...The Basis Of Feminist Criminology Feminist criminology was created out of the realization that criminology from its beginnings focused on the male criminal and the unlawful acts they committed. When in the fact it could be argued female crime was studied as far back as 1800's, female criminal activity, its causes and the effects in which it placed on public opinion were often disregarded. Over the past 20 years, there has been a significantly different approach in how females are being dealt with inside the criminal justice system. This has been the result of a more broadening law enforcement effort, stringent medication sentencing laws, and post-conviction limits to reentry that would greatly influence females. While there seems to be numerous hypotheses on feminist criminology, liberal, radical, Marxist, and communist theories seem to be most often understood. Woman’s activist criminology attempts to redefine the thought process of criminologists to include more of a sexual orientation and to remedy the issues of why women are more unlikely than men to commit a criminal offense, and whether or not standard male speculation could be altered to elucidate female responsibility. Liberal feminist criminology emerged in the 1960’s to bring attention to discrimination against women. Currently it thrives to address women’s issues, lobby for women’s rights, create opportunities, and change a woman’s role in the public sector. Radical feminism seems to conflict and differ with...
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...Describe the basis of feminist criminology Feminist criminology was created out of the realization that criminology from its beginnings focused on the male criminal and the unlawful acts they committed. When in the fact it could be argued female crime was studied as far back as 1800's, female criminal activity, its causes and the effects in which it placed on public opinion were often disregarded. Over the past 20 years, there has been a significantly different approach in how females are being dealt with inside the criminal justice system. This has been the result of a more broadening law enforcement effort, stringent medication sentencing laws, and post-conviction limits to reentry that would greatly influence females. While there seems to be numerous hypotheses on feminist criminology, liberal, radical, Marxist, and communist theories seem to be most often understood. Woman’s activist criminology attempts to redefine the thought process of criminologists to include more of a sexual orientation and to remedy the issues of why women are more unlikely than men to commit a criminal offense, and whether or not standard male speculation could be altered to elucidate female responsibility. Liberal feminist criminology emerged in the 1960’s to bring attention to discrimination against women. Currently it thrives to address women’s issues, lobby for women’s rights, create opportunities, and change a woman’s role in the public sector. Radical feminism seems to conflict and...
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...Feminist Criminology The article I have chosen circles around Hillary Clinton and the White Collar Crime divisions investigation on Clinton’s “Pay to Play” scandal. The article explains the details of the investigation as well as stating that an indictment of Hillary Clinton is not likely. Although, it is speculated that if anyone is going to take the fall for this, it’s her male “gatekeepers” even though, the FBI is 99% sure that it was Hillary’s secret email server that was hacked. I have read a number of articles surrounding the Clinton Foundation scandal and how it ties in to White Collar Crime. The concept that seems to stick out most is the concept of Feminist Criminology. This is because, feminist criminology usually focuses on male...
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...I have always loved the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee during the fall season. The brilliant, colorful leaves of red, yellow, orange and brown glisten in the sunlight. Leaves dancing from the limbs of massive tall trees as the wind blows swiftly across the ridges. The smell of pine is coming from the beautiful lush pine trees. Early morning brings a white cloud of fog from deep in the valley, making it appear as if one were sitting on top a giant cloud. Being welcome by large antler deer, fluffy rabbits, singing birds are a few emerging from the dark forest. Long narrow creeks flowing through the mountainside. The narrow, bumpy road winding around the mountainside, climbing higher and higher. On one side, there is a hill of nothing but brown dirt and luscious pines that seem to travel to the heavens. However; on the other hand, the elevation drops drastically into never land. As I look down, all I can see is colorful, vibrant tree tops swaying in the wind. I dislike thinking what could happen if my tire were to slip off the narrow road edge. Bringing my eyes back looking straight ahead I notice the image of something entirely large just ahead of me. Approaching closer, I see a baby cub who must have wandered off from its mother. It appears to have fluffy brown fur and big brown eyes. Playing in the roadway, rolling around like a small child until it spots me. It gets up and walks towards my car. Not showing an ounce of fear, it sniffs my car and looks at me. My window is cracked...
