Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- one Mediated representations and understandings of co-offending women
- two Theoretical understandings of coercion as a pathway into crime
- three Understanding the social construction of coerced women
- four A feminist critique of representations of potentially coerced women
- five Applying the ‘continuum of coercion’: an alternative, feminist framework
- six Coerced women and criminology: looking to the future
- References
- Index
three - Understanding the social construction of coerced women
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 April 2022
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- one Mediated representations and understandings of co-offending women
- two Theoretical understandings of coercion as a pathway into crime
- three Understanding the social construction of coerced women
- four A feminist critique of representations of potentially coerced women
- five Applying the ‘continuum of coercion’: an alternative, feminist framework
- six Coerced women and criminology: looking to the future
- References
- Index
Summary
Introduction
This chapter will outline the feminist methodology deployed in the analysis of the case studies, which involved adopting a woman-centred approach to research and aims to gain a more nuanced understanding of the co-accused women's experiences and stories (Letherby, 2003). The chapter will also discuss the benefits of using a case study approach in criminological research and will critically consider the strengths and limitations of this particular method. Finally, the chapter will identify the sources of data used, that is, newspaper articles and case and court file documents, which are used as a comparative/corroborative tool, as well as discussing the feminist framework developed for analysis. The chapter will conclude with a discussion of the benefits of using a similar approach to data collection and analysis in other criminological research.
Feminist methodological approach
This book adopts a feminist methodological approach, which involves advocating a woman-centred approach to research (Letherby, 2003). A feminist methodology involves adopting a methodological position which does not ‘add’ women to research, but rather attempts to gain a more nuanced understanding of their experiences. As highlighted by Cook and Fonow (1990: 80) ‘feminist research is thus, not research about women but research for women to be used in transforming their sexist society’. With this in mind, the ways in which the co-offending women's experiences and voices have been constructed and interpreted by journalists and legal professionals is explored here, which reveals insights into the assumptions that such constructions encourage us to make about female offenders more broadly. A feminist methodological approach also considers critical reflexivity as being an integral aspect of the research process and this study recognises the significance of researcher subjectivity and positionality (Stanley and Wise, 1993; Oakley, 1992; England, 1994; Mosselson, 2010; Letherby, 2003). It is argued here that a more reflexive approach to research and acknowledging the influence of researcher positionality and emotions, arguably produces stronger objectivity within research and signals its manifest subjectivity (Harding, 1991; Barlow, 2015a).
Case study approach
A case study method is utilised, using four cases of women who have been co-accused with their male partner (accomplice/s) of committing a range of crimes. Using a case study approach allows the researcher to fully engage with the cultural contexts and lived realities of those researched (Ferrell et al, 2004).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Coercion and Women Co-offendersA Gendered Pathway into Crime, pp. 25 - 34Publisher: Bristol University PressPrint publication year: 2016