The Chicago School Emphasis on “ecology of crime” The root of control / social learning Social Disorganization Theory

Chicago School University of Chicago Social Context Department of Sociology (but others also) Social Context Chicago as a microcosm of change in America “Individual (especially biological) explanations seemed foolish

Earnest Burgess and Robert Parks City comparable to “ecosystem” (Parks) How does a city grow and develop? Concentric Zones Industrial zone Zone in transition Residential zones

Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay Juvenile Delinquency in Urban Areas Mapped addresses of delinquents (court records) Zone in transition had stable and high delinquency rates over three decades Even through occupied by different waves of immigrants!! Therefore, not “feeble minded” immigrants or the “City” in general.

Social Disorganization What were the characteristics of the zone in transition that may cause high delinquency rates? Population Heterogeneity Transient Population Physical Decay Poverty/Inequality Why might these ecological characteristics lead to high crime rates? Shaw and McKay not clear on this point…delinquent values…lack of control?

Shaw and McKay II Why are the crime rates stable in the zone of transition? 1. Cultural Transmission of Values Roots of Sutherland’s Differential Association (micro) and Subculture of violence theories (macro) 2. Lack of Informal Social Control Roots of control theories (micro) and modern social disorganization (macro)

Social Disorganization 1960-1980 Fell out of favor in sociology Individual theories gained popularity Hirschi (1969); Burgess and Akers (1968)… Criticisms of Social Disorganization Are these neighborhoods really “disorganized?” Cannot measure “intervening variables” Cannot get neighborhood level measures “Chicago Specific”

Modern S.D. Theory Interest rekindled in the 1980s (continues today). Theory Recast as a “macro” version of informal social control Sampson and Groves (1989) Ecological characteristics social control Population turnover Street supervision Poverty / inequality Collective efficacy Divorce rates / single parents Friendship networks

Sampson and Groves British Crime Survey Data (BCS) Survey done based on neighborhood, so neighborhood measures of: Poverty, Family disruption, Residential Mobility AND Supervision of street corners, friendship networks,participation in community organizations

Sampson et al. (1997) Replicated results in Chicago In areas with “concentrated poverty,” communities lack “collective efficacy” Lack of collective efficacy increases crime rates

Sampson and Wilson Why are African Americans “trapped” in the inner city, whereas other immigrants “escaped” Barriers disrupted “natural flow” Rekindle “delinquent culture” ideas “Cognitive Landscape”

Review of Social Disorganization Macro (Ecological) Theory Explains why certain neighborhoods have high crime rates Ecological variables (population density/turnover, poverty…) influence a neighborhood’s ability to “bond” and engage in informal control.

Policy Implications? Build neighborhood “collective efficacy” How do you do this? Address ecological characteristics that ruin collective efficacy Family disruption, concentrated poverty, residential mobility

Note the “Control Theory Assumption” in S.D. Unless controlled, delinquency will fester in neighborhoods Similar to individual level control theory Different from Anomie theory