ABSTRACT
In the last two editions of this text the fi nal chapter was solely devoted to feminist theory. This edition includes much of the same content that appeared in those earlier editions, but the chapter has been expanded to include the race-centered perspective crafted by Unnever and Gabbidon (2011). Both gender and race-centered perspectives share the philosophy that there are unique characteristics of a particular demographic (e.g. females, African Americans, Native Americans, etc.) that require theoretical perspectives solely devoted to that demographic. Scholars who created gender-based (feminist) perspectives have long argued for female-specifi c theories to explain crime among females. In recent years, Unnever and Gabbidon (2011) have made a similar argument and advanced a theory that is solely devoted to explaining African American offending. The fi rst part of the chapter examines the nature and viability of feminist perspectives that have been used to explain criminality and victimization among racial and ethnic groups.
