Chicago School

Theories and studies by sociologists in the country's oldest sociology program (1892) located in Chicago.

• why certain areas had higher crime rates than others
• studied ecological forces, criminologists attempted to understand the role of environment in criminal activity.

• Father of french sociology, emphasis on relationship between social structure and social problems.
• criminals: act as agent of change, distinguished 2 types of criminals: altruistic and common
• theorized notions of social intergration and the need to control human appetites
• concepts of industrial prosperity and anomie.
• coined "anomie" to describe a state of affairs for which the norms and values of society weaken and are no longer able to control behaviors.

• Robert Park studied Chicago crime
• identified Chicago's series of concentric zones according to residentiak, occupational, and class characteristics.
• factory zone
• zone in transition
• workingmen's home zone
• residential zone
• commuter zone

• Shaw and Mckay examined whether rates of delinquency would correspond with Burgess' concentric zones
• study confirmed concentric zone theory that delinquency is highest in the zone of transition, farther one moved, the lower the rate of deliquency
• suggested that characteristics of people living there mattered less than the particular geographical area. regardless of who occupied the zone, their children had higher rates of delinq.

• social closeness (kinship networks) and willingness to trust neighbors
• informal social control (intervene in problem situation, supervise youth in neighborhood)

• too much emphasis on the pursuit of money can weaken norms that dictate the proper way to achieve "the american dream"
• 4 Possible adaptations to strain produced by the gap between the cultural goal of $ success and reality of limited channels.

1. Innovation-pursue's culturally approved dream through unacceptable means. Most likely to lead to criminal behavior

2. Ritualism- abandonment of goal over time, plays it safe, made it through each day

3. Retreatism-social dropout; will not resort to illegitimate means to achieve widely shared goals ie: drug addicts

4. Rebellion- opposes both the culturally dominant goals and the means to achieve goals. Seeks to establish new order ie: hippies, terrorists.

• The failure to achieve positively valued goals ie: $uccess, good grades
• removal of positively valued stimuli ie: death of parent, break up, etc.
• presence of inescapable negative stimuli ie: violent household, school trouble.
• Argues that strain produces negative emotional states, such as anger or depression that are conducive to many different types of delinq and crime.

• strain is caused by the faulure of lower class boys to achieve middle class status and initially accept the goals and values, ambition, control over aggression etc, of the middle class
• "middle class measuring rod" measure middle class standards of oneself

• Crime is learned
• Cultural transmission of delinq. values
• People learn to commit crimes through contact with others in personal intimate groups
• A PERSON BECOMES DELIQ BECAUSE OF AN EXCESS OF DEFINITIONS FAVORABLE TO VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW OVER DEFINITIONS FAVORABLE TO ABIDING THE LAW

Incorporates psychological learning principles (reinforcement and observational learning) into differential association theory

• Assumes that all people are potential criminals and society presents vast opportunities for crime
• argues that most people obey the law because ppl's behaviors are controlled by internal and external forces

Hirschi's Social Bond Theory

4 elements of social bond tying individual to society

• Attachment- the emotional element reflecting ties to parents, or pro-social peers
• Commitment- rational element reflecting individual's stake in society and wha tthat person stands to lose
• Involvement- the extent to which a person participates in conventional activities of a society
• Belief- respect for moral validity of the rules of a society; extent to which ppl believe in what society stands for and the laws of society

• Indirect: something valuable tying individual to conformity (relationship/job)
• Direct: exercised by those who have direct authority over others (parents:children, teachers:students)
• Internal: self control over your own delinq. impulses

• Internal control is the vital component, arguing that low self-control is the sole cause of all criminal behavior, as well as other behaviors analogous to crime.
• humans are born W/O self control
• gains self-control through proper parenting

• extension of social bond theory
• based on Glueck's data on 500 deliq. and non deliq. boys
• family and school controls influence behavior in childhood and adolescence 
• deliq. behavior in childhood, strong indicator of continuing into adulthood
• social bonds in adulthood explain changes in criminal behavior over life course

• emphasis on interactions between individuals and institutions of formal control (police, etc)
• contact with police, courts, etc may create negative self image
• self-fulfilling prophecy
• no act is inherently evil, bad, or criminal

• children engaging in various forms of deviance (shoplifting, vandalism)

• once labeled as delinquent, other's view may change, resulting in negative self-image
• continual deliq. behavior, self-fulfilling prophecy

• definitions and causes of crime can be linked to economic, social, political disparity and conflict

• Why are certain acts illegal? regardless of harm they cause
• Those with power/influence shape laws in ways that promote their interest

• Minorities are 4x more likely to be arrested for drugs than whites, despite vast majority of users being white
• issue surrounding sentencing of powder vs. crack cocaine offenses and their users

• Furman v. Georgia: AA far more likely to receive death penalty than whites, race of victim and offender played role, called for more structure in sentencing
• Gregg v. Georgia

• Proletariat: working class
• Bourgeoisie: salaried/management positions (middle class)
• Capitalists:own the means of production, exploit the surplus of others

• Believed in Altruism: indivs. are more self-less and look after other's needs
• production is for mutual consumption
• Capitalist societies are based upon egoism: production is for capitalists, exploit surplus for profit
• capitalism: promotes social irresponsibility, created environment of crime.

• Criminal law and CJ system are capital instruments for controlling lower class
• critiques: many laws that run against capitalism

• criminal law and cj system are means of defending and preserving capitalism AND control members of ANY class who threaten it.
• capitalists are not singular, homogenous group.

• Historically, women were largely ignored in criminology