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...stereotypes and assumptions about females in the criminal justice system, saw feminist perspectives challenge the theories, concepts and assumptions of those involved in the study of crime (Bryant, 2014). This essay begins by firstly providing a brief description and its origins, how feminist theories causes crime, how its theory defines crime, the multiple feminist perspectives within feminism and how feminist criminology attempts to combat crime. It will then discuss the relevance and how feminist theory influences the criminal justice system, such as women’s role as professionals, as well as women as offenders and victims (Schram & Tibbetts 2013, p. 285). Finally, this essay will examine the applicability to Australian society by exploring if the suggested causes of crime apply to Australian society. It will lastly draw on the criticisms of feminist criminology and how the different types of feminist perspectives lessons the relevance of this theory in Australian society. Outlining the theory Feminist criminology first developed in the 1960’s and 1970’s which was closely associated with the emergence of the Second Wave of Feminism (White, Haines & Asquith 2012, p. 143). The Second Wave of Feminism saw the advent of many issues such as social, political and material inequalities (White, Haines & Asquith 2012, p. 143). Because men were mostly privileged as a group by society, the development of feminist criminology emphasised and raised concerns of the problem of discrimination of females...
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...Matt Klaus Professor Firestone Com 4030 4 March 2012 Feminist Criminology, Aileen Wuornos, and the Future of Third Wave Feminism Crime committed by women is on the rise, especially in the area of violent crimes such as murder (Balfour’ 739). This has produced a new form of feminist studies in an area called feminist criminology. What hasn’t been studied as extensively is the question of why women kill. I argue that by using the individuality concept of third wave feminism and doing more research in the field of feminist criminology, patterns of criminal behavior may be established which may prevent severe female crime such as murder. This paper seeks to explain how advancing the study of feminist criminology is good for the U.S. legal system and could have changed the outcome for Aileen Wuornos. In this paper I will discuss what third wave feminism is, then I will discuss what feminist criminology is and how it applies to the Aileen Wuornos case, and lastly I will show that with advanced studies into the field of feminist criminology, odds of severe crimes committed by women could decrease. The third wave of feminism is not easily describable. However, it can be framed by saying that it is a movement that continues to advance the women’s rights agenda of the second wave (Zimmerman et al. 77). Unlike the second wave which was intended to give a voice to all women, the third wave tends to reflect more on the individual. By focusing on personal narratives, responsible...
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...l men are rapists and that's all they are. (Marilyn French) Feminist criminology contains many branches. Liberal, radical, Marxist, and socialist feminism are widely recognized, although other "strands" exist such as postmodernism and ecofeminism. Most feminist criminology involves critiques about how women offenders have been ignored, distorted, or stereotyped within traditional criminology, but there is no shortage of separate theories and modifications of existing theories. Almost all women criminologists or criminologists of women who examine gender and crime have addressed the "gender ratio" problem (why women are less likely, and men more likely, to commit crime). Others study the generalizability problem (whether traditional male theories can modified to explain female offending). Most feminists are quick to point out where stereotypical thinking and theoretical dead ends exist, although the main problem complained about in most criminology is the simple fact that gender matters and should not be ignored. Liberal feminism operates within the existing social structures to draw attention to women's issues, promote women's rights, increase women's opportunities, and transform women's roles in society. Radical feminism looks at how women came to occupy subservient roles in the first place, what male power consists of, and how societies themselves can be transformed. Marxist feminism ties patriarchy or male privilege into the economic structure of capitalism, as when female...
