Ecology

Question 1

Who are the key theorists for the ecology of crime?

Answer 1

Shaw and McKay: Chicago School of Sociology

Question 2

What is the basis of the theory?

Answer 2

The structure of society and the impact of social geography and social policy all contribute to an environment for crime to develop.

Question 3

What was the emphasis of their research?

Answer 3

Focused on patterns and change, produced by different species living together in the same environment

Question 4

What is zonal hypothesis?

Answer 4

The theory by Shaw and McKay which separated the city into a number of different, distinct zones.

1. The loop: CBD, banks, businesses etc,
2. Transitional zone: just outside the loop: old, commission housing, temporary, short term accommodation
3. Worker’s zone: Further out, more labour, more expensive
4. Commuter’s zone: removed from the city

Question 5

What were Shaw and McKay’s key findings regarding the different zones?

Answer 5

1. Delinquents were mostly found in the transitional zone
2. Other social problems (poverty, unemployment etc.) were also concentrated in the transitional zone
3. People with no criminal history come to the zone and start to commit crime whilst people who commit crime in the zone leave and stop committing crime.

Question 6

How did they explain their findings?

Answer 6

Social disorganisation

• the area surrounding the CBD are less desirable places to live - and therefore often populated by the poor
• People move often: when they can afford to move, they will
• This creates a transient area where there is a lack of care for neighbours and community, because it is so constantly changing
• The lack of care creates a breakdown in social organisation: religion, schools, values etc.
• since criminal values are more common and more tolerated, people are more likely to adopt those values

Question 7

How is the theory applied to reduce crime?

Answer 7

• Systems should be put in place to improve formal and informal social organisation
• Parenting assistance, schooling etc.
• Justice reinvestment: taking money out of prisons etc. and using it to improve social organisation and socioeconomic disadvantage in the zones
• Applied in the U.S and significantly reduced prison numbers and saved significant $

Question 8

Criticisms of the theory

Answer 8

1. The field work completed was loose and imprecise - no clear investigation
2. Link between crime and zones is exaggerated
3. Ignored economic, political and historical influences: maybe the crime can be explained by social problems, rather than location
4. Doesn’t apply to all crimes
5. Application in Vic: 25% of crime is in two postcodes BUT 73% of most disadvantaged areas are non-metro
6. Based on official statistic: self-report studies indicate that crime is more evenly distributed
7. Could result in higher police number in that area - which then result in higher statistic from that area, simply because of increased surveillance
8. Focus of services in transitional zone may disadvantage other areas