Choice within constraint: An explanation of crime at the intersections
| Date | 01 February 2017 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1362480616677494 |
| Published date | 01 February 2017 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
https://doi.org/10.1177/1362480616677494
Theoretical Criminology
2017, Vol. 21(1) 11 –22
© The Author(s) 2016
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DOI: 10.1177/1362480616677494
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Choice within constraint: An
explanation of crime at the
intersections
Stacy De Coster
North Carolina State University, USA
Karen Heimer
University of Iowa, USA
Abstract
Intersectionalities have become central to theory and research on sex, gender and
crime. Viewing crime through an intersectionalities lens allows us to move beyond
deterministic views of the relationship between social structures and offending
by emphasizing that structures of gender, race, ethnicity, class, and sexuality weave
together to create a complex tapestry of opportunities and motivations that shape
variation in crime and violence across groups and situations. In this essay, we propose
a “choice within constraint” framework that focuses on how multiple, interlocking
inequalities come together to shape micro-level interactions while also allowing room
for agency in how people choose to respond to social and structural opportunities
and constraints. More specifically, we cull insights from qualitative studies to build a
framework emphasizing how individuals’ active engagement with intersecting cultural
meanings of gender (masculinities and femininities) explain variability in decisions to
offend across and within hierarchies of sex, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, and age.
Keywords
Intersectionalities, Gendered Identities, Offending
Corresponding author:
Stacy De Coster, North Carolina State University, Box 8107, Raleigh, NC 27695-8107, USA.
Email: smcoster@ncsu.edu
677494TCR0010.1177/1362480616677494Theoretical CriminologyDe Coster and Heimer
research-article2016
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