Feminist Theory
Meda Chesney-Lind and others have taken the position that
the contributions of Freda Adler and Rita Simon, discussed
earlier in this chapter, do not constitute a sufficient explanation of female criminality, which requires the rethinking
of criminological theory. Chesney-Lind and Kathleen Daly
describe the latter as “a product of white, economically
privileged men’s experiences.”211They do not consider the
contributions of Adler and Simon to constitute feminist
theory, and Chesney-Lind refers to those works as “flawed
theory building” that has been, for the most part, discredited by other researchers.212
Feminist scholars are not clear on what constitutes feminist theory in criminology, but a definition is necessary.
Jeanne Flavin and Amy Desautels define feminismand feminist theory as based on “diverse perspectives that focus on
women’s interests, are overtly political, and strive to present a new vision of equality and social justice.”213
Feminist scholars do, however, agree that contributions
to the development of feminist theory may be made by male
as well as by female scholars and that the focus on female
crime alone is not sufficient to qualify. The trend today is
toward looking at the dominance of men over women (the
patriarchal society) and the impact that has on crimes by and
against women. This focus on the power of one gender over
the other is similar to the focus on the power of one group