Gender Roles and Power Research Paper

Power Control Theory Definitions and Meaning

Power control theory argues that treating sons and daughters differently is what causes the difference that exists in risk perceptions among the genders and so is the cause of resulting delinquencies. The exploratory will therefore focus in situations where two parents are present and siblings are of the opposite sex (Blackwell & Mark, 2003). The focus of power control theory is how gender relations get established, maintained and perpetuated in the society. It is notable that power control theory tries to explain "common" delinquent behavior. This paper will therefore examine criminal offences committed by adults that aren't overly offensive such as income tax cheating, driving under the influence, assault and illegal gambling. These offenses are closely parallel to those used frequently in deterrence research (Blackwell, Perceived sanction threats, gender, and crime: A test and elaboration of power control theory, 2000).

Considering the various definitions that have been given by a couple of literature pieces, the meaning implied by the theory is constant. Power control theory measures and evaluates patriarchy in a couple of ways -- the first being the traditional, relational measure through the determination of power levels occupations confer to spouses, and the second being that men typically hold more power in a workforce environment.

As predicted by power control theory, various parental controls increase perceived threats of shame, embarrassment and legal sanctions among people raised in a patriarchal household. Also, direct effects of parental controls increase perceived threats of shame and legal sanctions for an individual raised in a less patriarchal household; nonetheless, there isn't a similar significant coefficient in the case of threats or embarrassment. Therefore, it's apparent that the two variables' shared variance as demonstrated in Table 1 precludes finding any significant direct effects on either of the variables. More analyses utilizing the method show that the considered variable's mediating effect on the gender-crime relationship doesn't differ substantially from the results Table 1 reports, except for one situation. In the analysis already done, it appears that, together, paternal and maternal controls don't substantially mediate between embarrassment and gender in more patriarchal households. Nonetheless, the supplemental analysis shows that one parental control variable significantly mediates between embarrassment and gender in such household type (Blackwell, Perceived sanction threats, gender, and crime: A test and elaboration of power-control theory, 2000).

Table 1: Model results (Blackwell, Perceived sanction threats, gender, and crime: A test and elaboration of power-control theory, 2000).

2. The Use and Value of Power Control Theory

i. Impact and Usefulness of the Theory

In a patriarchal family, a wife has less power relative to her husband, a daughter has less freedom relative to the son, and the daughter is less likely to be delinquent than the son. The differences aren't as profound in an egalitarian family (Hagan, Simpson, & Gillis, 1987). Power-control theory goes ahead to explain the variation in consideration of:

• Gender divisions in established domestic social controls and • The attitudes held concerning risk taking. The theory therefore accounts for declines that are power-specific as pertains to gender-delinquency relationships which may have required separated liberation and deprivation gender and delinquency theories in the past.

ii. Crime Study

The article (Blackwell & Piquero, on the relationships between gender, power control, self-control, and crime, 2005) makes an effort to bridge the gap existing between two theories attempting to explain the relationship between crime and gender. The theory mentions that the parents' power relationships in the workforce are reflected at home. Homes therefore experience varied patriarchy levels. As different families socialize differently, crimes in households also differ. One of the factors that affect all groups is the level of self-control where low self-control leads to higher rates of crimes. The results of a study into the relationship existing between self-control, gender and power…