Urban Ecology and Social Structure

Vocabulary terms and key concepts covering Urban Ecology, the Burgess Concentric Zone model, and the Shaw & McKay studies on juvenile delinquency.

Urban Ecology (Robert Park)

The concept that the city functions as a natural ecosystem where people compete for space and resources.

Invasion

A key process in urban ecology where new groups move into an area.

Competition

An urban ecology process defined as the fight for physical space and resources within a city.

Dominance

A stage in urban ecological change where one specific group takes over an area.

Succession

The process in urban ecology that occurs when old residents leave an area as new groups establish themselves.

Shaw & McKay Studies

Research that studied boys under the age of $17$ involved with police, juvenile court, and correctional institutions to analyze poverty, health, and housing.

Concentric Zone (Burgess)

A model where the city is shaped like a target and growth happens from the inside out through $5$ distinct zones.

Zone I

The innermost urban zone consisting of businesses and offices.

Zone II

The zone of transition containing poor housing, immigrants, and low-income residents; characterized by the highest crime rates.

Zone III

The urban zone inhabited by the working class.

Zone IV

The residential zone typically occupied by the middle class.

Zone V

The outermost commuter zone inhabited by wealthier individuals.

Spatial Distribution of Crime

A key finding by Shaw and McKay stating that crime is not random, high-crime areas stay the same over time, and it is the area rather than the people that drives crime rates.

Urban Changes (Suburbanization)

The movement of middle-class people and businesses to suburbs, leaving cities with poverty, decay, and fewer resources.

Disadvantaged (Underclass)

A group created by urban decay characterized by high unemployment, welfare dependence, single-parent families, drug use, and violence.