Criminology Chapter 09 Homework Shaw And Mckay Supplied Data Support These

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Schram, Introduction to Criminology 3e

SAGE Publishing, 2021

Lecture Notes

Chapter 9: Social Structure Theories of Crime II: Social Disorganization and

Subcultures

Learning Objectives

9.2 Discuss Shaw and McKay’s theory of social disorganization.

9.4 Evaluate the criticisms of cultural theories of crime.

9.5 Evaluate policies that have come from the Chicago/social disorganization theories of crime.

Chapter Outline

I. Introduction

i. This chapter will focus on different type of social framework structure that

emphasizes the risk factors and social dynamics in certain neighborhoods.

ii. Specifically examines the Chicago School of criminology, also known as the

Ecological School or theory of social disorganization.

II. The Ecological School and the Chicago School of Criminology

i. Referred to as Ecological School or the theory of social disorganization.

ii. The Chicago School of criminology represents one of the earliest examples

of balancing theorizing with scientific analysis, along with guiding important

iii. Important development of the school: The epitome of using theoretical

development and scientific testing to help improve conditions in society when

it was most needed, which can be appreciated only by understanding the

degree of chaos and crime that existed in Chicago in the late 1800s and early

1900s.

iv. Credited with first attempt of understanding cultural or subcultural differences

in groups that do not fit with the mainstream of society.

Schram, Introduction to Criminology 3e

SAGE Publishing, 2021

ii. Opening of Erie Canal and operation of Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, created

iv. It was almost impossible for these citizens to organize themselves to solve

community problems, because in most cases they could not even understand

one another. This resulted in the type of chaos and normlessness that

Durkheim predicted would occur when urbanization and industrialization

occurred too rapidly.

v. There were many manifestations of this breakdown in social control, but one

of the most notable was that children were running wild on the streets in

gangs, with little intervention from the adults in the neighborhoods.

B. Ecological Principles in City Growth and Concentric Circles

i. Ecology: Study of dynamics and processes through which plants and animals

interact with the environment.

ii. Growth of cities follow natural pattern of evolution. Park claimed that cities

represent a type of complex organism that has a sense of unity formed from

the interrelations among citizens and groups in the city.

iii. Park claimed that all cities contain identifiable clusters, which he called

perspective offered by Ernest W. Burgess.

viii. The growth of the inner city puts pressure on the adjacent zones of the city,

which in turn begin to grow into the next adjacent zones (following the

ecological principle of “succession” identified by Park). This type of

Schram, Introduction to Criminology 3e

SAGE Publishing, 2021

ix. Five pseudo-distinctive natural areas.

a. Zone I—The central business district or the loop.

x. Concentric circles: Model proposed by Chicago School theorists that

assumes that all cities grow in a natural way with the same five zones.

xi. Cities grow in a natural way across time and place and abide by the natural

principles of ecology.

C. Shaw and McKay’s Theory of Social Disorganization

i. Shaw and McKay proposed a framework that began with the assumption that

certain neighborhoods in all cities have more crime than other parts of the

ii. Areas with highest rates of crime typically have at least three common

problems: Physical dilapidation, poverty, and heterogeneity.

iii. Theory of social disorganization: Antecedent social ills tend to breakdown

social organization which is why this model is referred to as the theory of

social disorganization.

iv. Shaw and McKay supplied data to support these theoretical propositions:

v. Burgess’s framework of concentric circles: Highest rate of crime in transition

zone.

vi. Longitudinal data: Shaw and McKay’s longitudinal data showed that it did

vii. On the other hand, once most of each ethnic group moved out of Zone II,

their delinquency rates decreased significantly.

viii. This finding rejects the notion of social Darwinism, because it is obvious that

Schram, Introduction to Criminology 3e

SAGE Publishing, 2021

D. Reaction and Research

i. It has been argued that Shaw and McKay’s original research did not actually

measure their primary construct: social disorganization.

ii. Additional criticisms of Shaw and McKay’s formulation of social

disorganization also focus on the emphasis the theory places on the macro, or

aggregate, level of analysis.

iii. Their model does not attempt to explain why some, albeit a very small

amount of, youths in the best neighborhoods (in Zone V) choose to commit

crime.

III. Cultural and Subcultural Theories of Crime

i. Assume that there are unique groups in society that socialize their children to

believe that certain activities that violate conventional law are good and

positive ways to behave.

A. Early Theoretical Developments and Research in Cultural/Subcultural Theory

i. Ferracuti and Wolfgang’s primary conclusion was that violence is a culturally

ii. They proposed that no subculture can be totally different from or totally in

conflict with the society of which it is a part.

iii. Cultural/subcultural theory: A perspective on criminal offending that

assumes that many offenders believe in a normative system distinctly different

from and often at odds with the norms accepted by conventional society.

iv. Miller presented a theoretical model that proposed that the entire lower class

had its own cultural value system.

v. In this model, virtually everyone in the lower class believed in and socialized

the values of six focal concerns: fate, autonomy, trouble, toughness,

excitement, and smartness.

a. Fate was the concern of luck, or whatever life dealt you; it

disregarded responsibility and accountability for one’s actions

b. Autonomy was the value of independence from authority.

Schram, Introduction to Criminology 3e

SAGE Publishing, 2021

vi. Model proposed by Elijah Anderson: This theory focuses on African-

Americans and claims that due to deprived conditions in the inner cities, black

Americans feel a sense of hopelessness, isolation, and despair.

vii. According to Anderson, “the code of the streets”—also the title of his book—

is to maintain one’s reputation and demand respect. For example, to be

disrespected (“dissed”) is considered grounds for a physical attack.

viii. Disparities of Race in Regard to Subculture Theories of Crime

a. Race and crime relationship has been consistent over time: Virtually

all studies finding that blacks have the highest crime rates, followed

IV. Criticism

i. Lower class adults socialized their children to believe in conventional values

than Miller’s focal concern.

V. Policy Implications

i. The neighborhoods that do have high levels of organization tend to be those

that already have low levels of crime, because the residents naturally “police”