Feminist Theory

exam 4

characteristics of the 1st wave of feminism

• mid-19th century to the 1960s)

• voting rights (suffrage movement and the 19th amd.), education, representation

characteristics of the 2nd wave of feminism

• 1960s-1970s

• social equality

  • womens reproductive rights (3 examples)

  • equal protection against violence (biden and the Violence Against Women Act)

what was Griswold v Connecticut

what was Eisenstadt v Baird

what was Roe v Wade

• married couples could use contraception if they wanted

• legalized contraception for everyone

• legalized abortion within the 1st trimester

characteristics of the 3rd wave of feminism

• 1990s

• there is no single definition of femininity

• gender is just a social construct

• the idea of intersectionality = class, race, sexuality

• backlash against crim. justice for not responding to violence against women

what is a patriarch and how is it involved in CJ

• the fundamental principles of a society

• gendered norms and that males are superior and females are subordinates

• CJ policies and decisions are male dominated, discriminate against women and reinforce stereotypical sex/family roles

what are some features of feminist criminology

• there is a commitment to intersectionality

• understanding the unique position of women in male-dominated CJ fields

• the gender gap in serious crime

• the importance of women studies for the development feminist criminology

what is the Chivalry Hypothesis

• stated that the justice system was male-dominated and that men hold traditional attitudes towards women (objects of admiration)

• this extends into CJ because F offenders are given less harsh punishments and more leniency

how is chivalry a product of paternalism (when referring to criminal punishment)

if it is thought that women are too weak to learn from punishment, then increased leniency is given to women who are deemed powerless but this leads to increased harsher punishment to show control

who is chivalry given to and who created this theory

• created by Farnsworth and Teske - formed 2 hypothesis

• selectivity hypothesis - chivalry is extended to middle class and white women

• typicality hypothesis - chivalry is extended to women charged to stereotypically feminine crimes (shoplifting or tax crimes)

is there support for the selectivity + typicality hypothesis

• there is mixed empirical support

• there are increased rates of punitive treatment toward girls (primarily who are minorities and poor)

• increased rates of arrests for minor status offenses and increased punitive treatment because the offenses are deemed a threat to traditional sex-roles

what did Feld contribute to feminist criminology

he talks about the sudden decriminalization of status offenses in 1970s

• there was a decrease in girls getting arrested for status offense but instead it got replaced by an increase in minor assault charges

• bootstrapping = relabeling girls are delinquent for the same behavior

• he introduced the idea of transinstitutionalization = most non-criminal referrals to psych wards were girls

what is the gender-related issues theory

• looks into the generalizability of crim. theories - do male-oriented theories apply to women

• found that some theories were gender-neutral while others did not account for female crime

• also examines the idea of the gender ratio problem - can existing theories explain the gender crime gap (1.5:1)

who thought of the gender-related issues theory

Daly and Chesney-Lind

what was the masculinity theory

• the demands for equal opportunities led to changes in traditional sex roles, increased equality, and increased participation in the labor force

• however, this increased equality lead to increased masculinity characteristics

who thought of the masculinity hypothesis

Adler

what was the economic marginalization hypothesis

• it was found that female offenders were mostly poor, un/under employed, and head-of-households

• there was a lack of welfare systems that could help care for herself and children

• increased economic pressure on females leads to increased reliance on economic crime

what is the gendered pathways approach

• this approach focuses on the life experience and development trajectories of women who have become involved in crime

• it acknowledges the influence of physical and sexual abuse of women

  • 55% of female inmates report prior physical/sexual abuse making it the single most distinguishing factor of F inmates

who thought of the gendered pathways approach

Daly

what is the gendered context approach

• focuses on the degree that M and F:

  • encounter different expectations and opportunities for offending

  • attribute different meanings and respond differently to similar criminal situations

• defines an organization of gender: the structural arrangements that determine differences in:

  • norms/moral/values

  • application of social control

• these gendered differences influence criminal motivations and criminal opportunities

who thought of the gendered context approach

Steffensmeier and Allan (two men)