Friday, December 27, 2019

The Treatment of Women Murderers Essay Example Pdf - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 3149 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Law Essay Type Critical essay Tags: Women Essay Did you like this example? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Female defendants are processed within the criminal justice system in accordance with the crimes which they committed and the extent to which the commission of the act and its nature deviate from appropriate female behaviourà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Susan Edwards, Women on Trial (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1984) p.213. Critically discuss the above statement, with particular reference to women who kill. It is abundantly clear that there is a contrast in the way the criminal justice system treats male and female defendants. Great importance is placed on the extent to which the female perpetrators act deviates from what is considered à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"appropriate female behaviour.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ The same cannot be said for men, when a male commits homicide there is no generic gendered stereotype that causes this crime to be surprising for the prosecution, or that provides the male with an exclusive list of qualities which he is presumed to p ossess. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Treatment of Women Murderers Essay Example Pdf" essay for you Create order Considering women as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“perpetrators of violence is a relatively rare phenomenon,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [1] whereas when a man commits a crime one could suggest that the act is taken prima facie by the court and is not engulfed by a deeper context and a requirement for further explanation, as is the case with women, especially those who kill. It is due to this apparent need by the criminal justice system to delve further into the reasoning behind an act of homicide committed by a female, that I aim to explore the fact that the extent to which a female deviates from the gender appropriate stereotype affects the way she is processed within the criminal justice system. Recent statistics show that the number of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“women in prison or on parole has increased threefold.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [2]It has been proposed that the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“increase in female offending seen in recent years is attributable to women adopting more masculine traits and behaviours.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [3]T here is an ample amount of evidence that masculinity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“is a salient aspect of the criminal stereotype.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [4]However, I believe that the traditional female stereotype is a somewhat archaic notion as societal progression has engendered equality for women. Traditionally there was a clear archetype of what a woman should be and how she should act. Hilaire Barnett stated that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“women are the bearers of children, the nurturers of children, the homemakers and (unpaid) home keepers.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [5] One could question whether this is entirely relevant in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s society; women are now more self sufficient and independent from men and many choose to pursue a career before having a family. Thus, I pose the idea that this equality should be carried through to the courtroom. Although the feminist movement has been successful in creating equal perceptions of women and men, it is clear that this equality has not fully transgressed into the court room. It is apparent that in order for a woman to benefit from a more lenient sentence they must adhere to gender appropriate behaviour. Sharon Hays stated that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“motherhood is the ultimate fulfilment of a woman; it is a natural and necessary experience for all women.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [6] The fact that women are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"supposedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ to have a caring and nurturing persona makes it all the more shocking within the criminal justice system when they commit a crime, especially murder. Whereas a man is sentenced based on the act itself, it appears that a woman is sentenced based on the extent to which her act deviates from what is deemed appropriate for a female, almost as if the womanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s character and her conformity to appropriate feminine behaviour is on trial rather than her criminal actions. One could view it as rather arbitrary that women who fit the gendered ideal a treated more leniently than those who do not. This is promin ent in the cases of Ana Cardona and Maria Perez. These women did not fit the typical female stereotype and the prosecution highlighted this. During the sentencing of Maria Perez, the prosecution à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“attempted to defeminise her by highlighting her lesbian sexual orientation, portraying her dress and demeanour as manly.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [7] Ana Cardona was also perceived as having a more masculine appearance, it is clear that a womanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s correspondence with feminine traits plays an important role in the prosecution and judgement of their guilt. The discrepancy in the way female defendants are processed within the criminal justice system as opposed to men can be observed by looking at the judges sentencing remarks in the case of R v Philpott, Mairead Philpott and Paul Moseley.