The unit on feminist criminology, positioned in the penultimate week of the semester, delves into the significant role of feminist theories in the field of criminology. These theories are pivotal in emphasizing that the study of women’s deviance is not only valid but also crucial for a comprehensive understanding of criminological phenomena. They argue that exploring women’s roles and experiences as victims, offenders, and practitioners within the criminal justice system can provide invaluable insights.

Feminist criminology challenges traditional perspectives by highlighting the unique experiences and challenges faced by women in the context of crime and justice. The unit explores how gender differences play a crucial role in understanding crime, deviance, and the criminal justice response. This includes examining how societal norms, expectations, and gender roles influence women’s involvement in criminal activities and their experiences within the criminal justice system.

The unit covers various strands of feminist criminology, including both liberal and critical/radical perspectives. Liberal feminist criminology focuses on gender equality, advocating for the equal treatment of women in the criminal justice system and addressing the disparities and biases that women face. This perspective seeks reform within the existing structures and legal frameworks.

On the other hand, critical or radical feminist criminology delves deeper, questioning the fundamental structures and societal norms that perpetuate gender inequalities and biases. This approach often critiques the patriarchal underpinnings of the criminal justice system and society at large, arguing that these structures inherently disadvantage women. It seeks more transformative changes, often calling for a complete overhaul of existing systems and ideologies to achieve true gender equality.

Overall, the unit on feminist criminology is an essential component of the course, providing you with a nuanced understanding of how gender intersects with crime, justice, and societal responses. It encourages critical thinking about the role of gender in criminology and challenges you to consider how different feminist perspectives can contribute to a more equitable and just criminal justice system.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this week, you will be able to:

Describe how traditional theories of crime perceived female offenders and problems associated with traditional research methods.
Identify the main tenets of the liberation thesis.
Discuss how power-control theory attempts to explain gender differences in delinquency rates.
Describe key features of feminist perspectives on understanding criminal behavior.
Describe some of the key policies based on feminist theories of crime

WORKFLOW

Reading

*Transgressing Criminology Boundaries: Feminist Perspectives in Criminology by MaDonna R. Maidment. Advancing Critical Criminology: Theory and Application, edited by Walter S. DeKeseredy, and Barbara Perry, Lexington Books, 2006. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bmcc/detail.action?docID=1331606.

Print your chapter from here.

Advancing_Critical_Criminology_Theory_and_Applicat…_-_Part_I_-_Overviews_of_Theoretical_Perspectives