Social Disorganization and Control Theories

(these ideas drawn from Goode, 1994-2008 chapter 3; and Pfohl, Images of Deviance and Social Control, 1985. See the disclaimer)

Shift in focus: Social Causation

Deviance becomes seen as a "natural" problem for all societies, across time: a spatial/socio-ecological reality (localized anomie).

Social Ecology (Cecil greek's notes) (Park and Burgess):

Sources of Change:

Change as a Threat

Control:

Social Disorganization (local copy)

(See also: wikipedia, "Social Disorganization Theory" (Diane DeMelo files), and "Social Disorganization, Ecology, and Crime." )

"A decrease in the influence of existing social rules of behavior upon the individual members of the group. An area where social institutions, norms and values, are no longer functioning."

Without normative constraint==>Anything goes==Deviance flourishes.

Focus on the "natural" areas of competition.

(I've "borrowed" this image from Bruce Hoffman (blhoffma@indiana.edu) who manages www.crimetheory.com )

Concentric Zone Theory

  1. Pushed by industrial expansion
  2. Center of residence for newly arrived immigrants and migrants
  3. High levels of mobility
  4. Unemployment, Single-parent households
  5. Variety of cultural groups and normative confusion

Deviance flourishes

Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay: Delinquency Areas, 1929.

Walter Miller in Boston:

Problems:

Social Disorganization at the micro level: Control Theories (Prof. Tom O'Connor's notes, local copy)

Why most don't deviate?

Reckless and Containment Theory: (Diane DeMelo files)

Hirschi's Social Control Theory (Diane DeMelo files) (Social Bonding)

  1. Belief: socialization, internalization.
  1. Involvement: time factor
  2. Commitment: stake in society, something to lose
  3. Attachment: role models, someone you don't want to let down.

A General Theory of Crime:
Self-Control Theory

(see, Goode, 2007)

1990 - Gottfredson & Hirschi's General Theory of Crime (part of a student prtesentation at another university)

Critique of Anomie ( strain) Theory:

Critique of Learning Theory Gottfredson and Hirschi reject all other explanations of criminal behavior except their own; only lack of self-control is truly consistent with the facts of crime. But: although incomplete, Classical and Social Disorganization Theory are consistent with the facts: Critique of Self-Control Theory Most likely, Gottfredson and Hirschi have not offered a "general theory" of crime and deviance, but a plausible account of bits and pieces of the phenomenon they purport to explain.

Jack Katz: Thrill Seekers (see more on Katz from Prof. Cecil Greek: 1, 2, and 3) (local copies of Cecil greek's notes)

Structural Strain Theories

URL: http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/200/socdisor.html
Owner: Robert O. Keel rok@umsl.edu
References and Credits for this Page of Notes
Last Updated:
Tuesday, February 17, 2015 11:45 AM