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Criminology Theories and Social Disorganization

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Explained why social disorganization and social control theories are considered positivist and how they differ from classical theories.
Explained whether or not you agree with Shaw and McKay's assessment.
Identified the five environmental stressors that impact crime in community and its inhabitants most.
Explained how people views surrounding the issues of community decay, strategies to combat community decay, and complexities involved in efforts to reverse the cycle of community decay changed.
Explained how people perspectives can changed toward the macrolevel and microlevel theorists' approaches toward crime.
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The solution provides information, assistance and advise in tackling the task (see above)on the topic of criminological theories. The solution is in the form of a Q&A. Resources are listed for further exploration of the topic.

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Q&A : Crime Theories

Q - Explain why social disorganization and social control theories are considered positivist and how they differ from classical theories.

A - Social disorganization theory (SDT - crime stems from social inequality leading to lack in control and organization) and social control theory (SCT - explores why people obey/don't obey rules and the law) are positivist in that they utilize theories of social sciences to explore and explain the causes of, and the likely solutions to crime and criminality. Thus, they look at crime in context, relating micro conditions to mezzo outcomes and macro impact (impact to larger society). They differ from classicism in that they are very particular, exploring crime in context of it's origins and the conditions that lead to it, not focusing on man as the cause of crime by his free will alone.

For more see -
SDT - http://sitemason.vanderbilt.edu/files/l/l3Bguk/socdis.pdf
SCT - http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780195396607/obo-9780195396607-0091.xml

Q - Explain whether or not you agree with Shaw and McKay’s assessment.

A - Shaw & McKay (1942) conducted a study of the prevalence and causes of criminality in Chicago and they concluded that it is in socially disorganized, poverty-stricken areas that crime and criminality are most concentrated (the concentric models) as exemplified in the inner-city ghettos of Chicago. In terms of relevance and ...

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