[8] Upon reading the judgment of Michael Philpott in comparison with his wife Mairead Philpott it is clear that the judges have varying focuses whilst sentencing the male and female defe ndants. During the sentencing of Michael Philpott the judges focused on his à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“callous selfishnessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [9] of the crime itself and labelled him a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“disturbingly dangerous man.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [10] Whereas upon delivering the judgment to Mairead the judges concentrated on her role as a mother and how she could possibly put her children through the traumatic ordeal and how frightened the children must have been. Traditionally and stereotypically a women should be seen as a homemaker and loving and doting mother who places her children above anything, the prosecution placed emphasis on Maireadà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s deviation from the gendered ideal by stating à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“you put Michael Philpott above your children and as a result they have died.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [11]These sentencing remarks depict the stark difference in how men and women are assumed to act. Although the crimes were the same from the two defendants a further emphasis of guilt was place d on Mairead due to her apparent failure as a mother. As aforementioned, the extent to which a female defendant deviates from what is believed to be appropriate female behaviour plays an important role in the prosecution. This can be observed through scrutiny of legal discourse within the courtroom which undoubtedly à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“participates in this construction of sexual difference, producing fixed notions of the sexed body.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [12] It is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“evident that the dialogue in the trial of Rose West maintained the distinction of male and female by problematising atypical female behaviour.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [13] Although West committed the crimes in conjunction with her husband, more focus was placed on her deviant sexuality throughout the hearing. Siobhan Weare depicts that the judge drew seemingly irrelevant attention to the fact that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“she possessed a collection of dildos, rubber underwear and pornographic videosà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Weare states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“this collection of sex toys was depicted as solely belonging to Rose, despite the fact that it could have just as easily belonged to both her and her husband.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [14] This information had little legal relevance and the fact the judges placed emphasis on the matter shows that the prosecution wanted to accentuate her sexual depravity, in a way that they did not with Fred. The court drew attention to the ways Rose strayed from what is traditionally à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"acceptableà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ for a woman such as her sexual depravity and perversion, instead of purely focusing on the horrific crimes she executed. Even though an aim for sexual equality is at the forefront of society, this does not appear to be the case within the courtroom. From a feminist perspective, one could suggest that the defendants should have been tried in accordance with their crimes and without the further focus on Roseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s sexual endeavours rather than Fredà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢ „ ¢s purely due to her gender. Women who kill after suffering from domestic violence, namely battered women are of particular relevance when exploring how women are treated in the criminal justice system. It has been suggested that battered women are more readily allowed such a defence if they are seen to be adhering to the female stereotype and feminine traits of helplessness and coercion. Battered Woman Syndrome (BWS) was developed to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“help establish the reasonableness of homicide by battered women.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [15]One could propose that women are not treated in accordance with the crimes they commit as if they meet the female stereotype; this gendered ideal could allow them a more lenient sentence. If a women is claiming to have killed due to suffering from domestic abuse , it would be entirely in her favour if she lives up to the traditional female stereotype in order to be granted the defence of BWS. Kathleen Ferraro stated that a woman possessing à ¢Ã¢â€ š ¬Ã…“assertiveness, strength and an outgoing personality are inconsistent with being a battered woman.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [16] After the Coroners and Justice Act 2009[17] women who use à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“evidence of BWS to support a plea of diminished responsibility will be labelled as mad.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [18] Equality within the court room could be seen as finally blooming due to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"loss of controlà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ being implemented as a new partial defence to murder. Traditionally women were only seen as victims of crime and not perpetrators, thus were rarely sentenced in accordance with the crimes they committed as it was believed that the crime must be the result of a mental issue. However, now the idea exists that women can be perpetrators because they are victims. Those women who show no signs of being a victim within their crime are deemed to be extremely far from the female stereotype and thus are sentenced more harshly. If a woman presents themselves as sufficiently à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"batteredà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ in court, they are conforming to the feminine ideal of helplessness and that of a victim. It seems rather unjust that in order for a woman to stand a higher chance of being granted the defence of BWS they must fit certain aesthetic and personality criteria. A woman may not naturally fit this ideal but still be a victim of domestic violence who was pushed into committing homicide. Ideally all crimes would be taken based on the actual act; unfortunately this is not case. This is a key difference in the extent to which men and women are sentenced in accordance to their crimes. The Infanticide Act 1938[19] was the result of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“a policy decision to promote leniency for women who kill their own children.