The Chicago School Criminology 1 During which time period characterized by rapid industrialization and urbanization did the Chicago School emerge 2 Two major methods of study were employed by the Chicago School The first was the use of official data and the second was the use of 3 According to Chicago School theorists what was the primary explanation for the emergence of crime 4 According to Shaw and McKay juveniles who live in socially chaotic areas have greater opportunities for exposure to delinquent and criminal values This explanation for the process by which delinquency develops is referred to as Group Quiz A late 1700s B mid 1800s C early 1900s D late 1900s Group Quiz A statistics B GIS C DNA testing D life history Group Quiz A social disorganization B social learning C social control D social bonding Group Quiz A ecological theory B concentric zone theory C cultural transmission theory 5 Which of the following can be considered a policy implication of the Chicago School D social conflict theory Group Quiz A Boot camps and Scared Straight programs B Abolishment of mandatory sentencing C Decriminalization of status offenses Sociological Theories of Criminal Behavior D Construction of recreation facilities and areas for juveniles in a community Move past simplistic explanations of crime and delinquency less focus on the individual Need to look at socialization social factors People aren t simply born good or bad influenced by people social situations other external factors Social Structural Theories Generally macro level Historically Social aspects of human behavior organization culture patterns Mainly based on the study of youth and the lower class Sins of Cities decaying urban environments generate high rates of crime and delinquency 19th century studies of life in London 1920s to 1940s Chicago political science and sociology Chicago 1830 small town of 100 Sociological research in the U S dominated by various academic disciplines University of Chicago 1030 second largest industrial city in the county with over 3 3 million people Substantial neighborhood changes visible industrial growth 1920s to 1940s Sociological analysis of harsh consequences of urbanization and industrialization Crime is a major social problem hardships of the Great Depression Prohibition rise of gang warfare union racketeering 1920s 1940s Use of quantitative and qualitative analysis Advanced statistical analysis Life histories Case studies Investigative journalism Media resources In depth interviews Participant observation The Chicago School Guided by Park and Burgess Research in the field get your feet wet no more arm chair theorizing Crime and delinquency resulted from urban and social disorganization Organization can only be maintained by a group s commitment to social rules The Chicago School Social control breaks down when the commitment isn t there The environment strongly influences criminal behavior Delinquency is a result of deteriorated neighborhoods not individuals who live there Delinquents are normal kids in abnormal environments Looked at life histories of juvenile delinquents personal accounts surveys official data clinical Geographical and social distribution of delinquents and delinquency rates The Chicago School techniques Parks and Burgess 1920s Theory of Urban Ecology cities are environments like those found in nature affected by the same forces like Darwinian evolution Competition struggle for land resources More prosperous people moved away from the city center Parks and Burgess 1920s High unemployment poverty fear of crime resentment etc Social environment within these depressed urban areas inevitably lead to high crime rates Concentric Zone Theory first published in The City 1925 divided Chicago into 5 zones Parks and Burgess 1920s 2 Transition highest crime rates 1 Industrial 3 Working class 4 Middle class 5 Commuter Shaw and McKay 1942 Juvenile Delinquency and Urban Areas Social Disorganization Theory most important and influential theory of neighborhoods ever to have been proposed in criminology Chicago data certain areas have high rates of C D and showed tell tale signs of SD Close to central business districts areas of population transition Shaw and McKay Overcrowded physical deterioration concentrations of minority residents concentrated poverty lack of home ownership lack of community organizations etc Other problems high rates of infant mortality tuberculosis mental disorder juvenile delinquency Social Disorganization Model 1 Deteriorating neighborhoods 2 Social Disorganization 3 Loss of adult control over youth 4 Development of gangs 5 Encouraging delinquent youth culture 6 Delinquent behavior Important Findings Relative levels of C D in local communities tend to remain stable over many years despite changing ethnic and racial composition Delinquent values and traditions were passed from one generation to another cultural transmission Important Findings Important Findings Defining features classic definition of a gang status and belonging I never met a delinquent who acted alone Shaw referring to peer interactions Only way to combat and prevent transmission was to develop neighborhood organizations that could help promote informal social controls and encourage residents to look out for one another Chicago Area Project model for delinquency prevention efforts help youth find alternative solutions to problems Chicago Area Project CAP Creation of recreational opportunities baseball lots playground equipment Physically clean up the community Intervene in juvenile court on behalf of a child in trouble Youth athletic leagues recreation programs summer camps urban planning and alternatives to incarceration as crime control policy Chicago Area Project CAP Such programs often fail research shows primarily because there is not a sustained financial commitment to them since the programs most needed are non entrepreneurial in nature and non self sustaining Why did this paradigm lose momentum Criticisms Chicago School theorists were mainly from rural small towns Midwestern Christian white reform oriented liberal Many youth living in high crime areas do not become delinquent therefore other factors were Crime and crime rates are socially constructed Delinquency in poor working class kids is more likely to be reported and lead to arrest and causing C D Criticisms prosecution Criticisms How problematic is biased policing in these areas Race Class bias doesn t pay attention to C D in