“Is criminology androcentric? Can general theories of crime, developed by men to explain male criminal behaviour, be applied or generalized to explain female criminality? Discuss the reasons for the disparity in crime rates between men and women.”
QUESTION 5 (DETAILED ANALYSIS) “Is criminology androcentric? Can general theories of crime, developed by men to explain male criminal behaviour, be applied or generalized to explain female criminality? Discuss the reasons for the disparity in crime rates between men and women.” 1. Meaning of “Androcentric Criminology” Androcentric means male-centered . Criminology is called androcentric because: Most theories were developed by male criminologists , Based on male criminal behaviour , Using male crime statistics , Ignoring women’s experiences and motivations. Thus, early criminology treated men as the norm and women as exceptions . Examples: Lombroso studied “born criminal” males. Merton studied strain among men in economic pressure. Sutherland studied male delinquent gangs. Women were hardly studied, so their crime patterns were misunderstood. 2. Can Male-Based Criminological Theories Explain Female Criminality? (A) Limited Application Most general theories c...