Criminology Theory Limitations

Urban Ecology

Overlooks political-economic impact of industrialization on urban geography

Urban Ecology

Used by politicians to create racialized accounts of crime causation

Urban Ecology

Overlooks non-urban crime

Urban Ecology

Neglects social and cultural dimensions of life

Social Disorganization

Assumed socially disorganized neighborhoods produced criminal traditions

Social Disorganization

Disenfranchised areas are subjected to high levels of state control

Social Disorganization

Limited scope beyond urban areas

Strain Theory

Doesn’t explain crime without strain

Strain Theory

Assumes universal aspirations

Strain Theory

Overemphasis on lower-class crime (except for Messner & Rosenfeld)

Strain Theory

Doesn’t explain why only some people resort to crime from strain

Culture Conflict

Tends to depict crime as a lower-class problem

Differential Association

Difficult to test the theory empirically

Differential Association

Does not explain why criminality decreases with age

Differential Association

Leaves question of whether association is before or after learning of an act

Social Learning

If one’s behavior does not strengthen, there is no reinforcement

Social Control

Limited explanation for group crime

Social Control

Assumes people are naturally deviant

Labeling Theory

Ignores primary causes of deviance

Labeling Theory

Neglects structural factors of criminality