Social Disorganization Theory

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Social Disorganization Theory
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Understanding the Spatial Distribution of Crime

• Why do crime rates differ from place to place
  within a city?

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Chicago School Social EcologyPark and Burgess
(1928)

• Studied Chicago in the early 20th century
• Wanted to understand the spatial distribution of
  social problems

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Chicago School Model

• Concentric zone model

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1. CBD
2. Zone of Transition
3. Working Class Zone
4. Residential Zone
5. Commuter Zone

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Growing cities expand outward as people compete
for good space
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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

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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

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Why did the zone of transition have the most
crime?

• Poverty
• Ethnic heterogeneity (foreign born)
• Residential mobility (in and out)

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Shaw and McKays Conclusion

• Place matters
• Crime was NOT due to inferior biology or ethnic
  pathology
• Sociology is a relevant discipline

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

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Recent ConceptualizationSocial 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

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How do Networks Work?

• Disorganized community few social ties

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Govt institutions
Xs are people in a neighborhood, lines are
social ties
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How do Networks Work?

• Private social ties dominate, social control
  limited to immediate network members

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Govt institutions
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How do Networks Matter?

• Parochial and public social ties dominate gt
  social controls has a wider reach

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Govt institutions
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How do Networks Matter?

• Private, parochial and public social ties
  dominate gt maximum social control

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Govt institutions
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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 communitys social
  organization?

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