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

2. 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

3. Earnest Burgess How does a city growth and develop? Concentric Zones
Industrial zone
Zone in transition
Residential zones

4. Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay
Juvenile Delinquency in Urban Areas
Mapped addresses of delinquents (court records)
Zone in transition stable and high delinquency rates
Even through occupied by different waves of immigrants!!
Therefore, not “feeble minded” immigrants
Something about this area causes delinquency

5. 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. Social Disorganization
Roots of control theories (micro) and modern social disorganization (macro)

6. 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?

7. 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 variables
“Chicago Specific”

8. Modern S.D. Theory Interest rekindled in the 1980s (continues today).
Sampson and Groves (1989)
Social disorganization as a social control theory
Ecological characteristics social control
Population turnover Street supervision
Poverty / inequality Collective efficacy
Divorce rates / single parents Friendship networks

9. Sampson and Groves Brittish 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

10. Sampson (1997) Replicated results in Chicago
In areas with “concentrated poverty,” communities lack “collective efficacy”
Lack of collective efficacy increases crime rates
How cities grow not that important
Racial barriers disrupted “natural flow”
Rekindle “delinquent culture” ideas

11. Macro (Ecological) level Theory
Neighborhood level theory
Explains why certain neighborhoods have high crime rates
NOT an individual level theory
Avoid “Ecological Fallacy”

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

13. 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

14. Exam 1 Results