Feminism

• Heidensohn

  • She argues the court treat women more harshly when they deviate against gender norms and are judged more harshly
• Carlen

  • She argues there is a judgment based on an 'assessment of them as wives, mothers and daughters'
  • Girls whose parents believe them to be beyond control are more likely to receive custodial sentences
  • She found that Scottish judges were more likely to jail women whose children were already in care vs those they saw as good mothers
• Heidensohn- control theory (control at home)

  • Women commit fewer crimes than men because patriarchal society imposes greater control over them reducing opportunities to offend
  • Confinement to the domestic sphere
  • Girls have less opportunity to engage in deviant behaviour on the streets (bedroom culture)
• Heidensohn- control theory (control in public)

  • Women are controlled in public spaces due to the threat of male violence
  • She notes the role of the media in scaring women. Islington crime survey- 54% of women did not go out after dark
  • Informal social control- e.g. self imposed restrictions on dress, behaviour, not going to the pub alone
• Carlen: Class and gender deals

  • most convicted female serious criminals are working class
  • Carlen argues women conform through the promise of 2 types of reward or 'deals'
  • 1-class deal- women who work will be offered material rewards
  • 2-gender deal- patriarchal ideology promises women emotional rewards from family life

  If these rewards are not available, crime becomes more likely.
• Evaluation of Carlen (class and gender deals)

  • Freda Adler- argues changes in structure of society has led to changes in women's offending behaviour
  • Liberation thesis- patriarchal control has lessened, women have begun to adopt 'male' roles
• Evaluation of Heidensohn (control theory)

  • outdated theory- young women are more independent
  • could account for the significant increase in female criminality