ABSTRACT
Biological theories of crime pose difficult questions for feminists, who are often deeply invested in sociological explanations of behaviour. Not only do biological theories in general hold that crime is caused (at least in some ultimate sense) by biology, but the subdivision of evolutionary psychology argues that the same evolved mental modules or genetic factors that cause crime are also deeply implicated in the sex/gender organisation of society. In their general outlines, then, and in many of their details, biological theories seem to challenge feminist hopes for equality and self-determination. They do so, moreover, by claiming the imprimatur of hard science and at times by dismissing socio-feminist explanations as misguided, unsophisticated, or both (Campbell 2006; Walsh 2002; Wright 1994). Feminists, in turn, are often dismissive about biological theories of crime, consigning them en masse to the trash heap of sexist conservatism. And yet, few if any feminists would want to dismiss Darwinism or new genetic discoveries out of hand, and many of us would like to find ways to reconcile our feminist convictions with the biological sciences.
