Social Disorganization Theory - Advanced Criminology - Lecture Slides, Slides of Criminology

Download Social Disorganization Theory - Advanced Criminology - Lecture Slides and more Slides Criminology in PDF only on Docsity! Social Disorganization Theory docsity.com The Feel of a Place • You are riding the subway alone in a major city that you have never been to before. After three or four stops, you realize that you are on the wrong train and are lost. You decide to get off at the next stop to ask someone for help, but only if it looks like you are in a good neighborhood – otherwise you are getting back on the train. • What cues would you use to determine whether you were in a good or bad neighborhood? What would each cue tell you about the neighborhood? docsity.com Chicago School Model Concentric zone model I. CBD II. Zone of Transition III. Working Class Zone IV. Residential Zone V. Commuter Zone I II III IV V Cities expand radially outward as people compete for good space docsity.com The Study of Crime in Chicago Shaw and McKay • Mapped addresses of delinquents 1920-50 • Findings – Crime was highest in zone of transition (Zone 2), lowest in commuter zone – High crime persisted in Zone 2 regardless of which ethnic group lived there – Groups that left Zone 2 committed less crime, groups that entered committed more crime – Same pattern for other social problems docsity.com Shaw and McKay’s Conclusion • Place matters! • Crime was NOT to due to inferior biology or ethnic pathology • The causes of crime were in the place docsity.com What exactly is social disorganization? • Social disorganization: – Sparse local networks, weak social ties – Low organizational participation – Lack of cohesion and trust among neighbors • Result: – Inability to solve problems and pursue goals – Parents less able to socialize and control youth – Breakdown in surveillance docsity.com Socialization & Social Control • The goal of socialization is to get youth to learn, accept, and live by conventional norms • In what ways do “good” neighborhoods enhance the socialization of youth? • In what ways do “bad” neighborhoods undermine the socialization of youth? docsity.com Policy Implications? docsity.com Criminal Justice Policy • Disorganized communities are the largest contributors to the prison population – Mostly due to tough drug laws • Are there downsides to incarceration policies that focus on drug crime? • Can removing criminals from a community be bad for the community? docsity.com Incarceration and Poor, Minority Communities • At least 10% of African Americans are under some kind of criminal justice control • 5-10% of African American men ages 20 to 50 are currently in jail or prison • In a single year, around 5% of African American men ages 16 to 34 go to prison • “Some communities have experienced war- level casualties in parenting-age men” Rose and Clear, 1998 docsity.com The Downsides of Drug Incarcerations for Poor Areas • Increases residential mobility – Disrupts neighborhood social networks • Removes “breadwinners” from families – Opens space for new recruits • Criminal record limits employment – Increases poverty, lure of drug trade • Street code reinforced in prison – Increase fear, lack of cohesion docsity.com