Social Disorganization Model

What is the Chicago school?
•	Social ecology – social forces operating in urban areas create criminal interactions
•	Concerned with how neighborhood structure developed

Sociological criminology
•	Sociology is concerned with:
o	Benefits and costs of human interactions
o	Social change and the dynamics of human behavior (norms and values change based on interpersonal relationships and societal changes (technology))
•	Criminologists focus on how negative human interactions may lead to aggression and antisocial behavior
•	If crime is genetic, how do you explain areas of a city that are filled with crime? Not all genetically inferior people live in the same place.
•	Is it television?  All kids probably watch the same shows. Not all are criminals.
•	Understanding dynamics between individuals and social institutions (family, school, jobs, criminal justice agencies) is important for understanding and explaining criminal behavior

Social Disorganization Theory
•	Links crime rates to neighborhood ecological characteristics – looked at highly transient areas
•	Shaw and McKay – Chicago 1920’s – based on the work of Burgess
o	Used Park and Burgess’ model to describe the distribution of delinquency and explain why it was distributed as such
•	What is social disorganization?
o	Breakdown or disruption in the bonds of relationships, coordination, teamwork and morale among groups of interrelated persons so as to impair the functions of the social organization
•	What are the characteristics of a disorganized community?
o	Characterized by lack of educational services, health care and proper housing
o	Residents are trying to leave at the earliest opportunity
o	Weak and disorganized family, school, business community, social service agencies
o	Culture conflict, lack of cohesiveness, transient population, anomie
•	Burgess Model – concentric zones of urban growth
o	Zone 1 – central business district
o	Zone 2 – zone of transition – migrants, poor, being industrialized, oldest area of the city
o	Zone 3 – zone of the working class – multi-family
o	Zone 4 – residential zone – single family
o	Zone 5 – commuter zone – suburbs

Elements of a theory
1.	Assumptions - general
•	Delinquency is predominantly caused by social factors
•	The structure of society is in disarray
•	Deviance is viewed as a by-product of rapid social change
Specific
•	Delinquency is a result of the breakdown of informal social control
•	The breakdown is caused by rapid industrialization, urbanization, and immigration
•	Socially disorganized areas lead to the development of criminal values – the process is self perpetuating
What is social ecology?
o	Environmental forces that have a direct impact on human behavior
2.	Concepts
•	Physical deterioration – structures falling down
•	Economic deprivation – poverty
•	Population instability – high turnover (transitional neighborhoods)
•	Ethnic heterogeneity – different ethnic groups sharing the same social space
•	Integration – people within a community realize that they share common values
•	Informal social control – self-policing
•	Alternative role models – drug dealers, gangs, fences, prostitutes
•	Delinquency rate

Delinquency Rates

Alternative Role Models

Informal Social Control

Economic Deprivation

Integration

Ethnic Heterogeneity

Population Instability

Physical Deterioration

Propositions (10)
•	As physical deterioration increases, population instability increases (+)
•	As economic deprivation increases, population instability increases (+)
•	As population instability increases, ethnic heterogeneity increases (+)
•	As population instability increases, integration decreases (-)
•	As ethnic heterogeneity increases, integration decreases (-)
•	As integration decreases, informal social control decreases (+)
•	As integration decreases, alternative role models increases (-)
•	As informal social control decreases, alternative role models increases (-)
•	As informal social control decreases, delinquency rates increase (-)
•	As alternative role models increase, delinquency rates increase (+)

** No matter who moved into the central business district (except Jews and Asians) the crime rate stayed the same.

Evaluation/criticisms
i.	Culture – this model is not valid in Argentina
ii.	Ethnic differences in delinquency – Jews and Asians
iii.	Measuring delinquency by official petitions
iv.	Do socially disorganized areas produce delinquency or are delinquents attracted to these areas?

3.	Theoretical rationale
a.	Socially disorganized areas lead to the development of criminal values and the process is self perpetuating

4.	Scope/boundaries
a.	Chicago only?
b.	US only?
c.	Crime or delinquency?