Crime and Social Theory

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how theories on crime have been devised by numerous disciplines including economists, psychologists and sociologists were among them. It provides a definition and an overview of social disorganization theory, social control theory and opportunity theories in relation to drawing on the work of Shaw and McKay (Chicago School) and Burgess' zonal theory of city development as well as the opinions of Hobbes, Nye, Reckless, Huschi and Burke.

From the Paper:

"In further support of the theory of social disorganization is the Chicago Area Project, established by Clifford Shaw, which aimed to put some organization back into these areas. It encouraged locals to form committees to fight crime and held recreational activities for youths to get them off the streets and give them something other than crime to do. An evaluation by Schlossman, Zellman and Shavelson in 1984 concluded that it had effectively reduced incidences of reported juvenile crime."

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