Module title: Gender and Crime Word Limit: 3000 + /10% Referencing style: Harvard Referencing Assignment question: “When convicted of a crime, the sentences handed down to men and women should take account of their gender”. Critically discuss. ASSIGNMENT AIM IS A FIRST! 7080% or MORE SEE GRID AT THE END ! Learning objectives that must be adhered too: 1. Draw on both traditional and contemporary accounts in order to critically analyse the ability of criminology to account for the gendered nature of crime; 2. Compare and contrast the gendered experiences of those within the CJS (offenders, victims, workers etc.); 3. Critically appreciate the highly differentiated and complex patterns of equality/inequality within the study of crime and the workings of the criminal justice system. Essential resources that MUST be used throughout the assignment: • Silvestri, M. and CrowtherDowey, C. (2016). Gender and Crime: A Human Rights Approach. London: Sage. • Davies, P (2011). Gender, Crime and Victimisation. London: Sage Publications Ltd • Heidensohn, F (2006). Gender and Justice: New Concepts and Approaches. Cullompton: Willan. A case study that can be looked at is : A study on attractiveness and sentencing gender and crime (reference source ) Essay layout/structure: PLEASE ENSURE THIS ESSAY IS CRITICAL AND FLOWS Introduction • “Within this essay…”. • •Content & Order Main Body • Define key terms and concepts – “sentence”, “gender”, “gendered”. USE ACADEMIC SOURCES! • Why is this topic important? Why should people care about this? Nature and scale of the issue, statistics on the types of sentence handed down to men and women for particular crimes – compare / contrast, highlight differences and similarities. Has it always been this way? If not, what has changed? If so, what has stayed the same? Talk about the brief history of the past and how it has changedstatics etc • Present arguments that support the statement – that sentences should take account of gender. APPLY THEORY; FEMINIST THOERY; LABELLING THOERY OR ANY THAT RELATES!! Draw on the literature – who takes this position and why? Do they apply this only to women or do they also include men? Is gender the only social division we should take account of? INTERSECTIONALITY! International examples. Give examples of reallife cases. • Present arguments that refute the statement – that sentences should not take account of gender. Draw on the literature – who takes this position and why? How do other social divisions come into these arguments? INTERSECTIONALITY! International examples. Give examples of reallife cases. Talk about globalisation look at other countries and see what they are doing for sentences when it comes to men and women and compare it to the UK. For example look at masculinity.
Conclusion • Address the statement in the question! Should sentences handed down to men and women take account of their gender? Yes, no or it depends on particular things – explain why you take this position. • What do you think will happen in the future? Will current sentencing practices continue? Will they change? If so why, if not, why not?