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Social Change and Female Crime Under Communism: A Study of the USSR and Poland
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 May 2025
Abstract
The present article examines the participation of women in thre forms of crime and deviance: traditional female deviance (e.g. prostitution) conventional crime (e.g. against private property or violent crime) and non-conventional crime, specific to the organization of the economy in these countries (e.g. speculation, appropriation of state property, etc.). Using the existing statistical data and research findings, it is shown that, despite radical social change, Polish and Soviet women continue to be grossly under-represented in convictions for so-called conventional crime. Their share in convictions for nonconventional crime, however, appears to be unusually high. To understand these findings it is necessary to realize that, despite their occupational and educational liberation, women still remain both the primary socialization agents and homemakers. This double burden imposed by family and occupational roles as well as their responsibility to transmit moral and patriotic values make women less susceptible to violations of traditional ethnical codes and religion-based mores. As well as being too involved in life's responsibilities, social controls such as the Church and informal control systems monitor them too closely to allow for overt involvement in criminal life styles. Yet, unconventional economic crime presents women with new criminal opportunities, free of conventional criminal stigma and consistent with their occupational roles. Employment provides women the opportunity to engage in economic and fiscal offences which are not regulated by the traditional ethics and, therefore, do not openly conflict with their traditional role as socialization agents.
Résumé
L'article examine la criminalité féminine sous trois formes de crime et déviance: la criminalité traditionnelle féminine (ex. prostitution), la criminalité traditionnelle (ex. délits contre la propriété ou crimes violents), et la criminalité non-traditionnelle, spécifique à l'organisation de l'économie dans ces pays communistes (ex. spéculation, appropriation de la propriété de l'État, etc.). Selon les données statistiques et les résultats de recherche, les femmes polonaises et soviétiques continuent d'être exagérément sous-représentées dans les condamnations du crime soit-disant traditionnelles, malgré des changements sociaux radicaux. Cependant, leur part dans les condamnations de criminalité non-traditionnelle paraît être très élevée. Pour comprendre ces conclusions, il est nécessaire de réaliser que, malgré leur libération professionnelle et éducative, les femmes sont encore aussi bien agents primaires de socialisation que maîtresses de maison. Ce double fardeau imposé par leur rôle familial et professionnel, ainsi que leur responsabilité de transmettre des valeurs morales et patriotiques, rend les femmes moins susceptibles aux violations des codes traditionnels éthiques et religieux. En plus d'être responsables des tâches quotidiennes, les contrôles sociaux, tel que l'Église et les systèmes informels, empêchent les femmes de s'engager ouvertement dans la criminalité traditionnelle. Cependant, la criminalité économique et non-traditionnelle offre des nouvelles opportunités criminelles aux femmes, sans stigmate et compatibles avec leur rôle professionnel. L'emploi fournit aux femmes la chance de s'engager dans des délits économiques et fiscaux qui ne sont pas réglés par les éthiques traditionnelles et, par conséquent, qui ne sont pas en contradiction avec leur rôle comme agents de socialisation.
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- Copyright © 1986 International Society for Criminology
References
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