Race, Class and Criminal Justice
Chicago School of Urban Sociology
Robert Park
Ernest Burgess
Concentric zones
Social ecology
Social pathology
Central business district
Transitional zone
Working class zone
Residential zone
Commuter zone
Environmental Criminology
Space
Time
Offender
Target/Victim
Social control
Robert J. Sampson
University of Chicago
Shaw and Mckay (1942)
Social changes cause breakdown of formal and informal controls and increase crime
Explains urban crime rates, increase in crime with change and growth in cities
Poverty and unemployment undermine the family, the primary unit of socialization
Lack of parental supervision and positive role models contributes to crime and delinquency
Concentration of the poor means individuals are subject to strong peer-group leading to non-conforming behavior
Poverty is associated with inadequate access to medical and nutritional resources contributing to poor performance in school
Social disorganization theory results in a high rate of crime and delinquency in disadvantaged neighborhoods that are suffering from a breakdown of their social structure and community cohesion. When neighborhoods lack the social control mechanisms necessary to maintain strong social bonds and formal networks, individuals are more likely to engage in non-conforming, criminal behavior and delinquency.