Lecture on Crime Theories and Concepts

Chapter 3: Shaw & McKay’s Social Disorganization Theory

  • Concept Overview: Shaw and McKay’s Social Disorganization Theory posits that crime rates are linked to neighborhood characteristics and the breakdown of social institutions rather than individual factors.

    • Key Components:

    • Focuses on urban areas, especially those with high levels of poverty, residential mobility, and ethnic diversity.

    • Suggests that communities lacking cohesive social structures face higher crime rates due to weakened social control.

  • Strongest Predictors of Crime:

    • Social disorganization as the primary factor in predicting crime.

    • The theory emphasizes the importance of community stability and social networks.

  • Collective Efficacy:

    • Defined as the mutual support among residents to achieve shared goals, particularly in crime prevention.

    • Communities with high collective efficacy tend to have lower crime rates.

  • Park & Chicago’s Development:

    • Developed in the early 20th century based on empirical studies in Chicago.

    • Emphasized the relationship between urban ecology and crime, proposing that different zones within a city have varying crime rates.

  • Code of the Street:

    • Introduced by Elijah Anderson, describing a set of informal rules governing interpersonal behavior in urban communities.

    • Highlights how these codes arise in socially disorganized neighborhoods to foster respect and status.

  • Guest Speaker (03/13): Important discussions regarding the application of these theories in contemporary settings.

Chapter 4: Anomie and Strain Theory

  • Anomie Definition:

    • A state of normlessness where social norms are confused, unclear, or absent, typically occurring during times of profound social change.

  • Strain Theory & Merton:

    • Proposed by Robert K. Merton, who suggested that society sets culturally approved goals and socially acceptable means to achieve them.

    • Mode of Individual Adaptation (Typology):

      • 1. Conformity: Accepts goals and means (e.g., an individual pursuing a college degree for a career).

      • 2. Innovation: Accepts goals but rejects means (e.g., a person selling drugs to attain wealth).

      • 3. Ritualism: Rejects goals but accepts means (e.g., a person goes through the motions of work without intention of advancement).

      • 4. Retreatism: Rejects both goals and means (e.g., a drug addict).

      • 5. Rebellion: Rejects and seeks to change both goals and means (e.g., a revolutionary).

  • Cardinal American Values & Virtues:

    • Emphasizes the value placed on individual success and the “American Dream”, which may contribute to strain when individuals cannot achieve these goals.

  • Institutional Balance Theory: Suggests an imbalance among institutions (e.g., family, education, economy) contributes to crime rates.

Chapter 5: Control Theory

  • Control Theory Overview: Focuses on why people do not commit crimes rather than why they do.

    • Key Concepts:

    • Indirect vs. Direct Control: Direct control through punishment and supervision versus indirect control through social bonds (e.g., family attachment).

  • Primary Question: Why do individuals conform to societal norms?

  • Durkheim’s Definition of Regulation: Regulation refers to societal rules that govern behavior; too much or too little can lead to deviance.

  • Pushes & Pulls: Factors that drive individuals toward or away from crime. Pushes may be societal pressures while pulls may be incentives or opportunities for crime.

  • Social Bond Theory Paradigms: Proposed by Travis Hirschi, involving four key elements of social bonds:

    • Attachment: Emotional ties to others.

    • Commitment: Investment in conventional activities.

    • Involvement: Participation in conventional activities.

    • Belief: Acceptance of conventional values and norms.

  • Control-Balance Theory: Explains crime through the perspective of controls one exerts over others and the amount of control experienced by individuals.

  • Gottfredson & Hirschi (Self-Control): Emphasizes the role of self-control as a key factor in determining criminal behavior.

Chapter 6: Social Reactions and Deviance

  • Social Reactions: Refers to how society responds to deviance and crime.

  • Lemert’s (1951) Two Types of Deviance:

    • Primary Deviance: Initial acts of deviance that do not lead to labeling or sustained deviant identity.

    • Secondary Deviance: Deviance that results from being labeled and the internalization of that label.

  • Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: The phenomenon wherein a person internalizes a label, which leads to behavior that confirms that label.

  • Diversion Policies: Strategies aimed at reducing the stigma and negative effects of labeling by diverting individuals from the criminal justice system.

  • Two Types of Shaming:

    • Disintegrative Shaming: Affects the individual negatively, leading to exclusion.

    • Reintegrative Shaming: Focuses on community reintegration after acknowledging wrongdoing.

Chapter 14: Theories of Crime Opportunity

  • Routine Activity Theory: Suggests that crime occurs when a motivated offender, suitable target, and lack of capable guardianship converge in time and space.

  • Rational Choice Theory: Asserts that criminals are rational actors who weigh the costs and benefits before committing a crime.

  • Eck’s Function of Handlers: Describes how certain individuals (handlers), such as family or friends, can influence an offender's decisions to commit or refrain from crime.

  • Criminal Opportunity: Addresses the aspects of how environmental factors contribute to crime rather than solely focusing on individual psychological factors.

Short Answer Guidance

CH 3: Shaw and McKay’s Social Disorganization Theory

  • Description and Summary:

    • Explain the concept of social disorganization and its predictors of crime.

    • Draw the concentric zones illustrating high and low crime areas in urban settings: Zone I (Central Business District), Zone II (Zone in Transition), Zone III (Zone of Working-Class Homes), Zone IV (Zone of Better Residences), Zone V (Suburban Ring).

