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they are a victim or an offender tended to be regarded more favourably if they fit the stereotypical view of what a woman is, such as caring, gentle etc. When a women receives an harsher sentence it is usually because she is seen not fit the stereotypical view of women especially if she has committed murder, for instance. However a woman who has suffered many years of abuse by her husband then takes matters into her own hands is often given harsher sentences than some men who kill their wives. Showing that perhaps there is sexism within the judiciary system. Within the prison system many women are in for non-violent offences such as drug offences, prostitution and shoplifting, for instance in 2001 2,400 females received sentences for theft from shops with only 460 for more violent crimes. Not only that females are also less likely to be seen within the criminal justice system. Within the police only around 7% in high ranking positions were female compared to 93% male. The judiciary again (7%) female judges compared to 93% male and only 2 Lords justices are female compared with 34 male. Only in more clerical roles were there’s a higher ratio of women to men. The liberal feminist Gelsthorpe was concerned with equal rights and equality for women, and concentrated research on sex discrimination within the criminal justice system.
Through socialisation girls are encouraged to behave in a manner that can only be described as ‘lady-like’ and women who commit crime are seen to be acting against the socially accepted view of how a female should behave and therefore regarded as deviant
Q3. Can you explain the meaning of the sentence, ‘they have made apparent the correspondences between the policing of everyday life and policing through more formal mechanisms’?
Women from an early age are socialised to behave in an acceptable way in order to be socially accepted and take on certain roles such as mother, wife,
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and daughter. Because girls and women are seen as the weaker sex by male members of a family as well as in society as a whole they tended to be protected by the males in their family such as father, brother, husband etc. as well as in society in general. A father tends to worry more about his daughter staying out late rather than his son so he perhaps tended to impose stricter rules and curfews on her. The concept that girls are more likely to fall foul of an attack from a predator rather than a male leaves the parent to be over cautious and likely to punish her, whereas the father would joke with his son for staying out all night showing clearly to be the ‘boys will be boys’ scenario.
Q4. What elements should a more complete theory of criminology contain?
Feminist research has shown a need to create a clearer methodology taking into account the views of women both as criminals and as victims. Here is a strong need for change in the concerns about domestic violence, rape and other sexual motivated crimes against women and equality issues need to be raised within the male dominated environment. Research into women’s needs to be conducted by women based on real life accounts on violence would be beneficial. The age old view that a women whom wearing revealing clothing then suffers rape at the hands of a man is no longer suggested that she simply ‘asked for it’ and the feelings of the woman is looked at rather than her appearance and status.
Q.5.The authors suggest that although criminology has mainly focused on male crime, it has not really focused on men and masculinity?
Criminology has focused almost entirely on male crime but not on men and masculinity and the effects it has on crime. Men are socialised from early on to be masculine brought on by stigma that men be strong and aggressive and be the breadwinner and that he mustn’t show any emotion that maybe seen
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as feminine such as crying for instance. The family, society in general as well as the media all play an important part in suggesting what is the ‘correct’ way to for a male to behave. Arthur Brittan (1989) suggests that a difference needs to be made between “masculinity” and “masculinism”, arguing that masculinity is constantly changing to fit in with the changes that occur within society according to class, race, etc. However Masculinism constantly seen in the form of male dominance over women. Lynne Segal (1990) showed how masculinity differs historically. She pointed out that certain groups of men, such as homosexuals were not seen as ‘real’ men therefore denied masculine status by society. Black men are seen to be virile and more endowed than white males portraying them to be more attractive to white women, leading white men to feel threatened by them. Society demands that a ‘real man’ is dominant, strong, powerful, tough, independent and successful. In the world of business, men tended to have higher paid roles and better opportunities than women, as well as in sport. A woman is seen to be more likely to make it in a male dominated environment if she is attractive rather than suitably qualified. Women whom are sexually more ‘qualified’ are portrayed in a derogatory way whereas a man is seen to be ‘lucky’ and it is encouraged. The socialisation process tells men that sex is their right and has been demonstrated in the example of men’s rights within marriage. Until recently, a wife could not accuse her husband of rape as a man’s right to sex was seen as more important than a woman’s feelings or rights over her own body.
Bibliography
Class handout: women and crime
Gelsthorpe, L. (1990) Feminist methodologies in criminology: a new approach for old wine in new bottles Gelsthorpe and Morris (1990)
Heidensohn, F (1985) Women and Crime, London: Macmillan
Statistics from Home office website