Social disorganization theory
Social disorganization theory research papers reveal that the theory in relation to poverty and crime was first described by Henry McKay and Clifford R. Shaw. They suggested that residents of impoverished neighborhoods or decaying urban areas are eager to relocate and take the first opportunity to do so. Since the population is transient, no one has permanent roots, a situation which is manifested in a lack of desire to improve the neighborhood. Since social institutions can no longer function, their ability to regulate behavior is shattered, and residents experience conflict and despair. Antisocial behavior flourishes in this environment. One indicator of community deterioration is a high level of unemployment. Lack of work destabilizes households, which in turn increases the likelihood that these households will include children who place a high premium on violence and aggression.
- Social disorganization theory holds that deviance arises out of an atmosphere in which there is no normative constraint.
- Social rules fail to influence the individual, the individual believes that anything is possible and deviance results.
- Social disorganization theory contends that the organization and order of a society leads to a cohesive integration of customs, a greater sense of tolerance, and higher levels of esteem in individuals, all of which works to make people feel more content, and therefore less willing to act in ways that are considered deviant by the society, including crime.
- Social disorganization theory has observed the highest rates of deviant and criminal behavior in urban settings, which are often areas that are in a state of organizational transition and disorder.
While social disorganization theory serves to provide a more sociological understanding of crime manifestation, it does little to offer more than a marginal understanding of individual behavior. This theory describes the environment that makes criminal behavior more prevalent and less harshly perceived, but it does not explain the more individualized motivations that become factors in leading one to criminal behavior. While the high manifestation of crime in this setting is explained, it does not distinguish between individuals in meaningful ways, which allow the criminologist to understand what makes one person act criminally and another not act that way.
Related Research Paper Topic Suggestions
Conflict Theory - Conflict Theory research papers discuss one of the most prominent sociological theories.
Contemporary theories - Contemporary Social Theory research papers examine the theories of Functionalism, Sociobiology, and Conflict.
Control Theory and Sociology - Control theory and sociology research papers are custom written on control theory and other sociological theories that explain deviance with the norms in society.
Crime and Deviance Sociology - Crime and deviance sociology research papers discuss the enforcement of social norms and focus on the consequences of violating said norms, and how it relates to criminal behavior.
Ethnomethodology - Ethnomethodology research papers write about the sociological concept of studies based upon ethnographic information or documentary interprestation of sociological information.
Ingroup and Outgroup - In-Group and Out-Group sociology research papers on social stratification are custom written research on in-groups and out-groups in society.
Labeling Theory - Labeling Theory Research Papers discuss Juvenile Offending Patterns and labeling theory.
Social Darwinism - Social Darwinism research papers are custom written on Darwin's Theories and sociology. Social Darwinism is a social theory that was taken from Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer's evolutionary theories.
Social Sciences - Social Sciences research papers examine one of the major branches of academic study that focuses on history, economics, political science, geography, and sociology.
Sociocultural Theory - Sociocultural Theory research papers discuss the emerging field within modern psychology that explores how society contributes to the development of an individual.
Sociological Imagination - A research paper on sociological imagination looks into the concept that debunks the actions of the individual by distinguishing between personal troubles and public issues.
Sociological Issue Impacting The Education System - Sociological Issue Impacting the Education System Research Papers discuss the issues that impact the system of education.
Sociological Theories - Sociological Theories research papers discuss the development of numerous sociological theories.
Sociology Questions - Sociology Questions Research Papers look at how to order a paper that allows the writer to choose the topic with giving specific details on the format.
Strengths Perspective - Strengths Perspective Theory Research Papers delve into an order placed on social work theories with specific instructions on format.
Symbolic Interaction - Symbolic Interaction research papers examine the sociological understanding of emotion.