Feminist theory's of crime and deviance

Highlights the gendered nature of crime and deviance and emerged as a critique of traditional criminology which ignored women

Sociologists have produced two views to this-

Chivalry thesis- Suggests that female offenders are treated more leniently than men

Double deviance thesis- Suggests that the CJS treats some women more harshly than others

Feminists perspectives also examines the ways women are victimised in society

Heidensohn- The control of women

  • Heidensohn’s control theory explains why women have a lower rate of officially recorded crime than men

Domestic control-

  • Women are controlled in their own homes because they have less freedom. Their time is occupied by housework

Public control-

  • Women are constrained by their fear of sexual violence or not being seen as respectable

Employment control-

  • Women are less likely to be in high positions of power so their work is overseen so they have less opportunity to commit middle class crime

Criticisms-

  • Critics argue that Heidensohn makes generalisations and it dosen’t apply to all women

  • Her claims aren’t backed by strong research

Pollak

Pollak argued that women commit as much crime as men but they are better at hiding it

  • Chivalry thesis- Pollak suggested that the CJS is biased in favour of women as male officers treat them more leniently due to societal norms of protecting women

  • Deceptiveness of women- Argued that women are naturally more deceitful than men due to biological and social conditioning

  • Hidden female crime- Argued women commit crimes such as shoplifting more often then reported because they are better at hiding them

Criticisms-

  • There isn’t much proof that women commit as much crime as men but hide it better

  • Ignores structural factors such as poverty, socialization and patriarchy

    Adler

  • Increased female criminality- Argued that feminisation gave women more opportunity’s to commit crime/ as women are moving into traditionally male dominated roles they are committing crimes usually associated with men such as white collar crime

  • Rise in violent and white collar crime- Adler argued that as women gained independence they became more involved in organized crime, fraud and violent offences instead of traditional female crime

Criticisms-

Overgeneralization- Increase in female crime rates was not as dramatic as she predicted

Ignores class and race- Her theory assumes all women have the same opportunity’s but WC women face the barriers that prevent them from committing the crime she described