Thursday, 21 May 2015

Essay Map for Gender and Crime Question

Essay Map – A2 Sociology OCR Unit 3

Outline and assess sociological explanations of gender differences in patterns of crime. [50]

Introduction
Official statistics support sociological arguments that there are gender differences in patterns of crime, in 2002 over 80% of know offenders where men.  The total prison population on 30 June 2011 stood at 85,374 offenders - of this women accounted for 5%, a consistent figure with the four preceding years. 21% of women in prison under immediate custodial sentence were serving sentences of 12 months or less compared with 10% of men. (The Guardian 2012)  Clearly crime is gendered, nevertheless it can be asserted that official statistics on gender differences in crime may not be valid as critics have noted that very little victimisation is reported to the police. Nevertheless,  some earlier sociological explanations of crime such as Pollack chivalry thesis has asserted that women’s crime are underestimated because they have been treated more leniently.  Although Hood offers some support for this view, regardless others have argued that some of the gender differentials in crime statistics may be as a result of the fact that women tend to commit less serious crime than men and thus are less likely to convicted and imprisoned.  Additionally functionalists such as Parsons asserted that the gendered pattern of crime is a result of gender role socialisation.  Moreover, feminists especially Marxist feminist such as Carlen and Heidensohn have argued women are often victims of crime and for women who are perpetrators of crime this may be a result of poverty and rejection of the class and gender deal.  Such women are perceived as doubly deviant and subject to greater risk of criminalisation and imprisonment.  Messerschmidt using the work of Connell has provided an insightful if tautological analysis of masculinity and crime.   Finally postmodernist such as Smart have asserted that the gendered nature of crime can only truly be understood through transgressive criminology and the movement outside of malestream criminology. Make your judgement    



Main Body
Paragraph 1
Briefly discuss statistics and gender differences in crime
Comparison of victimisation and self-report studies
(Support with Graham and Bowling)
Discussion of the accuracy of the official statistics,
Assess the usefulness of such statistics on gender differences in crime

Paragraph 2
Examine male patterns of crime
The importance of sub-cultures, studies – Merton, Cohen, Cloward & Ohlin, Matza (functionalism)
Criticisms of sub-cultural approaches
Labelling, Marxist, Left Realism and or Postmodernism
Link to the question

Paragraph 3
Outline Messerschmidt and Connell’s analysis of hegemonic masculinity
Support with Katz and Lyng, Winlow
Evaluate the tautological issues of this approach suggest usefulness
Link back to the question

Paragraph 4
Typically female crimes such as shop lifting are less likely to be reported. For example property crime is less likely to be noticed or reported than the violent or sexual crimes committed by men. Similarly prostitution, committed by more women is more likely to go unreported. Even when women’s crimes are reported they’re less likely to be prosecuted.

Assess the question with Pollack –outline his theory “chivalry thesis”
Support with Hood and Campbell
Analysis with Farrington and Morris
Critique the validity of his theory – nature of criminal act/doubly deviant
Link back to the question


Paragraph 5
The impact of feminism on female crime,
Adler – outline her theory “liberation thesis” 
Critique the validity of her theory – crime statistics suggest most crime is working class
“Women and social control” - Feminists Heidensohn, Carlen, Worrall and Walklate (control theory)
Link back to the question


Paragraph 6
Smart’s transgressive criminology
Critique the validity of her theory
Link back to the question

Conclusion
Clearly there are distinct and apparent gender differences in patterns of crime, which has meant that criminology has come to be labelled as malestream by feminists.  Nevertheless more recent studies, such as Messerschmidt or Carlen over the past 30 years have examined and suggested insightful explanations for gender differences in patterns of crime, whilst such theories may have explicitly provided sociological explanations for long ignored gender differences in patterns of crime.  Yet they still especially Messeschmidt’s approach hold some deep seated tautological weaknesses which limits their usefulness as a sociological explanation of gender differences in crime.

Paragraph 6 is not essential as it may not be possible to include this in 45 minutes

Mark Scheme
Candidates are expected to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of sociological explanations of gender differences in patterns of crime. They will address both male and female patterns of crime and they will deploy relevant theories accurately and in detail. Candidates are likely to discuss issues such as the official statistics on gender differences in criminal activity, victimisation and self-report studies, the importance of sub-cultures, the impact of feminism on female crime, masculinity and crime, women and social control. By way of evaluation, expect to see discussion of the accuracy of the official statistics, whether female crime is increasing, comparisons with victimisation and self report studies, the validity of the chivalry thesis and criticisms of sub-cultural approaches. Explanations may include; Theories: Feminism, Marxism, Postmodernism, cultural theory, control theory, etc. Concepts such as: Artefact, biology, chivalry, deindustrialisation, femininity, focal concerns, gender stereotyping, labelling, masculinity, self report studies, status frustration, subcultures, etc. Studies such as: Adler, Alien, Box, Campbell, Carlen, Carrabine, Connell, Farrington & Morris, Graham & Bowling, Heidensohn, Hood, Messerschmidt, Pollak, Smart, Walklate, 

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