Gender Inequality and Offending Patterns
“How do gender inequality and stereotypes shape female offending patterns” Discuss this statement.
Gender inequality has been a part of the human society since the ancient times and it is a reflection of this particular fact that the female fraternity of the world had to face a lot of discrimination as well as restrictions since the dawn of human civilization (Kay, Matuszek and Munson 2015). Furthermore, it is generally seen that a number of stereotypes are associated with the behaviors which are required of the male as well as the female members of the society (Kay, Matuszek and Munson 2015). This essay will focus on the concept of gender inequality and gender stereotypes and the way these have played a significant role in shaping the female offending pattern. The major focus of the essay will be on the way the different stereotypes which has traditional been attributed to the female behavior have played a significant role in shaping the offending patterns which are being used against them. It is significant to note that the females had to face not only discrimination but also various kinds of offending behaviors because of their gender (Pickett, Mancini and Mears 2013). Thus, it is generally seen that the crime rates against the women though have decreased in a significant manner yet even the decreased rate is alarmingly high (Pickett, Mancini and Mears 2013).
Crimes as well as various kinds of offensive behaviors against the women are commonly seen things within the framework of the human society (Steffensmeier, Schwartz and Roche 2013). The women of the society have been subjected to various kinds of offenses as well as subjugation and this is perhaps one of the main reasons for the slow growth rate of this particular segment of the society (Steffensmeier, Schwartz and Roche 2013). However, in the recent times another pattern which is noticed within the framework of the modern society is the various kinds of crimes as well as offences committed by the women or the female fraternity (Steffensmeier, Schwartz and Roche 2013). The total percentage of female arrests in the United States of America is around 20% in comparison to the more than 80% of the offenses committed by the men (Law.jrank.org. 2018). The women, on the other hand, are generally booked for various kinds of minor offenses like property offenses, burglary and others in comparison to the serious offenses committed by the men fraternity (Law.jrank.org. 2018). The date provided by the United States of America shows that since the 1960s less than 15% have been charged with various kinds of serious offenses like homicide, aggravated assaults and others (Law.jrank.org. 2018). Furthermore, another data released by the FBI reveals that out of all the arrests made by the governmental authorities only 27% of men and 28% of women were booked for general kinds of offenses like breaking the traffic rules and others (Law.jrank.org. 2018). Many scholars are of the opinion that this change in the trend cam be seen as a result of the changing status quo or the power within the framework of the modern society (Chesney-Lind and Pasko 2013). In the present times it is generally that the process of education and the freedom which the women have got for the expression of their thoughts have contributed much towards the liberation as well as the emancipation of the women (Chesney-Lind and Pasko 2013). This particular fact becomes of paramount importance when the present day contribution made by the women of the society towards not only the fields of art and Literature but also other fields is taken into consideration (Chesney-Lind and Pasko 2013).
Female Offending: Trends and Statistics
The world is seeing not only the empowerment of women but also the emergence of various kinds of theories which has further enhanced the process of the empowerment of the women and their liberation from the folds of the male dominated society (Scarduzio et al. 2017). The opinion of Judith Butler articulated in her famous work “Gender Trouble” in 1992 is significant to note in this particular when she says that “gender is just a performance, a social construct which was created to maintain the power balance within the society” (Scarduzio et al. 2017). The feministic theories of Butler, Kate Millet and others have contributed much towards the growth as well as the empowerment of women in the recent times (Mitchell and Stewart 2013). It is a reflection of this particular fact that the women of the society are seen on equal footing with the male members of the community and thus the various governments of the world are taking the help of the same kinds of laws and legislations to decide or judge the actions of both the sections of the society (Mitchell and Stewart 2013). Since the traditional times only the offenses committed by the men used to receive attention and the offenses committed by the female fraternity was only a laughing stock for the male fraternity (Scarduzio et al. 2017).
The concepts of inequality as well as stereotypes have played a significant role in the process of the analysis of the female offending patterns. It is significant to note that since the traditional times the behavior of the females have been stereotyped into the category of the genteel sections of the society (Mitchell and Stewart 2013). Therefore, the women since the traditional times are required to display the virtues of modesty, politeness, gentleness, shyness and others (Chalabaev et al. 2013). This particular view of the society finds adequate representation in the theory of “emphasized femininity”. This particular theory articulates the view that the sole purpose of the female fraternity is to satisfy the needs and the requirements of the male members of the society and this particular fact should be the entire lacuna of their thought process (Chalabaev et al. 2013). Therefore, these people are of the opinion that the women have no other existence apart from this particular fact and they should make this particular fact the sole purpose of their lives (Chalabaev et al. 2013). The theory of “hegemonic masculinity”, on the other hand, emphases that the male members of the society are superior to the female members of the society and therefore they are required to act in such a manner that befits their superior status (Kay, Matuszek and Munson 2015). The theory also states that the male members of the society who do follow this particular concept should be ostracized from the male fraternity (Kay, Matuszek and Munson 2015). It is significant to note that these theories have contributed in a significant manner towards the inequality as well as the stereotypes which the females of the human society had to face since the ancient times.
