5.3 Explaining Male Crime

• Bodily capital (Winlow)


  The ability to use violence becomes not just a way of displaying masculinity but a commodity with which to earn a living
• What is a biological explanation of why men commit more crime?

  A lot of criminals have XYY chromosomes, make more testosterone & increases anger
• Winlow's study of bouncers in Sunderland


  -In an area of de-industrialisation and unemployment

  -Working as bouncers in the pubs and clubs provided young men with both paid work and the opportunity for illegal business ventures in drugs, duty-free tobacco and alcohol and protection rackets, as well as the opportunity to demonstrate their masculinity through the use of violence
• Winlow: postmodernity, masculinity and crime


  -Globalisation in recent decades has led to the loss of many of the traditional manual jobs through which working class men were able to express their masculinity by hard physical labour and by providing for their families

  -Expansion of the service sector provided a combination of legal employment, lucrative criminal opportunities and a means of expressing masculinity
• What is a criticism of Messerschmidt?

  -Doesn't explain why not all men use crime to accomplish masculinity
• How do Black working class boys show their masculinity?

  Few expectations for a reasonable job

  May use gang membership & violence to show masculinity or turn property crime to achieve material success
• How do white working class boys show their masculinity in & out of school?

  Less chance of educational success, masculinity is oppositional in & out of school

  Constructed around sexism, being tough & opposing teachers' authority

  Willis' 'the lads
• How do white middle class boys show their masculinity in & out of school?

  Subordinate themselves to teachers to get MC status (accommodating masculinity)

  Masculinity takes an (oppositional) form outside of school through drinking, pranks & vandalism
• What men have subordinated masculinity?

  Gay men, working class & some ethnic minority men
• Which type of masculinity is the most dominant?

  Hegemonic masculinity
• Masculinity (Messerschmidt)


  -Different groups of males turn to different types of crime in an attempt to be masculine
• What are 3 factors that affect male crime?

  Biological, XYY theory

  Psychological, Less religious (fear of hell/other punishment)

  Socialisation, Told to get outside (not bedroom culture)