Malestream criminology refers to the dominant perspective in the study of crime and criminal justice, which is characterized by a male bias and a focus on traditional forms of crime such as street crime and violent crime. This perspective has dominated the field for much of its history and has led to the exclusion of other forms of crime and the experiences of marginalized groups, particularly women and people of color.
The origins of malestream criminology can be traced back to the early days of modern criminology, when the field was dominated by male scholars who were primarily interested in studying traditional forms of crime committed by men. This focus on male-perpetrated crime was often justified by the belief that men were biologically predisposed to be more criminal than women, a belief that was supported by evolutionary theory and other biological determinism.
This male bias in criminology had significant consequences for the way crime was studied and understood. For example, the experiences of women and people of color were often ignored or marginalized, and their perspectives were rarely taken into account. This led to a narrow and distorted view of crime and criminal behavior that did not accurately reflect the experiences of all members of society.
In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the limitations of the malestream perspective and a push to incorporate more diverse and inclusive approaches to the study of crime and criminal justice. This has led to the development of new subfields within criminology, such as feminist criminology and critical criminology, which seek to challenge and critique the assumptions and biases of the dominant perspective.
Feminist criminologists, for example, have argued that traditional forms of crime and criminal justice are often male-centric and do not adequately address the experiences of women and other marginalized groups. They have also pointed out that many crimes that are disproportionately committed against women, such as domestic violence and sexual assault, are often overlooked or under-reported by traditional criminology.
Critical criminologists, on the other hand, have sought to expose the ways in which the criminal justice system serves the interests of the powerful and reinforces existing inequalities. They have argued that traditional approaches to crime and criminal justice are often used to justify and reinforce systems of oppression, and have called for a more critical and reflexive approach to the study of crime.
In conclusion, while the malestream perspective has long dominated the field of criminology, there is now a growing recognition of its limitations and a push to incorporate more diverse and inclusive approaches. By challenging the assumptions and biases of the dominant perspective, new subfields such as feminist criminology and critical criminology are helping to create a more nuanced and accurate understanding of crime and criminal justice.
Full article: Women in the Malestream Study of Crime: Exploring Three Swedish Journals throughout the Last Century
Family, Court and Social Control Milton Keynes: Open University GELSTHORPE L, MORRIS A 1988 'Feminism and Criminology in Britain' British Journal of Criminology MORRIS Allison 1987 Women, Crime and Criminal Justice, Oxford: Basil Blackwell NACRO 1991 Women in Prison - NACRO Briefing 33, London: NACRO May 1991 PRISON REFORM TRUST 1991 The Identikit Prisoner - Characteristics of the Prison Population, London: Prison Reform Trust December 1991 When a woman married, she could no longer own a property and any wealth of hers must be forwarded to her husband. As part of a research project aimed at better understanding the social construction of gender and crime through a historical lens — which previously has explored media representation over time Estrada et al. On the one hand, the quantitative analysis reveals that explanations and proposed solutions to crime are more gender-neutral than previous research tends to suggest. Both women and men are linked to theft 45% and 36% respectively and violent crimes 18% and 23% respectively. For instance, in a text discussing the role of social workers engaging with homeless, teenage outcasts and drug abusers 1980 Smt 16 , or in a study of imprisoned women 2000 NTfK 9 , it is the vulnerable social status of women that is foregrounded. In other words, the criminality of women is often backgrounded and mostly discussed in connection to issues such as reproduction, morality or equality, i. The coverage of women and crime in journals and textbooks.
On the margins of the malestream (or, they still don’t get it, do they?): Feminist analyses in criminal justice education — University of Kentucky
. They are also engaged in a project to bring to criminological theory insights to be gained from an understanding of taking a particular standpoint, that is, the use of knowledge gained through methods designed to reveal the experience of the real lives of women. Biological differences Many sociologists saw the division of labor between the public and private spheres as natural. This study examined bothrecent and earlier crime and delinquency literature inorder to investigate changes in the degree ofandrocentrism in criminology. Finally, research findings from sociological studies that aim to investigate society should be helpful to and useable by all genders. The examined period 1920—1975 2 contains 12 volumes with 58 texts relating to crime. Results suggest that while females are sampled much more frequently than in the past, male isstill very much the norm within criminologicalresearch.
Murder includes murder in the first and second degree as well as planning to commit murder. Scandinavian exceptionalism in an era of penal excess, part II: Does Scandinavian exceptionalism have a future? Gynocentric values and feminist psychology. A discussion in the latest literature on criminology focussed on the treatment of female offenders as they are administered through the criminal justice system. It is suggested that there are three explanations for why there has been a malestream bias in sociology. The feminist school says this is because on the basis of gender, biological factors, marital status, hormonal imbalances, etc. Worral Eds , Gender, crime and justice. List of references qualitative sample.
