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Social Disorganization Theory (Key Concepts (Once institutions breakdown…
Social Disorganization Theory
Key author/Contributors
Chicago School Sociologists
Shaw, Clifford, and
Henry H. McKay.
Ralph Taylor
Robert J. Sampson
Stephen Gottfredson
Sidney Brower
Key Concepts
Once institutions breakdown criminal values and behavior takes root in the community
The criminal behavior and values passed from generation to generation
Poverty conditions undermine institution which foster law and order
If community members have resources such as bonds based on mutual trusts and strong neighborhood institutions they can overcome effects of social disorganization and crime through community policing
History
Clifford Shaw and Henry D. McKay (1942) in a study concluded that criminal behavior and delinquency was a response to social and economic conditions conditions in the inner cities,
Robert Sampson (!993) conclude that young delinquents in peer groups would become full time criminals if social structures were unsupportive
Chicago school developed theories linking neighborhood ecological conditions to crime
Evidence
Young, unemployed racial minority viewed as as social dynamite/threat needing social control due to their social and political alienation (Walker et al. 315-316)
Higher incarceration rates for illegal aliens (99%) and resident-legal aliens (89 percent) (Walker et al. 309)
Anecdotes
Unemployed young male African American who have dropped out of school in inner cities likely to be involved in crime.
Some slums in Kenyan cities inhabited by certain ethnic groups experience higher rates of crime
Customers well known to me are unlikely to default on payments for goods delivered
The social disorganization theory is very relevant in explaining issues of race, ethnicity and crime as different races and ethnic groups face unique poverty and unemployment conditions which affect their defining values and behaviors leading to the generational and cyclical criminal behavior and values.