Abstract
The concept of gender and crime is not new within criminology, but it is the one that is beginning to garner increasing attention. Andrew Wilczak’s book, Gender, Crime, and Justice: Exploring the Dynamics, brings the conversation of gender’s influences to the forefront and asks the readers to question their own life experiences and how their gender influences them on a daily basis.
Chapter 1 (Studying Crime and Gender) not only provides a framework for the text itself, but also argues for the necessity for taking a gendered approach in criminological research. Wilczak begins the chapter by highlighting a variety of criminal cases and poses the question: how did gender affect these individuals and their experiences with the criminal justice system and the world as a whole? Following the presentation of these cases, an argument is made for researchers to take an intersectional approach to various criminal justice issues.
Chapter 2 chronicles the journey of feminism from the women’s suffrage movement through postmodern feminism. Throughout this chapter, Wilczak details how feminism has evolved from looking at inequality and gender to a more intersectional approach to narratives and social issues. The work of key theorists in second wave and postmodern feminist research, such as Chesney-Lind, Messerschmidt, and Miller, is used to highlight this transformation.
The following chapter offers a refresher on criminological theory (i.e., control, learning, social disorganization, strain, life course). While offering a brief overview of the different paradigms, Wilczak lays the groundwork for examining these theories through a gendered lens. The question posed is not whether these theories apply to both males and females but rather do males and females experience these processes in the same way?
In Chapter 4, Wilczak utilizes the life-course perspective to describe the gendered differences within the gender continuum. He argues that aging is a process that each individual faces regardless of their ethnicity, gender, or class; therefore, it is important to note how age interplays with gender. Wilczak details the biological and social changes that occur during the life course of an individual and how those changes may affect an individual’s decisions to engage in criminal or delinquent behavior.
Chapters 5 through 7 take a look at criminal justice issues such as gangs and drug abuse (Chapter 5), relationship violence (Chapter 6), and sexual violence (Chapter 7) through a gendered lens. Although these topics are not covered in depth, Wilczak focuses on how the gender norms developed by society interplay with these issues. The sections on rape and power and control dynamics within relationships are particular standouts, as the author utilizes pop culture references and commonly heard sayings and phrases to outline the impact that rape myths have within modern western society.
The text then turns away from gender and crime to focus on the interplay between gender and institutions within the criminal justice system. Starting with schools, Wilczak briefly outlines how punishment imposed by teachers may coincide with gender norms to create a self-fulfilling prophecy of delinquency. The discussion then turns toward policing, where Wilczak discusses the concept of “gender profiling” and how police officers may treat males and females differently. The final three sections of the chapter detail gender differences within courts, restorative justice, and the correctional system.
Chapter 9 transitions the text from discussing how gender affects individuals within prison to how gender affects individuals’ lives after prison. Outlined are the barriers that prevent ex-offenders from reintegrating into society and how these barriers affect men and women differently. While accepting that there is overlap between male and female reentry, Wilczak provides evidence that supports gender-specific reentry programs.
The book culminates with a chapter dedicated to intersectionality. While the major focus of the book is on the relationship between gender and the criminal justice system, Wilczak states that human beings are so much more than their gender and that race, class, and sexuality also play major roles in peoples’ lives. This chapter dedicates itself to exploring gender differences in crime and victimization when introducing other aspects of an individual’s life into the narrative.
Gender, Crime, and Justice offers an excellent introduction into the dynamics of gender and the criminal justice system as a whole. Not only does the content of the book focus on theoretical concepts as well as institutional issues, it pushes the reader to think about their life experiences and how those may differ from others around them. Peppered throughout the text, Wilczak offers questions to the reader in an attempt to get them to think about the presented concepts. These questions would be extremely helpful for both undergraduate and graduate students alike as they are introduced to these concepts.
Unfortunately, this book only scratches the surface of many of the presented topics. For example, the section regarding child abuse and molestation covers the issue itself, as well as the gender disparities in victims, but does not go into detail about how gender influences offenders’ decisions to engage in this behavior. Although this is a limitation of the text, it does not undermine its purpose. These limitations may be overcome by assigning supporting literature to students that addresses these gaps.
Although it is addressed early on in the text, this book focuses on gender primarily in the male/female dichotomy. Wilczak recognizes that gender is seen as a continuum but, due to limitations of research, is unable to present most subjects outside of the typical gender dichotomy. Although this limitation is unfortunate, the presentation of the typical female/male dichotomy may allow for more in-depth discussions within the classroom about how gender affects those that recognize elsewhere on the continuum.
Gender, Crime, and Justice: Exploring the Dynamics would make an excellent primary text for an undergraduate course, especially one tailored around gender and the life-course perspective. Wilczak develops a healthy conversation about society’s ideas of gender and how these ideas affect those involved in the criminal justice system. This text may work well as a supplemental text for a graduate course when coupled with feminist work such as Chesney-Lind and Messerschmidt.