Essay on Feminist Criminology - 3530 Words

Feminist Criminology: How useful is it in its analysis of female crime? MSc Criminology and Forensic Psychology Feminist criminology emerged out of the realisation that criminology has from its inception centred on men and the crimes they commit. Although it can be argued female criminality was researched by Lombroso, as far back as 1800’s, female crime, it’s causes and the impact in which it had on society was largely ignored by the criminological futurity. Those Criminologist who did attempt to research female crime such as Thomas and Pollak were not only very damning of women but were also very condescending, choosing to stereotype them as either Madonna or whore (Feinman). Law abiding women were described as passive,†¦show more content†¦In defence of Liberal Feminism, Waitlake points out that we should not be too quick to write this theory off as Eisenstein writes in her book The Radical Future of Liberal Feminism, it may still have a bright future ahead, However; she state until a Liberal feminist hits the glass ceiling, it is impossible for this perspective to capture the full impact of patriarchal society. Radical Feminist Radford (2001) had this to say in regards to Radical Feminism; â€Å"Radical Feminism offers systematic analysis of the nature of women’s oppression including the way it is sustained through law and criminal justice processes. It is not only to understand male dominance and control of women and but also to end it.† Like Liberal Feminism, Radical Feminism seeks to end partriarchy. However; In contrast to Radical Feminism, focuses more on the issue of men’s oppression of women rather other social conditions. The crux of this perspective is sexuality which is seen as the locus of male power Mackinnon (1989a). Tong (1989) states Radical feminist only have to ask such questions as â€Å"who rapes whom?,† who batters whom, â€Å" for whom does pornography exist, for the ultimate answer to the question to be, men! RadicalShow MoreRelatedDescribe the Basis of Feminist Criminology1013 Words   |  5 PagesThe 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 1800s, 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 withRead MoreWhat Has Feminism Feminist Criminology?1901 Words   |  8 Pages‘feminism’ contributed to criminology? In this essay it will focus on feminist contribution to criminology. It will cover different aspects such as: early criminology and the female offender, Lombroso and Ferrero’s views, W. I Thomas and Otto Pollak’s views, sociological criminology and the continued invisibility of women, the development of modern feminist criminology as well as the female concept of crime, Carol Smart and feminist criminology, contemporary feminist criminology, understanding women’sRead MoreThe Feminist Perspective Of Criminology Essay2349 Words   |  10 PagesFeminist perspective in criminology is dedicated to examining crime in a way that acknowledges how women experience crime both as offenders and victims. Because rape is a crime that primarily victimises women, it is important to draw on the feminist perspective when analysing it. In New Zealand legislation, rape is defined by Section 128(2) of the Crimes Act 1961 as: â€Å"Person A rapes person B if person A has sexual connection with person B, effected by the penetration of person B’s genitalia by personRead More1. Describe the basis of feminist criminology.877 Words   |  4 Pages Feminist criminology emerged out of the realisation that criminology has from its inception centred on men and the crimes they commit. Although it can be argued female criminality was researched by Lombroso, as far back as 1800’s, female crime, it’s causes and the impact in which it had on society was largely ignored by the criminological futurity. Those Criminologist who did attempt to research female crime such as Thomas and Pollak were not only very damning of women but were also very condescendingRead MoreImplications of Feminist Criminology for Criminal Justice523 Words   |  2 PagesImplications of Feminist Criminology for Criminal Justice All feminist theorists share a common focus on gender inequality; however feminism can be described as a set of perspectives rather than a single viewpoint (Strider, N.d.). Therefore, challenging gender biasness in the criminal justice system from the feminist perspective can take many forms given the fact that there a lot of sources of gender inequality in the system. For example, the early theories of criminal behavior largely ignored genderRead MoreRape And The Connection Of Feminist Criminology And Labelling Theory Essay2207 Words   |  9 PagesThe term rape is defined as an ‘unlawful sexual intercourse by force, and without legal or factual consent’ by Gennaro Vito, Jeffrey Maahs and Ronald Holmes (2006) in ‘Criminology: Theory, Research and Policy’ (Vito, Maahs, and Holmes, 2006: p. 280). Rape can be in the form of the penis penetrating the vagina, oral, anal and an assault using a foreign object. However, there have been many controversies of what i s rape and the use of force that is required. Several researchers, practitioners, legalRead MoreCriminology : A Strange Beast1582 Words   |  7 PagesCriminology is a discipline that has a variety of other disciplines which seek to construct and theorise explanations and possibilities as to why crime occurs in particular places, ways and too and by certain people. Due to differing field areas interlinking Newburn (2013: 6) described criminology as ‘a strange beast’ by coherently joining conflicting disciplines to try and theorise crime. Walklate (2011) suggested the other disciplines are not only a wide variety but are also highly thought provokingRead MoreCrime And Social Control Theory Essay1712 Words   |  7 PagesMainstream Criminology in the way that labeling theory does not account for certain crimes that have been considered bad in and of themselves and the latter does not account for female offending (Hagan, 2016). Feminist criminology attempts to address the bias in criminal analyses (Hagan, 2016); In chapter 3 of the course’s text, Hagan addresses the fact that â€Å"most criminological theories portray an androcentric bias† meaning that they are male-based (Hagan. (2016). Introduction to Criminology (9th Edition)Read MoreCriminology And Sociology : Criminology1296 Words   |  6 PagesSummary of Criminology and Sociology: Criminology is concerned with examining the complex issues of crime and criminality to find its underlying causes. To do this criminology primarily aims to achieve answers as to why crime occurs; who is committing said crimes and how society as a whole will respond to crime with regards to policy changes and its place in the media (Australian Institute of Criminology: 2015). Sociology is the scientific study of human social interactions in a societal contextRead MoreThe Major Theories Of Criminal Behavior And The Impact Of Crime On Victims And Society1580 Words   |  7 Pagesindividual and societal level, followed by conclusion based on the previous discussion. 2. Discussion on the Major Theories of Criminal Behaviour Macro-level or societal theories include Marxist conflict theory, Robert Merton’s strain theory, and Feminist theory (Howitt, 2012). According to Howitt (2012), Marxist conflict theory contains that societies have emerged from states of conflicts between competing groups in societies over institutionalised powers and material resources. Consequently, the