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Feminist Criminology

Feminist Criminology. SOC 112. Feminist. Feminist theory - a spectrum of arguments - of causes / reasons for - related primarily to gender - inequitable treatment of women a. Socially structured categories of gender - shape relations between men / women - in the workplace

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Feminist Criminology

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  1. Feminist Criminology SOC 112

  2. Feminist • Feminist theory - a spectrum of arguments - of causes / reasons for - related primarily to gender - inequitable treatment of women a. Socially structured categories of gender - shape relations between men / women - in the workplace - organized family life - unofficial norms

  3. Feminist b. Criminologist continue to debate - extent which other social relations effect - and are affected by - gender relations (1) Society traditional dominated by males - sought to subjugate women (2) Still seen as being constricted by: - chauvinism / paternalism - by male-oriented power bases

  4. Feminist (3) Purpose of feminist theory? - provide insight / female perspective - social inequality / crime c. Feminine Mystique (1963) – Betty Friedan - urged to reevaluate traditional roles - demand opportunities equal to men • Liberal feminists - argue for more equitable treatment - within social institutions

  5. Feminist a. Recognition of feminist perspective - in dealing with social issues - criminal justice system b. Governmental intervention is necessary - create opportunities - female empowerment - female equity (1) Colleges - certain percent of female applicants

  6. Feminist (2) Education and females - viewed as important mechanism - to achieve goals of equality (3) EEOC – 1972 - Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - cannot discriminate • Radical feminists - women’s burden in reproducing humankind

  7. Feminist - basis for oppression by men a. The Dialectic of Sex (1970) – Shulasmith Firestone - traces way inequality perpetuated - institutions of marriage / family b. Advances in birth control - abortion / safe childbirth techniques - material means for women’s freedom

  8. Feminist c. Most men, in radical feminist view - strive to maintain dominance • Marxist feminists - draw upon Marxist theories - to explain perpetuation of gender inequality a. Women: subordinated within the family - undertake tasks of childbearing - child rearing

  9. Feminist b. Done to spare ruling class - costs of reproducing “labor force” - thus, women’s subordination insured c. Marx / Engels - women’s liberation will come about - capitalism / other forms of class society - replaced with socialism • Feminism and success - United States / many other countries

  10. Feminist a. Consider a career their right - if they should choose one (1) Demand / get equal pay / equal work (2) Acquire positions of power in business - as well as government (3) See themselves as equals - inside / outside the home

  11. Feminist b. Basic concept of feminist ideology - equality - made great strides towards that end (1) Changes seen: - criminal justice system - military - government - schools (undergraduate / graduate) • Feminist criminology

  12. Feminist - important contributions to discipline - not simply study female offenders - address broad range of issues a. Example - examine / question traditional theories - question male-centered biases - gender is relevant - to understanding men’s / boy’s lives - as well as women / girls

  13. Feminist (1) Feminist theorist concerns - how gender shapes male / female treatment - in juvenile / criminal justice systems - both as offenders / workers (2) Also address: - violence against women - rape / intimate partner violence / sexual harassment

  14. Feminist b. Feminist criminology believes: - either ignored women/gender - theories devised over years - male crime applied to women (1) When theories appear to be generalized - “apply one theory to all” - don’t look at gender (a) Result in being a victim of a crime (b) Result in committing a crime

  15. Feminist (2) Theories derived from study of women - applied to study of men? - say male studies applied to women - notion: women subcategory of men • Gender and crime - except prostitution / shoplifting / welfare - males commit more crimes at all ages a. Uniform Crime Report (UCR) - arrest ratio: 4 to 1

  16. Feminist (1) Personal crimes of violence - involving single offender - att. murder / rape / robbery / assault - 83% of victims = offender as male (a) Property crime - 82% = male (2) 1963: females = 15.3% of arrests - today: 30.5% - female arrest rate much lower

  17. Feminist - rate of increase much faster (3) Self-Report Surveys - patterns / causes: male-female crimes - becoming more alike (4) Social / economic roles of women - changed in the legitimate world - participation in crime also changed - temptations / challenges / stress - have been subjected to