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...The objective of this paper is to evaluate why women are committing crime by using Marxist Feminist Theory. Marxist theory was that women commit crime due to capitalism and because of capitalism women feel oppressed and unequal in society. Marxist Feminist Theory Marxist Feminist theory is laid out by Friedrich Engels. Engels explains that a woman's subordinate role is not due to her biological disposition , but to her social relations. A big part of a woman's subordination is the role of a man in society and how a man controls the labor of woman and their sexual life in the home. Woman have to be subordinate in their families and must be submissive to their husbands. Gender oppression and class oppression and the relationship between and man and women in society is similar to Marxist feminist view on a capitalist society. In a capitalist society a woman' s subordinate role comes from class oppression because it is in the interest of the ruling class. Men and women are divided and different privileges while men get paid for their jobs women do not get paid for theirs( childrearing, cleaning, cooking, etc..). Men are taught by society to become dominant to the roles that have been handed to them. Understanding Why Women Commit Crime Woman murder rates have rose by eleven percent a year since the seventies. What started at six thousand in the seventies jumped to seventy-five thousand and this number is increasing. Some possible explanations for these crimes can be poverty...
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...UNIT 3 - Critical Criminology EC13CY065 Tasks You are going to produce an article on developments within Critical Criminology. (1 500 words) LO1 – Understand the arguments of Left Realism LO1.1 Analyse the Left Realist position in criminology For this area of criminology you will need to explain the Left Realist position as a solution to crime. You will have PowerPoints and discussion in class and you will be able to gather further material from your own research You need to ensure that you include: * Lea and Young (1984) and their view that crime is the product of a class based and patriarchal society. * The three key concepts: relative deprivation, sub-culture and marginalization * The square of crime * Solutions to crime * An evaluation of the perspective – strengths and weaknesses – set against other theeories * Social policy and Left Realist ideas LO2 – Understand debates within feminist criminology LO2.1 – Analyse feminist positions in criminology Again materials will be presented and discussed in class. You will need to consider: * Feminist explanations as ‘woman centred’ * Are women really more law-abiding than men? * Do women commit crimes for the same reason as men? * Are women becoming more criminal? * The concept of ‘masculinities’. Can masculinity be used to explain all crimes? * Do other factors influence offending? * Is the criminal justice system (CJS) gendered? * What impact has feminism had...
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...the victim, offender, and the criminal justice system, but it can also involve connections between social movements and many forms of human rights violations (Stevens, 2003). Victimology was born in the 1940’s after two criminologist from Europe named Von Hentig and Mendelson, also known as the fathers of victimology began studying victims of crimes. Their theory was that the victim’s behavior as well as their attitude was the cause of the crime to be committed. During its birth, the focus of victimology was on how the victims were equally responsible for certain crimes with the offender (Carson, 2009). By the 1960’s the focus of victimology shifted towards the rights of victims due to movements such as the Civil Rights movements and the feminist movements. From the 1970’s to the 1990’s victimology turned towards ways to stop future crimes from happening, help victims of crimes to become organized and empowered, and to better understand the population of victims. Today, crime victims still remain the focus of victimology. However, victimology has drastically expanded to include victims in many areas such as terrorist attacks, hate crimes, discrimination, war, and genocides. Additionally, there is also a focus on how to treat behaviors of the victims due to victimization so that the victims can return...
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...“Privatizing conflicts”. Concerns with restorative justice Table of content Introduction 2 1 The appeal of restorative justice 3 2 Privatizing conflicts 5 2.1 Legal sphere concerns with privatizing conflicts 5 2.2 Feministic concerns with privatizing conflicts 8 3 Underexplored pitfalls 11 Conclusion 12 References 14 Introduction This paper is written within the framework of the master course ‘Restorative Justice’. It aims to be an academic reflection on some of the concepts educated throughout these classes.[1] The literature on restorative justice is extensive and therefore the case for it will not be made again here. Basic notions will not be repeated in this paper. The majority of criminologists already accept the letdown of the current criminal justice system on certain accounts; problems have been solidly exposed and opponents of restorative justice have been constantly defending the need for their rationale. Perceived advantages are well-known and have been documented soundly. But this work attempts to look beyond the reform minded and optimistic spirit that most of the restorative body of thought (rightfully) carries. Certain less obvious aspects of the theory might be underconceptualized, overlooked or taken for granted. Taking the concern of some more critical authors that restorative justice processes ‘privatize’ conflicts as a starting point, it will be explored whether or not this privatizing...