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [20]As predominant focus when sentencing women is the mental side of the crime, infanticide allows women a defence to the murder of a child due to lack of mental reasoning rather than focusing on the act she actually committed. If a man was to kill a child the same would not be an option. I fully appreciate that there exists a clinically diagnosed mental issue of puerperal psychosis where a woman kills a child. However, many women are able to claim this defence when it is not fully proven that they are suffering from any form of medically diagnosed psychosis. In giving the label of victim to female killers denies their agency à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“by portraying them as so profoundly victimised that is difficult to regard them as ever having engaged in an intentional act in their lives.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [21] Thus, one could argue that the focus on a womanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mental capacity allows for them to be treated more leniently within the criminal justice system as opposed to men, who are punished in accordance with the crime they commit without any need to find further explanation. The defences of BWS and Infanticide annotate women as victims or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"madà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. There is an overemphasis on the mental reasoning of women who commit crime. A woman is painted more as a victim of external influences that caused her to commit a crime rather than a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"cold blooded killerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. A further explanation as to the reasons women commit crimes is sought. Justice Minister Helen Grant stated that women within the prison populations are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“more likely to have been abused as children.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [22] Traditional criminological theory à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“historically tended to view women as driven to crime because of biological influences, whereas men were viewed as turning to crime due to economic or sociological forces.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  [23] This insistence on delivering excuses for women who commit crimes and especially women who kill, so long as they meet the female stereotype denies women from being solely sentenced in accordance with the crime they committed in the same way that male perpetrators are. Females who commit homicide are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“described with respect to personality style and behaviour patterns.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [24]However, in the society in which we live one could suggest that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“men and women are equally likely to suffer from complex mental issues.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [25]The Freudian notion that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“men are rationalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [26] and that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“women are driven by their biological constitutionsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [27] is obviously outdated. Evidence suggests that legally this is not as willingly acknowledged as defences relating to mental issues are more associated with women. In the 21st century men and women are deemed more or less equally in mental and physical capabilities, a higher level of equality exists within the work place and within relationships than ever before. Thus, I believe that the criminal justice system is perhaps a little backward in its placement of women in respect to them committing crimes; one could propose that it is almost obsolet e to suggest that women cannot be the perpetrators of crime. Women are leaving the antiquated notion and definition of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"femininityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ behind, such as that of a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"homemakerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"nurturerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. However, the way women are treated by the criminal justice system is discrepant to how the rest of society views them. It is an inarguable statistical truth that more men commit crimes than women, yet it is clear from the plethora of cases that support my argument that the court sentences women in an entirely different way than it does men, to the extent that they are not sentenced in accordance with the crime that was committed. However, are sentenced in accordance with how closely they match the traditional gendered stereotype. Helen Gavin stated that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“women who kill multiple times are guilty not just of serial murder, but of being women who step outside of the persona that society creates for them.