Crime, Conflict Theory, and the Patriarchal Society (From Changing Roles of Women in the Criminal Justice System - Offenders, Victims, and Professionals, P 1-29, 1985, Imogene L Moyer, ed. - See NCJ-99505)

• NCJ Number: 99506
• Author(s): I L Moyer
• Date Published: 1985
• Length: 29 pages
• Sale Source: Waveland Press, Inc.
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A discussion of criminal justice issues relating to women emphasizes the usefulness of conflict theory in analyzing the differential treatment of female offenders, victims, and criminal justice professionals and in explaining the lack of attention to women in both research and criminal justice programming.

Abstract

The dominance of men in the criminal justice system parallels men's dominance in our society, paternalistic attitudes toward women resulting from longstanding concepts of chivalry, and the continuing socialization of people into traditional sex roles. As a result, studies of both offenders and criminal justice agencies have generally ignored women. Conflict theory clarifies this situation by focusing on the relationships among groups with different levels of power. This theory asserts that those with power define criminality so as to perpetuate the existing social order and administer criminal justice agencies to maintain this order. Conflict theory has generally focused on the overrepresentation of poor minorities in officially recorded crime, but it is equally useful in explaining why women, as a dominated group, have been neglected both in research and in treatment planning. One hundred forty-three references are listed.