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...analyzed data from 2,369 boy and girls from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), across 54 counties in New York State. The samples in the research were girls and boys classified as either Juvenile Delinquents (JD) or Persons in Need of Supervision (PINS). What was most interesting about the samples used is that they were primarily Caucasian which deviates from the idea that Caucasians are usually underrepresented in research concerning criminality. The researchers built on the feminist-oriented theory pathways research and included samples of boys. Furthermore, the research also identified other variables absent from mainstream correctional literature. Feminist theorist contends that the pathway to crime for girls stems primarily from prior abuse or poverty as opposed to antisocial behavior as seen in males and boys. Research has also shown that girls and women commit crime under the influence of their male counterparts. The current research found that most girls were prone to crime without the influence of boys and were assessed as antisocial. Finally, the researchers identified through the literature that girls and women rise in the criminal justice system is attributed to the change in legislature and...
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... Insodoing, unpacking and defining the etiology of crime has proved to be a noteworthy adversary. This essay would seek to examine this unfolding drama of etiological proportions by addressing one of these key modern-day ideological polarities: right realism and left realism. It would critically discuss the relational polarity between these two theories by first examining and then comparing their respective etiologies. Second, it would examine and critique the interplay between ideology and British crime policy. Left Realism (LR): Etiology. “Left realism was explicitly, although not exclusively, concerned with the origins, nature, and impact of crime in the working class” (Lilly, Cullen, & Ball, 2007: p.191). It was a radical criminology and a very British development (Newburn, 2007). It was ‘Left’ as crime was envisaged as endemic owing to the class and patriarchical construction of advanced industrial society, and ‘realist’ in its aetiology and appraisal of crime (Young, 1997). Its theoretical and criminological roots could be traced back to neo-classicism and social positivism as epitomised by Cesare Beccaria and Adolphe Quetelet during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries respectively (ibid). Unsurprisingly, it was seen as a reaction to the...
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...Grace Elliott / Sociology homework due Friday 4th March 2016 Item A The criminal law is thus not a reflection of custom, but a set of rules laid down by the state in the interests of the ruling class, and resulting from the conflicts arising in class structured societies; criminal behaviour is , then , the inevitable expression of class conflict resulting from the exploitative nature of economic relations. Criminality is simply not something that people have or don’t have; crime is not something some people do and others don’t. Crime is a matter of who can pin the label on whom and underlying this socio-political process is the structure of social relations determined by capitalism. Using material from item A and elsewhere asses the usefulness of the Marxist approaches to an understanding of crime and deviance (21 marks) Marxists essentially see crime and deviance as defined by the ruling class and used as a means of social control – if you don’t conform then you will be punished. Institutions such as the police, the justice system, prisons and schools, the family and religion are there to encourage you to conform. They argue that white collar crimes (which tend to be committed by the more powerful in society) are ignored, while crimes committed by the less powerful in society such as burglary and street crime are focussed on and seen as more serious. Marxists would also argue that different social classes are policed differently, with the working class heavily policed...
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...Crime is a behaviour/act that goes against a society’s law, and therefore has legal consequences attached if broken, e.g. prison sentence, penalty charge. Deviance is an act/behaviour that goes against a societies norms and values, however is not against the law and therefore not punishable by law. It is a relative term dependent on different societies and their norms and values; what is considered deviant also changes over times, for example it used to be considered deviant for women to smoke, whereas now that is accepted (western). There is a clear relationship between gender and crime according to official statistics. It has been revealed that men about six or seven times more likely to offend than women. In self-report studies the figures are not as large, however, men are still in the majority. Also when we look at victims of crime it appears that men are more likely to be victims of crime than women. Messerschmidt says young men want to conform to the dominant form of masculinity which he called ‘hegemonic masculinity’. It’s the idealised form which is ‘defined through work in the paid labour market, the subordination of women, heterosexist and the uncontrollable sexuality of men’, (It’s a form of masculinity that most men aim to accomplish and is prized and prestigious). Messerschmidt argues that different men use crime and deviance to accomplish prestigious hegemonic masculinity. Depending on their status and class position, different men attempt to accomplish this masculinity...
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