environmental approaches
Topic 11- Environmental approaches
Assess the usefulness of environmental approaches in explaining the causes and extent of deviance in society. 21 marks
Crimes of locality affect all urban areas throughout the world. Sociologists have tried to explain how and why these crimes occur and others have put forward theories to try and stop crimes from happening.
Shaw and McKay of Chicago University used a system in which the city was seen as divided into five concentric circles radiating from the centre. The central business district was found in the centre of cities with the next circle consisting of the zone of transition where the highest offending rate is. Shaw and McKay explained this offending as the result of a high rate of population turnover, poverty and poor housing, which combined to create social disorganisation this is a situation where there was no strongly established community and therefore no shared values which could prevent offending. Usually Immigrants came to the city and lived where the cheapest housing were. Than after a number of years they get out and other immigrants take their place. By changing the meaning of social disorganisation to mean a set of non-conformist values, it encouraged offending. These values were passed from generation through socialisation or cultural transmission; where group crime was culturally acceptable, and criminals became role models for the next generation.
Bottom argues that Shaw and McKay confused where people lived with where they committed offences, so people from outside the zone of transition could have committed the offences there. Bottoms also notes concentric circles models do not fit in the town planning and social housing model of most European cities. Other studies looked more at where offences take place than where the offenders live. Wilkstrom found the highest offending rates near the centre of Stockholm, in poorer areas, and in rich areas adjacent to poor areas. In response, Sutherland and
Assess the usefulness of environmental approaches in explaining the causes and extent of deviance in society. 21 marks
Crimes of locality affect all urban areas throughout the world. Sociologists have tried to explain how and why these crimes occur and others have put forward theories to try and stop crimes from happening.
Shaw and McKay of Chicago University used a system in which the city was seen as divided into five concentric circles radiating from the centre. The central business district was found in the centre of cities with the next circle consisting of the zone of transition where the highest offending rate is. Shaw and McKay explained this offending as the result of a high rate of population turnover, poverty and poor housing, which combined to create social disorganisation this is a situation where there was no strongly established community and therefore no shared values which could prevent offending. Usually Immigrants came to the city and lived where the cheapest housing were. Than after a number of years they get out and other immigrants take their place. By changing the meaning of social disorganisation to mean a set of non-conformist values, it encouraged offending. These values were passed from generation through socialisation or cultural transmission; where group crime was culturally acceptable, and criminals became role models for the next generation.
Bottom argues that Shaw and McKay confused where people lived with where they committed offences, so people from outside the zone of transition could have committed the offences there. Bottoms also notes concentric circles models do not fit in the town planning and social housing model of most European cities. Other studies looked more at where offences take place than where the offenders live. Wilkstrom found the highest offending rates near the centre of Stockholm, in poorer areas, and in rich areas adjacent to poor areas. In response, Sutherland and