1 / 17

Social Disorganization Theory

Social Disorganization Theory. Understanding the Spatial Distribution of Crime. Why do crime rates differ from place to place within a city?. Chicago School Social Ecology Park and Burgess (1928). Studied Chicago in the early 20 th century

nysa
Download Presentation

Social Disorganization Theory

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Social Disorganization Theory

  2. Understanding the Spatial Distribution of Crime • Why do crime rates differ from place to place within a city?

  3. Chicago School Social EcologyPark and Burgess (1928) • Studied Chicago in the early 20th century • Wanted to understand the spatial distribution of social problems

  4. Chicago School Model Concentric zone model V • CBD • Zone of Transition • Working Class Zone • Residential Zone • Commuter Zone IV III II I Growing cities expand outward as people compete for good space

  5. Crime and the Chicago SchoolClifford Shaw and Henry McKay • Mapped addresses of juvenile delinquents in Chicago from 1920-50 in conjunction with other social variables, including: • Poverty • Residential mobility • Ethnic heterogeneity • Found substantial correlations

  6. Chicago School Findings • Crime was highest in zone of transition (Zone 2). where poverty, mobility, and ethnic heterogeneity also were highest • High crime persisted in Zone 2 regardless of which ethnic group lived there • Over time, ethnic groups that left Zone 2 committed less crime, ethnic groups that entered committed more crime

  7. Why did the zone of transition have the most crime? • Poverty • Ethnic heterogeneity (foreign born) • Residential mobility (in and out)

  8. Shaw and McKay’s Conclusion • Place matters • Crime was NOT due to inferior biology or ethnic pathology • Sociology is a relevant discipline

  9. The Social DisorganizationModel Structural Characteristics Poverty Residential Mobility Ethnic Heterogeneity Social Disorganization Crime Criminal Subculture

  10. What exactly is social disorganization? • Social disorganization: • Sparse local networks, weak social ties • Low organizational participation • Translates into: • Inability to solve local problems • Breakdown in surveillance • Adults less able to socialize and control youth

  11. Recent Conceptualization:Social Control thru Social Ties • Private ties– close knit - friends, family, and neighbors – avoid their disapproval • Parochial ties – less frequent - schools, churches, and voluntary associations – enhance surveillance, information flow • Public ties – ties to government agencies – shape policing methods to suit community needs, acquire other social programs

  12. How do Networks Work? • Disorganized community – few social ties X X X X X X X X X X Gov’t institutions X’s are people in a neighborhood, lines are social ties

  13. How do Networks Work? • Private social ties dominate, social control limited to immediate network members X X X X X X X X X X Gov’t institutions

  14. How do Networks Matter? • Parochial and public social ties dominate –> social controls has a wider reach X X X X X X X X X X Gov’t institutions

  15. How do Networks Matter? • Private, parochial and public social ties dominate –> maximum social control X X X X X X X X X X Gov’t institutions

  16. Criminal Justice Policy • Disorganized communities are the largest contributors to the prison population • Can removing and returning criminals from a community be bad for the community’s social organization?

  17. Implications for Crime Control Structural Characteristics Poverty Residential Mobility Ethnic Heterogeneity Social Disorganization Crime Criminal Subculture

More Related