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [28]The current system benefits those women who fit this stereotypical female persona. For those women who do not meet the desired criteria or expectations are sentenced more harshly. This à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"double devianceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ of firstly deviating from the law in committing the crime and secondly deviating from the female stereotype, could end in double jeopardy for the defendant. Within the criminal justice system à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“aberrant femininity is constructed as evil.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [29]However, instead of focusing on the fact that a woman has not acted in the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"correctà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ womanly way, the focus should be shifted to ensure women are sentenced in accordance with the crime they have committed, not punished more harshly or conversely more leniently simply because they are a women. As explored, gender plays an astoundingly critical role within the criminal justice system. Instead of being sentenced in accordance wit h the perpetrated crime, one agrees with latter half of Susan Edwards statement that a woman is sentenced in regards to the extent of which her crime deviates from à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“appropriate female behaviour.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [30] During the sentencing of women who do not fit the gender stereotype focus is placed on seemingly irrelevant matters of their identity and/or sexual orientation and how this deviates from what is considered acceptable of a woman. If the prosecution successfully portray a woman as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“an à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"anti motherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, as sexually predatory, or as domineering is unlikely to receive mercy, only the wrath of the criminal justice system.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ [31] One suggests a lack of absurdity in proposing that women are just as capable of committing homicide as men. Throughout sentencing a womanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mental state is discussed to a much higher extent than mens, describing women as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"neuroticà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"madà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ for committing crimes is old-fashioned, the equality that women enjoy in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s society should transpire into the courtroom, thus ensuring they are sentenced in accordance with their crimes. Word Count: 2,500 Bibliography: Demody Leonard E. (2002) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Convicted Survivors: the Imprisonment of Battered Women Who Killà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Net Library p.9 Winter J. (2002) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The Truth Will Out? The Role of Judicial Advocacy and Gender in Verdict Constructionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Social and Legal Studies p. 358 Gavin H. (2013) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Evil or Insane? The Female Serial Killer and her Doubly Deviant Femininityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ University of Huddersfield Repository p. 13 Belknapp J. (2006) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The invisible Woman: Gender Crime and Justiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Wadsworth Publishing Co Inc p. 26 Cole K. E. (1968) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Women Who Kill, A Sociopsychological Studyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Arch Gen Psychiatry p. 1 Weare S. (2013) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Madà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Badà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Victimà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ : Gendered Constructions of Women Who Kill Within the Criminal Justice Systemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Laws p. 338 Oggle R and Maier à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"Katkin D. (1993) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"A Rationale for Infanticide Lawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Criminal Law Review p. 903 Ward C, Flowe H and Humphries J. (2012) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The Effects of Masculinity and Suspect Gender on Perceptions of Guiltà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Applied Cognitive Psychology p. 482 Barnett H. (1998) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Introduction to Feminist Jurisprudenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Cavendish Publishing Limited p. 43 Chesney-Lind M and Pasko L J. (2004) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The Female Offender: Girls, Women and Crimeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Sage Publications p. 139 Edwards S. (1984) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Women on Trialà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Manchester University Press p. 213 We bsites: Fogg A. (2013) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Yes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Reduce Prison Sentences But Not Just For Womenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/26/prison-changes-women Date accessed 3rd January 2015 R v Philpott, Philpott and Moseley, Sentencing Remarks, https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/JCO/Documents/Judgments/r-v-philpott-philpott-and-mosley-sentencing-remarks.pdf Date accessed 2nd January 2015 [1] Siobhan Weare, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å" à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Madà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Badà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Victimà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ : Gendered Constructions