisation, women are nurturing by nature and therefore don’t want to commit crime

What is an evaluation of the functional sex role theory of crime

Walklate- deterministic to say that all women are biologically nurturing

Outdated as there are changing family types

Patriarchal control

Heidensohn-

-women have at least one men in their lives that don’t want them to commit crime

What is an evaluation for patriarchal control explanation

Frustration about patriarchy may cause women to commit more crime rather than stop

What is an evaluation of chivalry thesis explanation

Women are becoming more equal so there is less of a need to be chivalrous

The liberation thesis

Adler

-women are now becoming more equal so commit as much/more crime than men

What is an evaluation of the Liberation thesis

-There are still patriarchal beliefs so not fully equal

-rise in crime came before the 3rd wave of feminism

The class and gender deal

Carlen:

-class deal- if women work hard they will be financially rewarded

-gender deal- if women are good mothers and wives they will be treated well

→ if both of these deals are fulfilled then women will turn to crime

→46% of women in prison have a history of domestic abuse

What is an evaluation of the class and gender deal explanation

Women are now working so can commit white collar crime which doesn’t depend on the deals

What sociologists talk about men committing crime

Winlow, Messerschmidt, Winlow bouncers

Winlow

Globalisation has led to a decline in traditional manual jobs which many working class males would express their masculinity. Increase in night-time leisure (clubs, bars) economy so people get into more trouble by working there and going there to express masculinity

Messerschmidt

Men are always working towards hegemonic masculinity. He sees crime and deviance as a resource that men can use to accomplish masculinity,

What is an evaluation of Messerschmidt

-Doesn’t explain ‘non-masculine’ crime such as tax evasion

-masculinity is now more flexible and subjective

What is an evaluation of Winlow

-doesn’t explain why men in ‘feminine’ (white collar) jobs don’t commit as much crime - which the theory states would happen to get masculinity

-focuses too much on working-class crime

Winlows bouncer study

Studied bouncers in Sutherland and found that they could use violence to show their masculinity by using their body capital. They were also exposed to drug dealing and other illegal business opportunities