SOC 2700 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Urban Ecology, Invasive Species, Social Disorganization Theory

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2700
• Professor: Stephanie Howells

Document Summary

Introduction: macro-theories see crime not only as acts engaged in by individuals but also as a pattern of activity that characterizes communities. They try to see difference in communities, collectives, or social categories with higher and lower crime rates. He found that crime rates followed patterns and regularities, and can be explained by the characteristics of the group that committed them. The data showed that criminals were commonly living in wealthier areas with higher education levels. This had to do with the role that opportunity plays in crime causation, as areas with more wealth and higher education can be exploited more, producing higher crime rates. This was perhaps the first attempt to base criminological theory on empirical data. Social disorganization and the urban ecology of crime and delinquency: shaw and mckay developed social disorganization theory (sdt) they too mapped out a city but it was chicago, and they were grounded in a theory of urban ecology.