of Women Who Kill Within the Criminal Justice Systemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (2013) Laws 340 [2] Meda Chesney-Lind and Lisa J Pasko, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The Female Offender: Girls, Women and Crimeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (2004) Sage Publications 139 [3] Charlotte Ward, Heather Flowe and Joyce Humphries, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The Effects of Masculinity and Suspect Gender on Perceptions of Guiltà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (2012) Applied Cognitive Psychology 482 [4] ibid. [5] Hilaire Barnett, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Introduction to Feminist Jurisprudenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (1998)Cavendish Publishing Limited 43 [6] Sharon Hays 1996 [7] Charlotte Ward, Heather Flowe and Joyce Humphries, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The Effects of Masculinity and Suspect Gender on Perceptions of Guiltà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (2012) Applied Cognitive Psychology 482 [ 8] R v Philpott, Mairead Philpott and Paul Moseley [2013] EWHC 773 [9] R v Philpott, Mairead Philpott and Paul Moseley, Sentencing Remarks, https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/JCO/Documents/Judgments/r-v-philpott-philpott-and-mosley-sentencing-remarks.pdf accessed 2nd January 2015 [10] ibid. [11] ibid. [12] Jo Winter, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The Truth Will Out? The Role of Judicial Advocacy and Gender in Verdict Constructionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (2002) Social and Legal Studies 354 [13]ibid at 355 [14] Siobhan Weare, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Madà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Badà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Victimà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ : Gendered Constructions of Women Who Kill Within the Criminal Justice Systemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (2013) Laws 348 [15] ibid at 338 [16] ibid. [17] Coroners and Justice Act 2009 [18] Siobhan Weare, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å" à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Madà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Badà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Th e Victimà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ : Gendered Constructions of Women Who Kill Within the Criminal Justice Systemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (2013) Laws 339 [19] Infanticide Act 1938 [20] Robbin Oggle and Daniel Maier à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å"Katkin, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"A Rationale for Infanticide Lawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (1993) Criminal Law Review 903 [21] Siobhan Weare, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å" à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Madà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Badà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The Victimà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ : Gendered Constructions of Women Who Kill Within the Criminal Justice Systemà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (2013) Laws 338 [22]Ally Fogg, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Yes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Reduce Prison Sentencing, But Not Just For Womenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (2013) https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/26/prison-changes-women accessed 3rd January 2015 [23] Joanne Belknapp, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The invisible Woman: Gender Crime and Justiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (2006) Wadsworth Publishing Co Inc 26 [24] K.E. Cole, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Women Who Kill, A Sociopsychological Studyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (1968) Arch Gen Psychiatry 1 [25] Ally Fogg, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Yes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Reduce Prison Sentencing, But Not Just For Womenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (2013) https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/26/prison-changes-women accessed 3rd January 2015 [26] Joanne Belknapp, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The invisible Woman: Gender Crime and Justiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (2006) Wadsworth Publishing Co Inc 26 [27] ibid. [28] Helen Gavin, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Evil or Insane? The Female Serial Killer and her Doubly Deviant Femininityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (2013) University of Huddersfield Repository 13 [29] ibid. [30] Susan Edwards, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Women on Trialà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (1984) Manchester University Press 213 [31] Jo Winter, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The Truth Will Out? The Role of Judicial Advocacy and Gender in Verdict Constructionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ (2002) Social and Legal Studies 358

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Medea As A Feminist Hero - 1378 Words

