This volume takes stock of contemporary perspectives on gender and crime. In 1975, Freda Adler published her pathbreaking book, Sisters in Crime: The Rise of the New Female Criminal. She made the bold claim that changes in American society—including changing attitudes and opportunities—would allow for greater participation of women in criminal enterprises.
Beyond her substantive thesis, which turned out to be partially accurate, Adler opened up a vibrant new area within criminology: the study of gender and crime. Now nearly a half‑century later, the field of criminology is replete with women scholars who are making plentiful and important contributions. As a result, this volume explores cutting‑edge issues. Part I starts by laying out a theoretical foundation, focusing on the origins of theories of female criminality, and then providing an overview of more contemporary perspectives. Part II explores the role of race in shaping women’s criminality, drawing on the novel approaches of “Black Criminology” and the study of intersectionality. Part III gives attention to issues that heretofore were male‑centric, illuminating female desistance from crime, the effects of peer groups, and gender differences in attitudes toward criminal justice policies. Finally, Part IV considers the explanation of three important realms of criminality—risky lifestyles, white‑collar crime, and terrorism.
This volume will be of interest to a wide range of criminologists and is an ideal choice for use in graduate seminars and upper‑level undergraduate courses.
Part I. Theoretical Foundations 1. The Invention of Feminist Criminology: Foundational Perspectives 2. Current Perspectives on Female Offending 3. Masculinities and Crime 4. Moving Beyond Binary Sex: Understanding the Victimization and Offending Patterns of LGBTQ+ People in the United States Part II. Race and Gender 5. Black Criminology and Female Offending Part III. Life-Course Perspectives 6. Women and Social Bonds During the Desistance Process 7. Gender, Narrative Identity, and Desistance 8. Gender, Peers, and Delinquency 9. Attitudes Toward Criminal Justice Policies: Further Evidence Against the “Gender Gap” Part IV. Three Realms of Criminality 10. Risky Lifestyles and Girls’ Involvement in Crime 11. Gender and White-Collar Crime 12. Women’s Involvement in Terrorist Organizations
Sandra L. Browning is an Associate Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati. Leah C. Butler is an Assistant Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati. Cheryl Lero Jonson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Xavier University.