  18. Feminist - cause to act / react in same manner (5) Equalization of social / economic roles - lead to similar behavior patterns - legal / illegal - on part of both (a) Steal a car - need to know how to drive (b) Embezzle

  19. Feminist - in a position of trust - in control of funds (c) Get in bar fight - need to go to a bar (d) Inside trader on Wall Street - need to be a stock broker b. Feminist criminologists agree - crimes women commit

  20. Feminist - closely associated with - socioeconomic position in society (1) Association between gender and crime - recognized area of concern - growing body of research - deal with contemporary criminological issues • Social theories - utilized to explain male criminality

  21. Feminist - little attention given to female offenders - until 1950s a. Why? - smaller percentage of offenders - most crimes do not pose serious threat (except prostitution) - not viewed as serious social problem (no prison riots in female prisons) (1) Female crimes are increasing

  22. Feminist - but violent crimes are rare - executions of women not common b. Attempts to explain female criminality - opportunity / women’s liberation - conflict - feminist theories (1) Opportunity / Women’s Liberation - have become liberated - participated more extensively/equally

  23. Feminist - greater opportunity to commit crime (a) Opportunity theory - also involves women’s liberation - rates increase in certain crimes - theft / fraud / embezzlement (b) Women’s liberation in workforce - greater opportunity for crimes (c) Propensities of men / women

  24. Feminist - do not differ significantly - difference is in opportunity (d) Less involved in violent crime - frustrations which lead to latter - decreased with liberation (2) Conflict theory - gender / crime - emphasize subordinate position of women

  25. Feminist (a) Women held in traditional roles - subordinate to fathers - subordinate to husbands - stay at home / bear children (b) Conflict was created when: - broke out of traditional mold - caused by economic structure - other conflicts - conflict with the social system

  26. Feminist (c) Radical criminologists believe: - criminality: capitalist system - denies women equal access to economic advantages of men (3) Feminist theory - dominance of men over women - patriarchal society - impact on crimes by / against women (a) Feminist scholars look at:

  27. Feminist - female victimization - treatment by the CJS (b) How rape victims treated - by police / courts / prosecutor - defense of “spousal abuse” is relatively new • Feminist criminality - variations in crime/victimization rates by sex - vary with social characteristics

  28. Feminist a. Best predictor person will violate law - sex (1) Primary factor - differentiating criminal / non-criminal - hormonal difference - socialization process (a) Boys / girls – men / women - taught to behave differently - play differently

  29. Feminist (b) Live in social structure - assigns status to people - personality/behavior/opportunity - can lead to crime (2) Socialization process - look at juvenile/adult crime separately - delinquency / status offense (a) Top 5 offenses: boys under 18 - theft / simple assault / drugs

  30. Feminist - disorderly conduct / vandalism (b) Girls under 18 - theft / simple assault / run away - disorderly conduct / liquor laws (c) 2.3 times as many boys arrested - girls becoming more like boys

  31. Feminist b. Violent crime arrests - murder / robbery / aggravated assault - rape not included (1) 1963: 7.9% female - 2005: 19.5% (a) Minor crimes / lesser felonies - numbers skewed - less likely to be reported to police

  32. Feminist (b) Status offenses - more likely girls arrested - gender-role behavior - expected to be “well behaved” (2) Adult arrests (2005) - 3.4 times as many men as women - higher ratio for juveniles (a) Murder: 88.4% / 11.6% (b) Rape: 98.5 / 1.5

  33. Feminist (c) Robbery: 89.0 / 11.0 (d) Assault: 79.3 / 20.7 (e) Burglary: 85.7 / 14.3 (f) Theft: 61.7 / 38.3 (g) MV theft: 82.9 / 17.1 (h) Arson: 83.5 / 16.5 (3) 1963: females all ages = 12% Part I - 2005: 28% (4) 1963 – 2005: increase as follows:

  34. Feminist (a) Murder – 18 to 12% (b) Robbery – 5 to 11% (c) Assault – 14 to 21% (d) Burglary – 3 to 14% (e) Theft – 19 to 32% (f) MV theft – 4 to 17%

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