In Euripides, Medea is portrayed as a feminist hero. In a society where men are clearly the dominant figure, Medea stood her ground and allowed no man to change her views. The society stereotype where men are the more powerful, dominant gender was definitely prevalent and recognized in Ancient Greece at the time. Women living in this society were discriminated against daily and were looked at as less important. Medea was a play meant to show the unequal treatment of women in Greek society during the time. Medea is portrayed as a bad seed in the play; she also shows some â€Å"male characteristics† throughout the play. She decisive with her decisions and strong minded, which are portrayed as male characteristics, but at the same time she is also emotional like a woman is said to be. In the Ancient Greece society that Medea takes place in, men are favored over women. There is a clear sign of inequality between them and this inequality makes life for women very difficult. Women in this society weren’t allowed to vote, have jobs or do things that were considered manly. Society was restricting women to be dependent of men in every way possible. A strong, independent woman at the time was seen as a disgrace and going against the laws/orders of the state. Women would have to fight for their rights to be considered equal. Women were almost treated like puppets in a way, where they cannot make decisions for themselves, by themselves. Their sole purpose in life was to accompany their maleShow MoreRelatedFeminist Theory : The Beginnings Of Feminism1571 Words   |  7 Pages The Beginnings of Feminism â€Å"Feminist theory is an attempt to bring in views from the movement and other female experiences along with research and data information to create new ways to putting an end to female oppression (Kolmar and Bartkowski 12).† Women of all time periods use feminist theory to collaborate together on their real life experiences to come up with ways to make women apart of everyday life. Throughout the different time periods, women have gained more and more power into societyRead MoreHow Modern Versions Of Medea ( Euripides ) And Antigone ( Sophocles )1246 Words   |  5 Pagesand traitors. Even so many female playwrights recreate these plays today in a modern light to establish a prevailing production. Throughout this essay I will discuss how modern versions of Medea (Euripides) and Antigone (Sophocles) challenge ancient Greek gender stereotypes in order to make a powerful feminist statement about contemporary society. Ancient Athenian society was objectively male dominated. Men associated themselves with other men and women had no place in their business. A women wasRead MoreEuripides Medea As A Play By A Feminist Tragedian917 Words   |  4 PagesClaimed to be a play by a feminist tragedian, Euripides’ Medea is ultimately strife with themes of otherness and penultimately, stereotypical ancient Greek gender notions. Medea, who is from Colchis, an island considered to be barbarous by the Greeks, falls in love with the Greek hero, Jason of the Argonauts. Together they adventured, creating enemies. After settling in Corinth with their sons, Jason accepts a proposal from Creon, the king of Corinth, to marry his daughter, Glauce, â€Å"as marriage isRead MoreCompare/Contrast the Treatment of Femininity in Pygmalion and Medea1437 Words   |  6 PagesHistorically, the treatment of femininity in literature is wide ranging. Some texts explore the feelings and responsibilities involved with typ ically feminine traits such as motherhood and in social environments, while others highlight more feminist issues such as the struggle for equality and male oppression. Authors of both sexes have made major contributions to this area in literature but it remains surprising that male writers have been able to perceptively portray women above their previouslyRead MoreMedea Plot Analysis1392 Words   |  6 PagesMedea is an ancient Greek tragedy play written by Euripides. The play bases itself on the ancient myth of Jason and Medea. The plays plot centers itself on the actions of Medea who was the Barbarians former prince who seeks revenge against Jason who betrayed her with another woman. Considered as one the best work produced by Euripides, the play has earned the writer several awards including the Dionysian festival awards in 431BCE (Williamson 1) Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to discussRead More Euripides was accused by his contempories of being a woman hater. Why1711 Words   |  7 Pagesthey were not even considered citizens of their region. This is obvious in the chorus where in the Electra, Medea and Hippolytus there is a chorus of women. This was unheard of in the time when the plays were written. A chorus is typically made up of wise men of Athens, therefore making it up of women would in that age, be very controversial. In Medea the chorus side with her and Medea makes the chorus swear to silence. Therefore she can confide in them without having to put a face on. TheRead MoreWomen Within The Grecian Culture1316 Words   |  6 Pagespassive sex, confined to housework and almost never educated. It is interesting therefore that the characters that have emerged at the exposure of the phallic philosophical pen still remain as an ally to the feminist movement and are relevant to our way of thinking today, acting as feminist pioneers both in theory and literature, helping the canon evolve years after being written. At a time where scientific understanding and technological advancement was limited women often appeared in the role ofRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Medea And Nora2328 Words   |  10 Pageswriting. Often the male is seen as the hero in tragedies, with strength being seen as a masculine trait and weakness as a feminine trait. However, Helene P. Foley argues that â€Å"although many female characters in tragedy do not violate popular norms for female behaviour, those who take action, and especially those who speak and act publicly and in their own interest, represent the greatest and most puzzling deviation from the cultural norm†, thus highlighting both Medea and Nora as deviants from the socialRead MoreGender Roles Are Indicators Of A Society Is Structured, Based On The Expectations Of Men And Women Essay1767 Words   |  8 Pagesso is treated as being an unsettling other The unsettling nature of these characters to Ancient Greek audiences defines them, making the choice of characterizing these women in such a manner all the more deliberate as is the case in works such as Medea, Agamemnon and Lysistrata. All of these works involve a female protagonist whose actions are treated as abhorrent within the work simply because they chose to take control for themselves. In contrast, male characters are not met with the same responseRead MoreQuestions On Ancient Greek Theatre1413 Words   |  6 Pages At that time, tragedy and comedy are two different styles of play, and no one can combine bot h features at same time in the ancient Greek theatre. Medea is part of the three ancient Greek tragedy. The opera tells the story of the heroic age in ancient times. Hero Jason had stolen the Golden Fleece and abandoned his wife and children. The Medea was placed in the ancient of Greek theatre evolution. Question 2 When Julie Taymor was only 15 years old, she went to India and Sir Lanka for

