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Pollack (1950) Chivalry thesis:
Pollack argued that men are socialised to have a protective attitude towards women so are sometimes unwilling to arrest, charge, prosecute or convict them. This suggests that the CJS is heavily masculine and bias. SUPPORT - Allen found women were given slightly more lenient sentences in motoring offences. EVIDENCE - The Ministry of Justice found that 49% of female recorded offending received a caution in 2007 compared to 30% of men. But do men just commit more serious crime?
Heidensohn (1996) Bias against women:
Argues that the CJS is not biased in favour of women but instead against them. The courts have a double standard and punish girls more for promiscuous sexual activity. SUPPORT - Carlen argued that women are assessed in terms of being wives, mothers and daughters and judged to these standards. Deviants are punished more harshly. EVIDENCE - Scottish judges were most likely to jail women whose children were in care rather than women that say they are good mothers. EVIDENCE - Walklate says that women have to prove respectability in order to be accepted. In rape cases often the victim is in on trial and defence argues ‘she asked for it’ due to clothing or behaviour.
Parsons (1955) sex role theory:
traditional gender roles in the nuclear family differ for men and women, women are housewives and at home and men are the breadwinners and aren’t at home. Masculinity is developed in boys during adolescence through secondary socialisation, and this brings them to delinquency. SUPPORT - Cloward and Ohlin said younger boys in gangs follow older role models and imitate dominant, aggressive behaviours. EVIDENCE - Men and women appear to commit different types of crimes with men more likely to commit violent crimes, e.g. accounting for 90% of murders. Hormones and biology may have something to do with this.
Alder (1975) Liberation thesis:
The spread of feminism and women's liberation have produced large scale behavioural changes. SUPPORT - women are increasingly involved in traditionally male crimes such as burglary in the UK, Western Europe, the US and Australia. EVIDENCE - Sharpe and Gelsthorpe (2009) pointed out that rates of crime rose by 38.7% for women compared to 6.6.% for men between 2003/4 2005/6
Denscombe (2001) Ladette culture:
Women have adopted the behaviours of young men and are increasingly engaging in risk taking behaviours. Study of teenagers in the Midlands found that females were as likely as males to engage in risk-taking behaviour and desired to be in control and look 'hard'. EVIDENCE: Slack (2009) reported that girls under 18 had been responsible for 58,000 crimes from 2005-2009 a 50% increase on previous 4 years
Messerschmidt (1993) Hegemonic masculinity:
The dominant form of masculinity in society causes crime. Masculinity = being providers, dominating others, being physically strong and heterosexuality bordering on misogyny. SUPPORT - strain theory and status frustration both support this idea but suggest a class issue as well as a gender issue.
Evaluation for “women are treated more leniently by the criminal justice system as males feel they have a duty to protect them”?
Liberation thesis would argue it’s outdated. Bias against women, women are treated more harshly by the criminal justice system.
Evaluation for “women’s socialisation leads them into more passive and submissive roles which leads them to commit less crimes than males”
Liberation thesis would argue it’s outdated, women aren’t expected to stay at home and be housewives. They go off to work and engage in more deviant behaviour than the 1955’s. Also, Denscombe’s ladette theory suggests that women are more masculine in their ways. E.g. they go out more, drinking, work. Heidensohn's bias against women would argue that the criminal justice system do not favour women, but go against them. They're judged on their promiscuous behaviours, which isn't 'passive' and 'submissive'. Judged on whether they're good mothers or not.
Evaluation for “Men often try to assert their masculinity through criminal behaviour as they believe that there is a hegemonic image of what a real man looks like”
Messerschmidt (1993) - Hegemonic masculinity. There is a drive to maintain the dominant societal expectations of men. LINK - Status frustration not being able to gain success within society, as a result turn to crime. This can also be seen as a class issue as well as a gender issue.
Evaluation for “Men are more likely to experience anomie- to feel the strain between their goals and the means to attain them- due to their role as a breadwinner.”
Merton (1938): Strain Theory a person could experience strain when they cannot achieve culturally acceptable goals via socially accepted means potentially leading to them achieving these goals via unacceptable means. Strain theory best applies only to the lower class as they struggle with limited resources to obtain their goals. This theory fails to explain white collar crimes. Suggestive of sex role theory too. Could mention liberation theory, proves that strain theory is outdated.
Evaluation for “Women's liberation from the control of males has led to more opportunities to commit crime.”
Liberation thesis reflects how women have more of a voice and are able to speak up more within society. This means they participate in more crimes as there's less 'masculine' and 'feminine' labels in society. Ladette culture would argue that women are much more willing to take risks, leading to more crimes being committed. Slack said that girls under 18 were accountable for 58,000 crimes between 2005-2009.
