You're listening to CSS Breakdown: Book by Book — Season 2. We’re exploring ‘An Introduction to Criminological Theory’ by Roger Hopkins Burke. In this episode, we dive into feminist critiques of criminology and the gendered dimensions of crime and justice.

In Episode 11, we explore Chapter 11 of An Introduction to Criminological Theory by Roger Hopkins Burke, which brings a feminist lens to the study of crime and criminal justice.

This chapter challenges the traditional "malestream" criminology that has historically centered male experiences, often neglecting or misrepresenting female criminality.

We discuss:

♀️ The difference between biological sex and socially constructed gender, and why that matters in criminology.

📚 Various strands of feminist theory — including liberal, radical, Marxist, socialist, and Black feminism — each offering a distinct critique of how systems of oppression shape women’s experiences of crime, both as offenders and victims.

⚖️ The critique of earlier positivist theories of female offending and how feminist criminology has expanded the field to explore masculinities, power dynamics, and the gendered nature of justice systems.

Whether you're studying Criminology, Gender Studies, or Sociology for CSS, this episode helps you understand how gender influences not just who commits crime — but how crime is defined, prosecuted, and punished.