SOC 1500 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Social Disorganization Theory, Émile Durkheim, Anomie

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 1500
• Professor: Professor Broll

Document Summary

Sociological criminologists study group characteristics (social class, gender, age, culture, etc) that influence the likelihood of criminality, victimization, etc. Differences suicide rates are the result of anomie. Unlike other theories, social disorganization theories see crime as a pattern of activity that characterizes an entire community. Focus on the structural characteristics of communities. Pioneered by the robert e. park and the chicago school in the 1920s. Cities tend to expand radiately from their zones. Central business (toronto, montreal, vancouver) - the downtown area, we see large stores, skyscrapers, hotels. Zone in transition (manufacturing agency, factories) - immediately surrounds the business district. (rundown housing, poor housing, immigrants, these neighbourhoods are deteriorating) Working class (skilled workers live, richer people), escaped zone 2 and moved into zone 3 after they made more money. Zone 4+5 (wealthy families live) live in these properties and expand them. Zone 2 (tends to be more crime rate), more street crime they try to explain.