Week 7: Social Structure Theories Flashcards
What are social structure theories?
These theories look at the social structure and organization, looking specifically at how those with more disadvantages and barriers are more likely to be engaged in crime.
Social issues and class struggles are considered as part of the problem for criminality. Social structures theories suggest that the offender is a product of their environment, they are the product of social forces like racism, social injustice, social inequality and other negative external forces.
Key ideas: social and economic disenfranchisement are the fundamental causes of crime therefore groups disadvantaged in these areas are more likely to commit crimes.
Major theories under social strucuture theories include:
- Social disorganization theory (aka Chicago School)
- Broken Windows Thesis/ Crime Prevention through Environmental Design
- Strain Theories
- Culture Conflict Theories
What are the major principles of sociological theories?
- Social groups, social institutions, arrangements of society, social roles all provide focus for criminological study.
- Group dynamics, group organizations, and sub group relationships form the causal nexus out of which crime develops
- The structure of society and its relative degree of organization or disorganization are important factors contributing to the prevalence of criminal behavior.
What is Social disorganization Theory?
Social disorganization theory suggests that the root causes of crime and deviance are linked to social change, social conflict, and a lack of social consensus .
Under this school, the rapid rate of immigration in the early 20th century combined with a lack of integration with the new culture is considered to have cause social disorganization which in turn caused social disorder and crime.
Areas with high levels of social disorganization tend to have low cohesion in that they hare highly transient, have lots of rentals, low community connection, higher rates of vandalism and property crime, and poorly maintained homes.
What effect can cultural enclaves have on social disorganization?
Cultural enclaves can have both positive and negative effects on social disorganization
- they can help reduce it by creating a way for help new immigrants feel more settled and connected to their new community
- they can increase it by preventing overall integration and creating a conflict in values between cultures.
What are the five zones in the Chicago school?
these zones are intended to describe a city’s environment in terms of concentric rings where crime is typically centred in the second zone.
Zone 1 (centre) is devoted to retail business and some manufacturing.
Zone 2: has some factories but a great deal of deteriorating housing and abandoned buildings. This zone has high levels of social disorder and high levels of transience (people are always trying to leave zone 2 but other factors (e.g. race, sex, disability status etc.) make it so that some can move between zones more easily than others.)
Zone 3: has most.y working class tenements
zone 4: has mostly middle class families and is made up of single family homes.
Zone 5: Called the commuter zone. Is made up of the suburbs and single detached homes.
What is Broken Windows theory?
This is the idea that physical deterioration of the environment suggest the attitude that “no one cares” and gives more opportunity for crime. It suggests that geographic location and architectural features affect potential for victimization and can essentially create “hot spots” for crime. Often these hot spots have a highly transient population so it is not the people specifically that make the area prone to crime.
This theory became famous with the New York clean up and crime prevention strategy during the 90s where graffiti was painted over, windows repaired etc. so that the city looked cared for supposedly causing a drop in crime rates. It should be noted (perhaps not on the test because she did not seem open to criticism here but it still should be noted) that broken windows theory has actually been largely discredited as noted by the text.
What is Crime prevention through environmental design?
Also called CPTED (“sep-ted”) This approach to crime prevention involves reducing opportunity for crime by making environmental changes such as increasing lighting and natural sight lines, using target hardening techniques, and reducing bushes and such to improve visibility.
What do CPTED and Broken windows thesis have in common?
Both are not actually theories of crime but rather crime prevention strategies.
What is Anomie?
Anomie is an idea by Durkheim. It is feelings of personal loss and a lack of a sense of belonging caused by a breakdown of predictable social conditions and an uncertainty of social norms.
What is Strain Theory?
Developed by Merton based on Durkheim’s idea of Anomie.
Merton suggested that social acceptable ways of achieving personal goals for wealth, status, and happiness are not equally available to everyone.
As such strain arises when the gulf becomes too wide between goals and the legal ways to achieve them. People with the means (less strain) will conform and accept the goals. Others will have to innovate which can include in engaging in crime if socially acceptable options are not available.
What is general strain theory and how does it differ from Merton’s strain theory?
General Strain theory expanded on strain theory by including more sources of strain, especially focused on individual sources of strain like ACEs, chronic victimization, homelessness, and unemployment.
Merton’s strain theory looked very specifically at sources of strain during adulthood while General strain theory considered how early childhood expereinces could contribute to strain as well.
What are culture conflict theories?
Culture conflict is when there is a clash of values between groups that have different senses of what is acceptable and appropriate behaviour.
This clash can come from different cultures (Primary conflict), or even different classes or subgroups within a culture (secondary conflict).
What are violent sub-cultures?
Violent sub cultures are when violence is seen as an advantages form of adaption in a group. E.g. gang conflicts, toxic masculinity.
What are some criticisms of social structures theories
It doesn’t explain crime that happens in places of relative privilege (e.g. white collar crime”)
Violent subculture as well as other areas of social structure theories have been criticized as being racist.