Feministic Theories and Women Empowerment
The inequality as well as the discriminations which the female members of the human society had faced since the traditional times has contributed in a significant manner towards the increasing number of crimes as well as the offenses committed by this particular fraternity of the human society (Pickett, Mancini and Mears 2013). Many scholars are of the opinion that the various acts of violence as well as the offenses committed by the women in the present times can be seen as the acts of protest against the dominance of the male members of the society to which they have been subjected since the traditional times (Pickett, Mancini and Mears 2013). The emergence of the various kinds of feministic theories and also the changing nature of the human society has made the women from the diverse sections of the society realize that they no longer need to suffer under the dominance of the male members of the society (Steffensmeier, Schwartz and Roche 2013). Thus, many scholars are in agreement with the view that the various acts of offenses as well as the crimes committed by the women can be seen as acts of protest against the traditional framework of the society where the women are seen as objects whose sole entity rests on whether or not she is being possessed by a wealthy man or not (Steffensmeier, Schwartz and Roche 2013). However, recent times the works of various women authors like Virginia Woolf, Kate Millet, Judith Butler and others has drastically modified this particular concept and it is a reflection of this particular fact the women are trying to come out of the virtual prison which has been a part of their identity since the traditional times (Steffensmeier, Schwartz and Roche 2013). The authors Cohoon et al. (2011) in their article “Gender and Computing Conference Papers” have shown that over the last forty years the percentage of women authors getting published has increased from 7% to 27%. However, the authors further state that most of these women authors in order to get themselves published had to take the help of the male pseudonyms. In a way it can be said that this lack of opportunity to express themselves has also contributed in a significant manner towards the offensive behavior which the women of the community as a whole had to face. Furthermore, in the educational sphere as well the women had to face a lot of discrimination. For example in the sphere of education, more appropriately in the sphere of the information technology the average percentage of women taking up these courses is only 14% which is far behind the normal percentage of men students (Khalil et al. 2015).
Stereotypes of Feminine Behavior and Female Offending
A critical analysis of the various offenses committed by the women of the present times reveals the fact that the majority of these crimes or the offenses were being committed against the male offending members of the society (Franklin and Fearn 2015). It is a reflection of this particular fact that only 28% of the all the crimes as well as the offenses committed by the women belonged to the category of the traffic accidents and other kinds of minor accidents (Law.jrank.org. 2018). The majority of the crimes committed were the property crimes as well as assaults on the male members of the society (Franklin and Fearn 2015). Many psychologists are of the opinion that these crimes can be seen as the outbursts of the female members of the society who have been subjected to the dominance of the members of the society for a very long and are thus finding adequate means or for that matter any kind of means to come out of this particular kind of bondage to which they have been subjected to for a very long time (Chalabaev et al. 2013). Therefore, it would be apt to say that the inequality as well as the suppression which the majority of the female members of the society have been subjected to since the traditional times have contributed in a significant manner towards the increasingly number of crimes as well as the offenses committed by the women of the society (Chalabaev et al. 2013). The concept of stereotypes as well as stereotypic behaviors required of the women has also contributed in a significant manner towards the recent change which the society is facing at the current moment. Many scholars are of the opinion that since the traditional times various kinds of stereotypes have come to form an inevitable part of the very identity of the women and therefore at some point of time or the other it was inevitable that the female section of the society would try to break away from this particular behavior which was required of them (Scarduzio et al. 2017). Furthermore, the traditional conception of masculinity as the superior as well as the dominant of the two has also contributed much towards the present scenario. As already mentioned that the construct of gender has been used since the traditional times to maintain the power balance within the society and thus the male members of the society were given the superior status. However, the emergence of the concept of femininity and the empowerment of the women fraternity which entailed with this particular process has challenged the traditionally held gender norms as well as the power balance of the society in a significant manner (Scarduzio et al. 2017).
Protest and Freedom: Female Offending in Context
To conclude, the concepts of inequality as well as discrimination have been a part of the kind of behavior which the women fraternity have been used since the traditional times. Furthermore, the women since the traditional times have been required to follow a particular kind of stereotypic behavior and they were not allowed to deviate from the norms or the rules written down by the male members of the society. Therefore, the various offending instances as well as the crimes committed by the female fraternity against the men members of the society can be seen as a reflection of this particular fact. These instances can be seen as instances of outbursts on the part of the female fraternity or more appropriately as an expression of protest against the practices to which they have been subjected to since the traditional times and also against the male members of the society in general
References
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