То sее hоw ассurаtе thіs stаtеmеnt bу Еаtоn іs, іt іs nесеssаrу tо ехаmіnе thе іssuеs thаt hаvе dоmіnаtеd сrіmіnоlоgу sіnсе іt bесаmе а subjесt іn іts оwn rіght. Women come into sight in discussions on crime when debates concern issues linked to the body, sex and sexuality, or victimhood and vulnerability. Journal Title Year Pages Code Barnavård och Ungdomsskydd Ersta diakonissanstalts skyddshemsverksamhet 1925 17—21 Bu 1 Lagstiftningen angående förundersökning och övervakning 1930 46—51 Bu 2 Sexuell etik och hygien 1930 111—115 Bu 3 Förbundet den 13 okt. Yet, the social-medical debate on abortion in the 1930s is not necessarily concerned with regulating criminal law as such; as it appears, the intervention of physicians and social workers is primarily aimed at protecting the family as a unit and by extent society and the social order itself. Olivia Guy-Evans obtained her undergraduate degree in Educational Psychology at Edge Hill University in 2015.
The psychological approach stresses psychological measures and diagnostic metrics in understanding and analyzing criminal behavior. Based on this criterion, some journals have been discarded, for instance, the Swedish journal on law Svensk Juristtidning, established in 1916. There has been a tendency for criminology to impact on the rest of the world through the lens of the Northern hemisphere. Even when the kinds of crime committed have significantly changed as the nature of social life has changed. Gender balancing the criminal justice curriculum and classroom. Such ends are sought through engagement with existing structures such as governments and legal frameworks, rather than by challenging modes of gender construction or hegemonic patriarchy Hoffman Bustamante 1973, Adler 1975, Simon 1975, Edwards 1990.
Outline some of the most important critiques of 'Malestream' criminology.
Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 3 2 , 251— 260. Politics and unnatural practice: Political science looks at female participation. Hence women are left with virtually no economic resources and are thus seen to exist within an economic trap that is an inevitable outcome of capitalist production. When absent as offenders, when and how are women in general rendered visible and given relevance? Journal of Criminal Justice, 3 2 , 131— 140. Chapman 1980 researched the link between involvement in the labour force and found a rise in female crime in moments of financial distress.
Why feminism still matters (for criminology and everyone else for that matter!)
Extracts from this document. This is one reason feminism still matters to criminology. This is another reason why feminism still matters to criminology: to continue to challenge not only malestream thoughts but Northern malestream and femalestream thinking and to ensure that the lessons of the South are bought to bear on the experiences of the North. Additionally, it attempts to bring forward when, in what context, women are given relevance. For instance, whereas abortion-seekers in earlier decades are discussed in light of their reproductive role in society, later texts call for liberal legislation regarding abortion and attribute a greater deal of self-determination to women e.
Explanatory frameworks and proposed solutions to crime, by gender column percentages. Here, as subsidiary characters, women are introduced as the mother or the partner, i. British Journal of Criminology, 56 6 , 1272— 1290. And as the study demonstrates, texts on criminal women have proven rare. Criminal definitions are applied by those in society who have power to shape enforcement and administration of criminal law.
They therefore make better theories and worse poems. The coding process quantitative beginnings provided an opportunity to distinguish and collect texts that elaborated on women and crime; hence, the coding process resulted in a sample of 48 texts for more in-depth analysis qualitative openings. Given the research problem of the article, a selection criterion has been that the journals discuss crime in such a substantial manner that the publications theorize crime, meaning that they include discussions on explanations and solutions to crime. The authors are primarily legal scholars and criminologists, but also politicians, policemen or other professionals active in the field of crime and punishment. In contrast, social causes refer to a sociological perspective, where criminality is seen as a result of deficiencies in social or economic resources, or in social relations, the surrounding social milieu and the like. However the reach of the discipline is now global and this global reach is another reason why feminism still matters to criminology.
Still Just the Study of Men and Crime? A Content Analysis
Similar to feminist thought as a whole, there are discussions on the cause of inequality within this branch of criminology that form various views. Life History and Feminist Ethnography. Â Feminist Teacher, 46-52. Which of the following was not one the six propositions put forth by Quinney? However, we can see gender similarities in the use of explanatory frameworks and proposed solutions. The implication has repeatedly been that it is the individual women who should change - rather than the social formations, which impose restrictive and exploitative roles upon all women. That is, the differences between men and women are not by and large biological essentialism but are insociated from an early age and are defined by existing patriarchal categories of womanhood.
