International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

A Theoretical Comparison of Gender Role Strain and Gendered Life Course in Criminology

Background: Strain theories have long provided foundational explanations for deviant behavior, emphasizing how social structures create pressures toward nonconformity. Simultaneously, scholarship on the social construction of gender has demonstrated that gender roles, norms, and expectations fundamentally shape individuals' experiences and life trajectories. Despite shared theoretical commitments, two prominent frameworks addressing gender and crime, Gender Role Strain Paradigm and Gendered Life Course Theory have developed along largely separate scholarly tracks. Purpose: This paper compares these theoretical frameworks, examining their foundational assumptions, explanatory mechanisms, and applications to criminological inquiry. Main Comparisons: Both theories reject biological determinism and emphasize gender as socially constructed, yet they have focused on different populations: Gender Role Strain Paradigm predominantly theorizes men's experiences with masculinity and its dysfunctions, while Gendered Life Course Theory, informed by feminist criminology, centers women's pathways to crime shaped by victimization, cumulative disadvantage, and differential social control. Key Findings: This analysis demonstrates that these frameworks are fundamentally complementary. Together, they provide a more comprehensive gendered lens for understanding criminal behavior than offers independently. Implications: The authors call for theoretical integration that incorporates mechanisms from both traditions and advocate for gender-responsive policies and practices informed by understanding of distinct gendered pathways to crime. Directions for future empirical and theoretical research are proposed.