Liberal Feminist Criminology And The Criminal Justice System

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Liberal feminist criminology is a perspective within the field that aims to understand gender-based inequalities within the criminal justice system and society, recognizing gender as a social, historical, and cultural construct. Liberal feminist criminologists critically examine the criminal justice system, questioning its narratives and motives for "failing" certain individuals and groups, particularly women, who lack access to legitimate means of achieving societal goals. This perspective emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, coinciding with increasing crime rates among women as they gained more economic opportunities and social independence from men. In the 1950s, there were seven male offenders for each female offender, but now, the ratio stands …show more content…

Conversations stemming from liberal feminist criminology often empower marginalized voices from diverse ethnic, racial, and minority backgrounds, fostering a more inclusive dialogue and understanding of different perspectives regarding the justice system and crime. It serves as a pathway for advocating institutional changes toward achieving gender equality, though policy solutions may be challenging to implement without radical social and political reforms. Critiques include concerns that radical feminist criminology may portray women solely as victims and men as perpetrators, overlooking other forms of oppression within the criminal justice system. Cultural Criminology focuses on the cultural aspects of crime, deviance, and social control, drawing on subcultural research, labeling theories, and phenomenology. These concepts shape the stereotypes of crime and the symbols and representations associated with them. Since culture encompasses collective meanings and identities, it influences individuals' actions and practices, as seen in urban areas where street art, graffiti, and neglected public spaces may foster resistance to social

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