NCJ Number
100275
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 25 Issue: 4 Dated: (October 1985) Pages: 365-381
Date Published
1985
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This analysis critically examines theories of female crime whose central proposition is that different roles are allocated to men and to women which, in turn, produce different personality types.
Abstract
The discussion excludes crime theories that examine the impacts of the social structure of women's lives on their likelihood of committing crimes. The analysis considers masculinity and femininity theories (M/F theories) and their model of the inevitably passive and dependent woman. Analysis of their approach indicates that M/F theorists have relied mainly on popular stereotypes of personality differences rather than on systematic inquiry. This characterization of the sexes has had a strong but unrecognized influence on criminology. The extent of this influence is shown in recent attempts by feminist criminologists to discard the idea of innate differences between the sexes by introducing a political and historical discussion of the subject. The feminist views of female crime contain suggestions of M/F theory's view of personality differences, however. 23 references. (Author summary modified)