In the past, the private investigation profession was acknowledged as the man’s area of expertise, yet increasing numbers of women are pursuing the field. The war of the genders will never cease. In Sue Grafton’s book “K is for Killer”, gender conditions have an affect on the methods of investigation. To support my thesis, I apply the methods of investigation with quotations from the book supporting my argument. Before the methods of investigation can begin the detective must acquire a case, which is no easy task. Private investigators rely on their own marketing and advertising. The most common cases P.I.’s are presented with are the unsolved and/or forgotten cases left over from the justice system or suspicious wives in pursuit of catching their cheating husbands. Gender importance is prevalent from the very beginning of the book. The mother of the victim, Janice Kepler knocks on the door. “Is this Millhone Investigations?” Millhone replies “We’re closed, is there anyway you could come back tomorrow and I’ll setup an appointment for you once I check my book?” “Are you his secretary?” “I tried not to sound irritated since the mistake is not uncommon, I’m him.” (4).
The mistake is not uncommon because women are seen as outsiders to the male-dominated worlds of work and affairs. Gender stereotypes elicit the idea that women shouldn’t do certain things. The first female detective was published in 1864, which was even before any official working female police officers. Back then women were to be sheltered from the harsh realities of life, furthermore there were many jobs deemed unsuitable for women and their lady-like qualities. Evolution of women and women’s rights has come a long way, and even still detectives are thought firstly as being male. Janice apologized, “It never occurred to me you’d be a woman” (4).
The first method of investigation is gathering
In this essay, I will investigate and describe a cultural group in my desired field. I will provide details from an interview with a professional person in my field of interest. Gender inequality is still a big issue in law enforcement. Women make up a small percentage in the world of law enforcement. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, there are only thirteen percent of women working in law enforcement in the United States and only five percent are African American (Criminal Justice School Info, 2014). The New York City Police Department hired the first female officers in 1845 and they were called “matrons” (Felperin, 2004). Over twenty years of extensive research has shown that female officers possess a unique style of policing in which they rely more on their interpersonal skills rather than physical strength or force to talk a person down from a violent situation (National Center for Women & Policing, 2013).
The birth of classic detective fiction was originated just in the mid nineteenth century, and was producing its own genre. Classical detective fiction follows a set of rules called the ‘Ten commandments of detective fiction’. The genre is so popular it can bee seen by the number of sales in any good book stores. Many of these books have been created a long time ago and there is still a demand for these types of books. The popularity is still ongoing because it provides constant entertainment, and also the reader can also have a role of detective trying to solve the crime/case committed. Classical detective fiction has a formula, the detective story starts with a seemingly irresolvable mystery, typically a murder, features the astute, often unconventional detective, a wrongly accused suspect to whom the circumstantial evidence points, and concludes with a startling or unexpected solution to the mystery, during which the detective explains how he or she solved the mystery. Formula that includes certain elements such as, a closed location to keep the number of suspects down, red hearings spread around the stories to keep the reader entertained yet interacted.
Classical and contemporary theory helps to explain gendered crime patterns. The feminist school of criminology argue criminology and criminal theory is very masculine, all studies into criminal behaviour, have been developed from male statistics and tested on males. Very little research is conducted into female criminality, this may be because women who commit crime are more likely to be seen as evil or mentally ill rather than criminal, this is because women are labe...
Forensics is a scientific method of gathering and examining information about a crime. It is used in the law for figuring out when, where, and what happened at the scene of the crime. Mystery writers must use forensics when writing about crime solving. This draws in the readers because of how realistic the mystery seems. In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story “The Red-Headed League,” the author shows his perspective on justice while exemplifying his linear and detailed style, with the main character depicting the story in chronological order and the detective using deductive reasoning to solve the crime.
...r from the truth. (Kelleher p. xi) There may not be as many female serial killers as their male counterparts although 100 female serial killers have been identified since 1900. This may seem shocking to the casual reader, but what will shock them even more is the fact that many female serial killers are never identified. This is because the methods of these predators are far superior to those of their male counterpart; like most women they are deceitfully cunning. 'These highly allusive predators are meticulous in planing and disposing of any evidence that will link them to the crime '(Kelleher p. 20).
Lyman, D. Michael; Criminal Investigation, The Art and Science; 3rd edition, 2002 Prentice Hall. Pgs. 188-200.
Ricard, Suzanne, Thompson, Jennie. “Women’s Role in Serial Killing Teams: Reconstructing a Radical Feminist Perspective.” Critical Criminology 17(4): 261-275
Aside from her professional demeanor, Millhone has a causal and humorous quirkiness to her behavior, which makes her a more dynamic character. In this manner, Millhone is not totally professional, but she has a sense of humor and creative side of her personality, as well. In this way, Millhone is a far more “human” character than other female private detective, such as Honey West, which give her a more realistic and dynamic sense of humor in relation to her
For the course of weeks spent in social issues I have decided to choose my topic on Portraits of Girls in the Criminal Justice System. I believe it’s important to acknowledge that the variety of murders and crimes committed is not only done by men but woman as well commit these crimes. As generations have passed by it has been seen that gender roles have changed woman are now more involved with crimes.
“. The average policeman and police chief thought of policewomen as a fad and considered their entry into the police field an unjustified excursion into social work. They thought of punitive functions and not preventative ones as the duty of police. No real concerted opposition to policewomen arose in the United States (unlike Great Britain), but rather the attitude prevailed that women had to prove themselves good police officers which they most likely could not do.” (Horne, 1975)
Criminology as a genre is defined as the scientific study of crime, as well as its causes, law enforcement interaction, criminal behavior, and means of prevention. In its own way criminology is the history of humanity. As long as people have been on earth there has been criminal activity. Much like most other work atmospheres, it was a male dominated field. A woman seeking to work in criminology was unheard of. Men filled the jobs as police officers, lawyers, judges, and politicians. However, in the 1860s Belva Lockwood became determined to pave the way for women in criminology. As a women’s rights activist, she became one of the most influential women in criminology.
Osterburg, J. W., & Ward, R. H. (2014). Criminal investigation: A method for reconstructing the past.
The novel An Unsuitable Job For A Woman by P. D. James tells the story of Cordelia Gray, a female detective who is sent on a case to find out the reason why a renowned scientist’s son has killed himself. Through the story we see twists and turns and we uncover a shocking secret behind the murder of Mark Callender. The topics that will be discussed are the crime that occurred and how Cordelia solved the murder. Why Cordelia had covered up a second murder and what are the implications to her actions; finally, how her society, profession, and solution connect to the title given to the book. Cordelia was a true change to the way readers would look at detectives because she showed that there is so much more than
In order to more effectively investigate a case, a detective must possess certain personal characteristics. Detectives should have intellectual qualities, but great intelligence is not needed. Effective investigators obtain and retain information, apply technical knowledge, remain open-minded and objective, and use logic when attempting to solve a case. All decisions pertaining to a case should be based on facts and not be opinion based, but the results of an investigation should not be based on only one fact. Detectives rely on skills acquired by experience, study, and observation. The job requires highly-developed skills, perhaps innate abilities to collect and evaluate case facts.
Forensic investigations require skills of specially trained scientists, police, engineers, doctors and others. “These investigators observe all types of evidence, from weapons to bloodstains and from computers to bugs” (Erzinclioglu 5). The greater the evidence against a person, the greater the chance of conviction.