  • Shaw and McKay’s Social Disorgxanization Theory posits that crime rates are significantly influenced by the social structures and conditions of neighborhoods. The theory asserts that urban areas with high levels of poverty, residential instability, and ethnic diversity often experience weakened social institutions, leading to a higher propensity for crime. This weakness manifests in limited social cohesion and lack of collective efficacy among residents, which hinders their ability to maintain social order and provides fertile ground for criminal behavior.

  • Key predictors associated with social disorganization include:

    • Poverty: Areas with high poverty rates often lack resources and social programs that help mitigate crime.

    • Residential Mobility: High rates of population turnover disrupt community ties, making it difficult for residents to form the bonds necessary for effective social control.

    • Ethnic Diversity: While diversity can enrich communities, it may also lead to disorganization if groups do not share common norms and values, further complicating community cohesion.

  • Concentric Zones: Shaw and McKay developed a model to illustrate the geographic variation in crime rates across different urban zones. This model is characterized by concentric circles or zones:

    • Zone I (Central Business District): The commercial hub of the city with high traffic and limited residential areas, typically exhibiting lower crime rates driven more by economic motives than social disorganization.

    • Zone II (Zone in Transition): This area is often characterized by the highest crime rates. It consists of deteriorating buildings, transient populations, and typically has a mix of different ethnic groups. The instability and lack of social structure in this zone often lead to increased criminal activity.

    • Zone III (Zone of Working-Class Homes): Predominantly occupied by blue-collar workers. Crime rates are moderate due to some level of community stability; however, issues may still arise due to economic constraints.

    • Zone IV (Zone of Better Residences): This area consists of more affluent neighborhoods characterized by stable families and higher social integration, resulting in lower crime rates due to stronger social institutions and community ties.

    • Zone V (Suburban Ring): Comprising the suburbs, this area generally exhibits the lowest crime rates. It boasts more resources, better economic conditions, and a sense of community, which contribute to effective social control mechanisms.

CH 4: Merton’s Typology of Modes of Individual Adaptation

  • Conformity: Individuals who accept both the cultural goals and the approved means of achieving them. For example, a student who pursues higher education to secure a traditional career, such as a doctor or lawyer, exemplifies conformity by adhering to societal expectations for success and working diligently to achieve these aspirations.

  • Innovation: Individuals who accept the cultural goals but reject the approved means of attaining them. A prime example is a person who aspires for wealth and status but resorts to illegal methods, such as drug dealing or fraud, to achieve those ends. This reflects a creative adaptation of societal pressures where the end goal is respected, but the methods for achieving that goal are deemed unacceptable or illegal.

  • Ritualism: Individuals who give up on achieving societal goals but continue to adhere strictly to the means. For instance, a bureaucrat who follows all the rules and procedures of their job diligently but is no longer motivated by the goal of upward mobility exhibits ritualism. They complete their tasks and fulfill their duties without any real belief that they will achieve the success that society typically values.

  • Retreatism: Individuals who reject both the cultural goals and the means of achieving them. An example would be a person who turns to substance abuse, such as alcohol or hard drugs, as a means of escape from societal expectations and pressures. This withdrawal from society signifies a complete rejection of both what society deems successful and the legitimate pathways to attain it.

  • Rebellion: Individuals who reject both society's established goals and the means but seek to replace them with alternative values and goals. An example is a revolutionary who fights against the political system, attempting to overthrow the existing order to create a new society based on different principles and ideologies. Such individuals are driven by a strong desire for systemic change, often fueled by ideologies that differ from traditional societal norms and values.

CH 5: Techniques of Neutralization

  • List and Examples:

    • Techniques such as Denial of Responsibility, Denial of Injury, Denial of Victim, Condemnation of the Condemners, and Appeal to Higher Loyalties, with specific instances illustrating each technique.

CH 6: Hirschi’s Four Social Bonds

  • Explanation:

    • Attachments include parental connections, commitments might involve education, involvements could be athletics or community service, beliefs reflect acceptance of societal rules.

CH 7: Policies According to Labeling Theorists

  • Four Policies: Diversion, Decriminalization, Restorative Justice, and Expungement, with analysis of effectiveness in minimizing state intervention in offenders’ lives, discussing the debated assumptions of labeling theory.

CH 14: Felson’s Strategies for Reducing Crime Opportunities

  • Identify and Explain:

    • Increasing Guardianship: This strategy focuses on enhancing the presence and effectiveness of guardians who can help prevent crime. This involves increasing police patrols in high-crime areas, establishing neighborhood watch programs, or employing private security personnel in both residential and commercial settings. Real-life examples include community policing initiatives in certain urban areas, where police actively engage with residents to build trust and deter crime.

    • Enhancing Target Hardening: Target hardening refers to measures that make potential targets more resistant to criminal acts. This can include installing surveillance cameras, improving lighting in public spaces, implementing access control systems in buildings, and using secure locks and alarm systems for homes. An illustrative example is using electronic access control systems in schools, which manage who enters and exits, thereby reducing unauthorized access and potential criminal incidents.

    • Increasing Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED): CPTED is an urban planning strategy aimed at deterring crime by designing physical environments that promote safety and community engagement. This involves strategies like natural surveillance (placing windows and lighting for visibility), territorial reinforcement (using fences or landscaping to establish ownership and discourage trespassing), and maintaining public spaces to signal care, discouraging criminal behavior. Successful urban redevelopment projects often incorporate CPTED principles, showing that well-lit parks and managed landscapes can encourage public use and reduce crime rates.

Guest Speaker Perspective

  • Discuss the concept of perceived versus actual respect in the context of the criminal justice system, especially regarding interactions during traffic stops.

  • Analyze how the understanding of the 'Code of the Street' can inform practitioner-client relationships, influence outcomes, and impact broader societal attitudes toward the justice system.