Download Gender & Gangs - Northern Illinois University

Gender Analysis of Crime/Violence
Miller “Up It Up: Feminist Theories of Crime: Robbery as
a Case Study” (P&S 3)
2 Levels of Analysis:
1. Structural – Stratification of status and opportunity on
the street
2. Interactional – The routine practice of “Doing gender”
 Masculinity & Femininity (Messerschmidt) are
reproduced in interaction process
Motives and Causes are distinct: What does this mean?
Example of a motive?
Example of a causes of robbery?
Gender Analysis of Crime
Miller “Up It Up: Feminist Theories of Crime: Robbery as a Case
Study” (P&S 3)
Main Finding:
The accomplishment of robbery reflects the structure and process
required by gender.
Implication 1: Gender influences the pattern and nature of criminal
behavior
Implication 2: The requirements of the criminal act may be
achieved in ways that reflect gendered strategies for doing
crime
Question 1: How is gender useful in understanding how mugging
is accomplished by men?
Question 2: Are female muggers doing femininity or masculinity?
What are the implications of your answer?
Gender Analysis of Female Crime
Maher “A Reserve Army: Women and the Drug Market” (P&S7)
Context:
Crack Era – War on Drugs
Changes in Drug Control Policy
Changes in Drug Markets
Increased violence (peaks nationwide in 1994)
Business is service-oriented (retail)
–Create and maintain demand for drugs
–Supply products that meets this demand
–Also offers auxillary services related to drugs/lifestyle
Business is basically Distribution (think Wal-Mart)
Violence is a business tool
Required for accountability & legitimacy in underworld $
Combined with assumptions about gender meant that ♀
are seen as unreliable, untrustworthy, risky for business
Consequences for underworld employment?
Gender Analysis of Female Crime
Maher “Women and the Drug Market” (P&S7)
Gender Stratification of underworld opportunities:
Pink collar, Blue collar and White collar work in
the crack market?
•Services/Positions offered in the Business:
Lower Status
Steerers
Copping
‘Works’ Sales
Higher Status
Selling
Shooting Gallery Ops
Managers
Street Docs
King Pins
•Job ladders: What is a reserve army?
Steffensmeier’s Feminist Theory of Crime
Gender & Gangs
Gangs are appearing in more places (>1000)
•Economic Conditions (deindustrialization, unemploy., pov.)
•Diffusion of Gang Culture (copycat phenomena)
Traditional views
•♂ Groups
•Info on ♀ participation gained from ♂ gang members
Prevalence of ♀ membership?
•20-40% of gang members
•Gender composition of gangs
•5% all ♀; 60% mixed (♂ dominated); 35% auxillary groups
Gender & Gangs
Reasons ♀ become gang members?
•Social Context (high crime, economic disadvantage)
–Gangs provide adaptation skills to community conditions
–Exposure to gangs in underclass neighborhoods is high
•Family factors
–Gang involved relatives
–Family violence
»gangs provide some refuge from violent family
»Source of meaningful relationships, bonding, etc.
•Peers
–Status, companionship, excitement, protection, belonging
–Popularity, recognition
Gender & Gangs
Life in the gang?
Enhancement effects of gang membership:
Delinquency
Drug use
♀ members less involved than ♂ members
But…
♀ members more involved than non-gang ♀ & ♂
Gender Stratification – status & opportunity tied to
gender
violence
serious theft
drug deals (buys)
Gender & Gangs
Consequences of membership for ♀?
Ambivalence about delinquent aspect of gang
Inconsistent with expectations for femininity
Sanctions for gender violations
results in a “Double Bind”
deviant enough for gang member
not too deviant for being a girl
Gender Inequality
Objectification of ♀ (dating, sexing in, etc.)
Victimization by homies
Exiting
♀ membership more likely to be adolescent limited
Childbirth has gendered consequences
Entanglement of Agency, Violence &
law in the lives of Sexworkers (ER8)
• Most marginalized of all humans?
• Theories of gender and crime must account for
sexworkers experiences.
Question:
Sexworkers – agents (offenders) or victims?
False dichotomy – prostitution is a practice that is
actively pursuit of sexual exchanges & routine
subjection to violence and other victimization
Entanglement of Agency, Violence
& law in the lives of Sexworkers
• Separate spheres – criminalization of ♀
presence in the public sphere & subordination
in the private – sexwork linked to urbanization
• Criminalization never sought to eliminate
sexwork - ♂ demand combined with moral
crusades push it to the margins of society
• Prostitute identity
– Inferred from presence, appearance, cjs contact
– Absent from customers experiences
Entanglement of Agency, Violence
& law in the lives of Sexworkers
• The law defines some forms of violence as criminal
and ignores/supports others – the public/private
distinction illuminates this pattern
• Law does not recognize violence as criminal when
victims are located in the private sphere
• Law is also concerned with regulating sexual morality
• This combination results in the non-criminal character
of violence against women, and especially prostitutes
• The law assumes that to be a victim, one must be
innocent. Known prostitutes are not innocent.
Entanglement of Agency, Violence
& law in the lives of Sexworkers
Social Context
– Economic
– Drugs and crime
AOD use is important, but cause/effect is ?
Family contexts (victimization)
Copresent character of starting and continuing
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♂ encouragement
Negotiation (rather than an individual rational choice)
Significance of power dynamics in negotiation
Sexwork is not a free choice, but a way to “get by”
Negotiations are based on conflict & violence