SOCIAL: FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE OF CRIMINOLOGY

There are various ways to explain the feminist perspective on criminology. These theories aid the criminologist in assessing the rate of female crime in any given community. The naturalist thesis specifies that gender roles are derived from biological differences. This means that men and women each have different roles as according to their sex. The functional thesis explains that each sex, men and women, play a role in the functioning of society. Each of these sexes contribute to the societal, “machine.” Women in this thesis are the primary caretakers of children while men are the backbone of the family with tasks as having employment. The final thesis is the critical thesis which explains that the roles of men and women cause conflict and power struggles. In critical criminology the fact that we are all equal under the law masks inequalities, the law serves the dominant group and the poor are punished more so than the wealthy. These are the types of power struggles that occur within this thesis. Criminologist also theorize several hypothesis when considering the feminist perspective of criminology. First, is the masculinity hypothesis. As society develops it becomes inevitable that women will undertake roles which are more masculine. The cultural development in this day and age sexualizes women that in the past, only men were allowed to be this sexual. An example of this is the, “slut walk.”. The, “slut walk,” encourages, traditionally “male like,” promiscuity and empowers females to be that way. Another hypothesis is the opportunity hypothesis. This explains that as society develops, females will have more opportunities where in they will have more opportunity to commit crime. The feminist movement fought for equality in three waves wherein we now have females working traditional, “male jobs.” This has given females more opportunities in which they can commit crime. Lastly the economic marginalization hypothesis argues that females in their position become marginalized because of their roles in society. This hypothesis describes the increased marginalization of women wherein they become less able to take care of themselves and their family. An example is a divorced housewife who, therefore, becomes marginalized and unable to care for her loved ones in which case she resorts to prostitution.