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Microeconomics Perfect competition

Question: Discuss about the Microeconomics Perfect competition. Answer: Profit maximization under perfect competition As per the concept of microeconomics, in order to maximize the profitability under the perfect competition, the apple-manufacturing firm requires to set the price level where marginal revenue is equivalent to the marginal cost. MR is the slope of the marginal revenue curve and this is equivalent to the price level and the demand curve. Under short run, the apple-manufacturing firm would be possible to make economic profits, which would be equal to positive, negative or zero. In this context, it can be mentioned that if the price level is higher than the average total cost, then the firm would incur loss within the industry. Figure 1: Perfect competition under perfect competition (Source: Created by author) From the above figure, it can be mentioned that under short run, the apple-manufacturing firm would make profit where price level such as P is higher than the average cost that is C. Therefore, this is the point which is assumed as the optimal level in case of pick up apples. In addition, it can be mentioned that the area PCBA denotes the supernormal profit and area COQB denotes the area of normal profitability. On the other hand, Koschker and Most (2016) added that under long run, the apple manufacturing firm would make normal profits. Therefore, the supply curve would be shifted to right and the equilibrium price would be decreased. As a result, the economic profitability would be decreased until it becomes zero. As per the statement of Makowski (2014), if there arise any inefficiency within the perfectly competitive market, then the government requires to intervene. Government tries to mitigate the inequalities by imposing taxation or by providing subsidies. As a result, the market will be perfectly allocated. References Koschker, S. and Mst, D., 2016. Perfect competition vs. strategic behaviour models to derive electricity prices and the influence of renewables on market power.OR spectrum,38(3), pp.661-686. Makowski, L., 2014. Perfect Competition, the Profit Criterion, and the Organiza-tion of Economic Activity.Journal of Economic Theory,22, pp.105-25.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Media Analysis of the Shawshank Redemption free essay sample

Media Analysis of The Shawshank Redemption Craig Moody ENC 1101 Composition I July 20, 2011 James Slama Andy Dufresne is an innocent man that is sent to prison for murder that he did not commit. There is a lot of innocent people in are prison system. For example, George A. Souliotes is convicted of setting a 1997 fire that killed a woman and her two children. George is currently serving life in prison because evidence showed that the substance on his shoes were the same as the substance that started the fire. Years later when a scientist reevaluated the substance on George’s shoe it was a chemical, but it was not the substance found at the scene (Los Angeles Times,  September 21, 2010). In the movie Andy was convicted and sent to prison for the murder of his wife and her lover. The evidence that was reviewed at Andy’s Trial was circumstantial evidence. Andy is sentenced to two life sentences at Shawshank state penitentiary in Maine. We will write a custom essay sample on Media Analysis of the Shawshank Redemption or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Which is ran by the Warden Samuel Norton. Andy makes friends with Red an inmate that is doing a life sentence that gets rejected four times. Red is known as a guy that can get things. When Andy is sent to prison Red had already served two life stretches for his crime. In 1965 an inmate name Tommy Williams joins Andy and Red’s circle of friends in prison. While Andy is helping Tommy get his GED Tommy starts telling Andy about another inmate named Elmo Blatch at another prison had committed the exact same crime. Tommy could help prove that Andy is innocent. When the warden finds this out the warden has Tommy killed? Because the warden did not want to lose the prisons tax accountant which was Andy. If the warden did not have Tommy killed then Andy’s appeal would set Andy free because of new evidence. Andy then escapes from prison in 1966 by using a rock hammer tunneling through the wall and swimming through the sewer to his freedom. When Andy escapes from prison Red will have served 40 years of his life. After Red gets his parole he is allocated to an apartment where Red breaks his parole. Red travels to Mexico where he meets with Andy on a beach where Andy is working on a boat. Even though Shawshank is a movie the stuff in the movie happens in real life. Everyday people are imprisoned under faulty evidence. The reasons for faulty evidence are technological disadvantages, carelessness of the justice system and the corruptness of the justice system. There is really no solution for the technological disadvantages because technology is and will be dynamic. The only solution to the carelessness and the corruptness of the justice system is to change the justice system somehow. or faulty eveidence are tuff in the movie happens in real life. te. tme. at can get things. uel Norton. Andy makes fr References Los Angles Times. (September 21, 2010). Man sentenced to life in prison will get to argue his innocence. Retrieved from http://www. truthinjustice. org/imprisoned. htm Marvin, N. (Producer). (1994). The Shawshank Redemption