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Topic: criminal woman
Cesare Lombroso is considered to be among the first people to try and scientifically prove that crime and a criminal can be studied and analysed scientifically. He wrote a book, co-authored by Guglielmo Ferrero, known as the criminal woman; it tried to explain the criminal mind and the born criminal. In the text below we will try and illustrate and explain some of Lombroso’s work by answering the question:
What are some of the main ideas of his school about sexual difference and women?
Lombroso is a criminal anthropologist who wrote a book that centred itself on studying the female gender. He greatly tried to explain what leads women to behave and react to things as they do. Women are a different species from men and are quite different from how man views her.
2) The book la Donna diliquente “the criminal woman” was written and published in the year 1893 in the country of Italy Europe. In the original book Lombroso tried to describe women, it showed all that a female criminal would do which included prostitution and lesbianism.
3) Charles Darwin, a famous archaeologist who wrote the book ”origin of man” also tries to explain the sexual differences between men and women and also tries to explain more about women sexuality. According to him and Hunter, women have a need to be courted and often try to flee from the male who have a stronger sexual desire than females. This is explained by the great difference in the structure of the female ovum and the sperm. Evolution diminishes sexual sensitivity in women.
Women according to Lombroso are less sexually sensitive as compared to the male species which in the human setting are men (Lombroso, 1893). Women have less sexual pains and physical torture in the absence of sex compared to men. A woman is more likely to have her sexual desire die out faster if not reignited and also they require more sexual stimulus so as to give in to sex. If seduction is not present a woman is usually emotionless and feels almost nothing during intercourse. This explains the difference in women compared to men toward sexuality.
Maternity in women raises two distinct instincts which include both compassion (love) and cruelty. Women and most mothers lose their sexual desire during pregnancy. But antonymous to the previous concept, women also get sexual y aroused during pregnancy. Compassion on the other hand comes from maternity. Women are the weaker sex when it comes to compassion and they display love for the weak ones as it provides sentimental reference to their infant; motherly instinct.
The question of will and power in women can be answered the fact that women are considered to be very emotional. They are very wilful but lack the necessary power to implement their will. Generally men posses more power as compared to women.
Women have greater impulsivity to emotions especially compassion, this makes them weak and unable to eliminate but be cruel to their offenders. They have lesser degree of control over anger and situations that make them upset. These factors make them emotionally unstable. As evolution progresses cruelty slowly changes to pity. Due to compassion women are found to be mediators between morality and justice. Women would sympathise with wrongdoers.
Christianity brought about the beginning of pity in women. Christianity did not bring about women’ compassion but helped in its manifestation. Education on the other hand brought or lead to civilization and it gave more reasoning to compassion. This influenced women emotional stability (Lombroso , 1893).
Moral sensitivity is weaker in women as compared to men. Women suffer more than women, they are able to endure it all; due to their organic nature. But their will power is cut short by the lack of enthusiasm. They are dull when it comes to pain according to Darwin.
Women intelligent power is low as compared to men especially when it comes to creativity. This is attributed to less exposure to the environment, lack of opportunity for intellectual labour and lack of creativity power. Women grow weaker as evolution continues men become stronger. Women grow more dependent for survival.
Some of the criminal tendencies of women include prostitution, lesbianism. Due to their nature this are some of the criminal components of women. Which he clearly described to be crimes and his influence led to constraints being set on prostitution
Lombroso was widely dismissed for the contents of his book and has been deemed to be ridiculous. For his work though he was invited to address on various issues including politics and socials talks. He took part in talks that included more than just talks on law and crime. He addressed other issues such as foreign policy. Most of his followers were politicians and ministers from the parliament. Some of the consequences of his work were the fact that it made prostitution seem like a bad thing and led to the imposing of tight laws towards it. Prostitutes had to register with the local police and undergo check-up. His influence was contrary to the development of organisations that supported women. Thus he was against feminism.
Lombroso, C., & Ferrero, G. (1893). The Female Offender. rome: Wm. S. Hein Publishing.