Feminist Theory PDF - Chapter 13

Feminist Theory Chapter 13 DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE & CRIMINOLOGY  Feminist Theories of Crime  Gender-related Issues (Daly & Chesney-Lind, 1988)  Generalizability  Do male‐oriented criminological theories apply to women?  Some are fairl...

Feminist Theory Chapter 13 DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE & CRIMINOLOGY  Feminist Theories of Crime  Gender-related Issues (Daly & Chesney-Lind, 1988)  Generalizability  Do male‐oriented criminological theories apply to women?  Some are fairly gender‐neutral  Others inadequately account for female crime LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO  Feminist Theories of Crime  Gender-related Issues (Daly & Chesney-Lind, 1988)  Generalizability  Do male‐oriented criminological theories apply to women?  Some are fairly gender‐neutral  Others inadequately account for female crime  Gender ratio problem  Can existing theory explain the gender difference in crime? LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO Feminist Theories of Crime  Gender-related Issues (Daly & Chesney-Lind, 1988)  Generalizability  Do male‐oriented criminological theories apply to women?  Some are fairly gender‐neutral  Others inadequately account for female crime  Gender ratio problem  Can existing theory explain the gender difference in crime?  Esbensen & Winfree, 1998  All boys v. Girls – ~1.5:1 ratio  GM boys v. Girls – 1.51:1  Non‐GM boys v. Girls – 1.49:1  GM girls v. Non‐GM boys – 3.06:1  Feminist Theories of Crime  Women’s Liberation & Female Crime  Women’s liberation movement (late‐1960s to 1970s)  ↑Media coverage of female offending in 1970s  Counter to traditional stereotypes of feminine roles  Masculinity hypothesis (Adler, 1975)  Women’s movement – Demands for equal opportunity wrought:  Changes in tradi onal sex roles, ↑equality, & ↑labor force par cipa on  As women become ↑equal in society…  ↑female crime rates  ↑Equality  ↑Women assume masculine characteris cs LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO  Feminist Theories of Crime  Women’s Liberation & Female Crime (cont.)  Economic Marginalization hypothesis  Female offenders are largely:  Poor, under‐/unemployed, & the head‐of‐household with children  Lack alternatives/ inadequate welfare system to provide for self & children  Hardly the image of an emancipated woman  ↑Economic pressure on women  ↑reliance on economic crime LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO Feminist Theories of Crime  Gendered Pathways approach (Daly, 1998)  Focuses on life experiences & developmental trajectories of girls/ women who become involved in crime  Descriptive approach that gives voice to & acknowledges physical/ sexual abuse common to many female offenders  “Single most distinguishing factor” of female inmates  55% of females in jail report prior physical &/or sexual abuse (Daly, 2002)  v. 13% of males  Feminist Theories of Crime  Gendered Context approach (Steffensmeier & Allan, 1996)  Examines degree to which males & females  Encounters different normative expectations & opportunities for offending  Attribute different meanings to similar events & situations  Respond differently to similar events & situations  Organization of Gender LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO  Feminist Theories of Crime  Gendered Context approach (Steffensmeier & Allan, 1996)  Examines degree to which males & females  Encounters different normative expectations & opportunities for offending  Attribute different meanings to similar events & situations  Respond differently to similar events & situations  Organization of Gender  Structural arrangements that determine differences in:  1. Norms/ morals/ values development  2. Social control applications  Gendered differences influence:  Criminal motivations (i.e., guilt/ shame, risk/ reward perceptions, & self‐control)  Criminal opportunities (e.g., peers & people encountered + routine contexts & opportunities) LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO  For This Week & Next Week…  For this week…  For Friday (Nov. 22th), read:  Chapter 14 – Developmental & Life‐Course Theories  For next week…  For Wednesday & Friday (Nov. 27th & 29th):  NO Class – Thanksgiving Break LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO