Gender, Crime & Justice

For many years criminology has failed to take into consideration the relationship between gender and crime. In recent years the relationship between men, masculinity and crime; and women, femininity and crime has assumed increasing visibility and political significance within both criminology and the public arena. An understanding of both masculinities and femininities is central to this module. Drawing on feminist perspectives in criminological theory as well as more mainstream theoretical accounts, this module evaluates the evidence, which indicates that patterns of offending, victimisation and the workings of the main criminal justice agencies are gendered.

The module will provide students with an insight into the key theoretical and methodological debates about gender and crime. Students will be introduced to the differential patterns of female and male offending behaviour, their interactions with the police and the broader criminal justice and penal system. Students will also explore conceptions of risk, fear and victimisation through an insight into women and men?s experiences of being victims of crime. It also considers the discriminatory nature of social control through an appreciation of the ways in which both the law itself and criminal justice organisations are gendered. Students are encouraged to transgress traditional debates about gender and crime by considering a human rights perspective for the study of gender and crime. Criminology?s failure to take account of the significance of a human rights agenda will be outlined and its importance will be emphasised.