NCJ Number
102575
Journal
Sociological Spectrum Volume: 5 Issue: 4 Dated: (1985) Pages: 317-330
Date Published
1985
Length
15 pages
Annotation
A survey examining the relationship between gender and inhibitors of deviance concludes that women's changing roles may have produced a reduction in the fear of self-imposed guilt feelings and of peer-imposed stigma as consequences of law violations.
Abstract
Existing research indicates that females as a group will perceive a higher risk than males in three dimensions of sanction: legal punishment, social stigma, and guilt feelings. Drawing on social control theory, this study proposes that nontraditional females will resemble males in perceived risk. To test this hypothesis, a random sample of 350 adults was drawn from the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Females were considered nontraditional if they were employed full-time outside the home. In face-to-face interviews, respondents were asked how they viewed the risk of getting caught, guilt feelings, and social stigma if they committed each of six minor offenses: illegal gambling, cheating on tax returns, theft worth less than $20, littering, driving under the influence of alcohol, and assault. Results indicated that while changing gender roles and gender-role attitudes affect perceived threats of guilt feelings and social stigma, they do not appear to influence women's perceptions of legal sanctions. Tables and 20 references.