The impact of the women's movement on images of female criminals in popular magazines

This study is concerned with the images of female criminals present in popular magazines before and after the emergence of the women's movement. The examination of sociological literature revealed that discussions of female criminality were based on "assumed" beliefs concerning females rather than on empirical evidence. It was expected that these beliefs were embedded in our culture. Thus, the study undertook to determine if these beliefs were existent in the popular media also, and if so, if they were less evident after the emergence of the women's movement.

The study examined articles on female criminals from 1959 to 1977. The study was divided into two time periods: 1959-1967, a period when. the women's movement emerged, but before the movement could be expected to have any influence; and 1968-1977, a period when the women's movement began to be influential. Out of a universe of 75 articles, a stratified random sample was drawn of fifteen articles from Period I and 25 from Period II. The articles were coded for four categories: traditional characteristics; traditional-theoretical explanations; nontraditional characteristics; and nontraditional-theoretical explanations.

The data were analyzed by comparing references for each of the categories in Period I with those in Period II, to see if there were any significant difference between the two periods. The data were examined by the two time periods and by two-year intervals. Specific items in each category were also examined by two-year intervals. The author's sex and the type of crime reported on were also recorded.

The t-Test for Differences between Means and the t-Test for Differences between Proportions were used to test for significance, at a .05 level of significance for a one-tailed test.

The results showed some support for Hypothesis II which predicted that the image of female criminals subsequent to the women's movement would be more consistent with the movement. References to nontraditional explanations and characteristics showed an increase in the second period, although many of the items in the traditional-characteristics category failed to be significant. Hypothesis I, which predicted a decrease in the representation of the traditional approach in the second period, was not supported. There was an increase in Period II in the number of traditional explanations. Traditional characteristics revealed no significant change over the two periods.

The findings showed that the women's movement may be having some influence on the images of female criminals in popular magazines. The traditional viewpoint, however, was found to be still the dominant approach.