Gender and Feminism on crime and deviance

This worksheet covers the explanations put forward by feminists and other sociologists to explain gender patterns in crime and deviance for A Level Sociology. It begins by exploring gender patterns for criminalisation, victimisation and representation in the criminal justice system. This is followed by explanations of low female criminality including: chivalry thesis and bias and double standards in the criminal justice system. Later causes of female crime is explored including: physiological explanations, Functionalism’s sex role theory, Heidensohn on patriarchal control, Carlen on class and gender deals and Messerschmidt on masculinity. Overall detailed evaluation is also provided of each perspective. This worksheet can be used to teach form or for students to revise from.