Social disorganization theory specifies that several variables—residential instability, ethnic diversity, family disruption, economic status, population size or density, and proximity to urban areas—
influence a community’s capacity to develop and maintain strong systems of social relationships
.
For example,
a tenant in a public housing unit may live there for years and never form a relationship with his or her neighbors
. Residents who do not know the children of the area were less likely to intervene when the children displayed unacceptable behavior.
Social disorganization theory suggest that
a person’s residential location is more significant than the person’s characteristics when predicting criminal activity
and the juveniles living in this areas acquire criminality by the cultures approval within the disadvantaged urban neighborhoods.
Social disorganization theory is one of the most enduring place-based theories of crime. Developed by
Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay
, this theory shifted criminological scholarship from a focus on the pathology of people to the pathology of places.
Measures of three central theoretical elements in Shaw and McKay’s social disorganization perspective (
poverty, residential mobility, and racial heterogeneity
) and variables from the subculture of violence, social control, and opportunity perspectives are included in this research.
The forms of social disorganization which are explained in terms of geographical factors are
crime, cultural retardation, illiteracy, suicide, divorce and insanity
.
The main characteristics of social disorganisation are the following: (i)
Conflict of Mores and of Institutions
: As we have studied earlier every society has its mores and institutions which regulate the life of its members. With the passage of time, these mores and institution become obsolete.
Social disorganization theory specifies that several variables—
residential instability, ethnic diversity, family disruption, economic status, population size or density, and proximity to urban areas
—influence a community’s capacity to develop and maintain strong systems of social relationships.
Examples of formal social control include
the government
. The government uses laws and courts to exercise social control. The government tries to protect those following the rules and capture and punish those who do not. Governmental social control goes beyond the legal system.
- The social processes under the three main heads-cultural, political and economic.
- Cultural lag.
- Conflicting attitudes and values.
- Social crises.
Structural disadvantages such as
population heterogeneity, residential instability, and poor economic conditions hinder the formation of community cohesion by limiting informal social networks and weakening a community’s ability to exercise effective informal social control
over the activities that occur within its …
Answered one of the main criticisms of Social Disorganization theory concerning structural factors impact on social control within a neighborhood. Biggest contribution was
in reformulating social control aspect of neighborhoods into three different types of social control that are affected by structural factors
.
What do all social structure theories have in common? –
Emphasizes relationships among social institutions
. … -Relationship between human beings and the physical and cultural environments in which they live.
Social learning theory (SLT) is a leading explanation of criminal behavior which
maintains that crime is learned and more likely to occur when individuals differentially associate with people who are criminally involved
, experience greater exposure to delinquent models, anticipate or actually receive more rewards and …
Which of the following are common criticisms of social disorganization theory?
It fails to account for troubled neighborhoods that have strong, viable organizations
. It seems to blame the victims. … Social problems increase when neighborhoods have deteriorating buildings and declining populations.
Explains the relationship between social disorder and deviance
. This is a macro-level theory that tries to explain why certain neighborhoods control deviance and why others are unable to minimize or eliminate it .
