Feminist Criminology

Posted: September 9th, 2013

Feminist Criminology

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Applying Feminist Criminology to Thelma and Louise

Introduction

            Women in the pasty and even to day have been discriminated upon in all matters from education, employment, religion among other issues. This has been occasioned by the inherent male dominance of the society. To counter this dominance, women have intended to make their position known through feminist agenda aimed at empowering them. In this regard, the feminist school of criminology seeks to make aware the inherent discrimination and general disregard of the women folk in the traditional studies regarding crime. The claim is that masculinity has dominated criminology as a field, leading to the andocentric and biased nature of the field. This view of the field of criminology will be applied in the film, Thelma and Louise, in an attempt to verify the truth in these claims.

Part 1

            Feminist criminology is made up of various branches including radical, liberal, socialist and Marxist movements. This school of thought is known for their critique of how women offenders have been neglected, stereotyped or even distorted in traditional criminology. The aim of feminism is not to do away with men but it aims at pulling women in into the fold. Liberal Feminism as proposed by Freda Adler and Rita Simon in the 1960s claim that women are discriminated upon on the basis of sex, denying them equal opportunities with men (Heidensohn & Silvestri 1996). The two challenged Lombrosian criminologists who proposed that crime in women was caused by physiological factors. However, Adler and Simon believed that sociological factors best explain criminality in women. The liberal feminist criminologists believe that the more women are liberated and continue to be more involved in full time employment they become more likely to engage in crime similar to those committed by men.

In relation to Marxist feminist criminology as proposed by Julia and Herman Schwendinger argue that economic constituents of a society determine the social relations. They posit that women are in a male dominated economy (Chesney-Lind 1989). The gender roles in terms of division of labor bring about a class system in which women are second to men. They also claim that rape is not a common feature in all societies (Smart 1980). Nonetheless, rape is highest in capitalist economies. This is because capitalist economies create uneven gender relationships that promote violence against women. Radical feminism is a school of thought that has dominated feminist views on abuse claiming that liberal feministic views as being simplistic. They look at male dominance as the main cause social relations, crime and inequality in the society. Radical feminists have claimed that men continue physically, psychologically and sexually victimize women to feed their desire to exercise control over them. Piers Beirne and James Messerschmidt in socialist feminism have blended radical and Marxist feminist theories by postulating that gender and class serve equal roles in undermining the needs of women. Crime in this sense is seen as a culmination of patriarchal capitalism.

Part 2

            Thelma and Louise is a film that correctly embodies the feminist criminology theories. Thelma and Louise on a vocational trip kill a man who attempted to rape Thelma. Looking at the socialist school of thought where gender is a key issue in the matters defining crime, Thelma and Louise are afraid of going to the police after committing a crime because of gender stereotypes regarding women (Scott 1991). In this sense, Thelma being drunk would have made police to conclude that Thelma willingly gave in to the man. To make it worse, since she had danced with the man before, it could be construed that she was already a willing party thus, ignoring the probability for rape. Marxist theorist propose that class brings about unequal relations between men and women that later defenseless against masculine brutality. This is evidenced in the Harlan Puckett’s attempts to; forcefully gratify himself at the expense of Thelma. Gender roles in capitalist societies assume male dominance in households leading men regarding themselves as being better than women and subsequent violence.

The liberal feminists who propose that an increasing sense of liberty predisposes women to commit crime, is proven right when Thelma and Louise disappointed by J.D for money seek to take up the responsibility. Thelma inspired by J.D.’s crime stories steals from a convenient store to make up for money she had lost (Scott 1991).. The feeling of liberation empowers the two women to feel that they are free to be whoever they want to be (Smart 1980). In this case, they become criminals. The radical feminists have argued for male dominance as being the root cause of crime in the society. When Harlan attempts to rape Thelma, he is stopped by Louise. However, Harlan does not leave peacefully. Instead, he hurls insults to the two women that drive Louise to killing him. The desire, for Harlan to exert dominance over Thelma leads to a chain of criminal activity. The first being attempted rape that ends in a murder.

Conclusion

            The relationship between crime and women has been redefined by the feminist school of criminology to revert the biased perspectives that have been enhanced in traditional studies about criminology. The evidence produced reveal that facts about crime committed by women and crime committed against women have been largely ignored or grossly distorted to suit their male counter parts. The film, Thelma and Louise, has been used to apply these theories to bring out the importance of looking at crime from two perspectives, male and female. Therefore, the aim of the feminist school of thought is to create a balance between the two genders to enhance equitability in the community.

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