The quality of life in any society is contingent on various factors. In theory, the Chicago School approach (also known as the social disorganization theory) holds that the society’s wellbeing dwells on ecological factors. For instance, the rate of crime in a particular community is directly linked to the ecological features such as the nature of the physical and/or built environment, whether there are police patrols, the existence of gang activities, among others. When in practice, the Chicago School theory demands a thorough assessment of the factors (quality of housing, rate of unemployment, educational attainment, among others) within communities that might play a role in determining or influencing the overall wellbeing of residents. Principally, an identification of the dominant issues within a target community can help assess the potential measures to be taken to improve residents’ quality of life. On that account, the theory can be used to shape or influence administrative decision-making.
To promote a safe and secure environment, it is important to evaluate varied factors such as the willingness of individuals to promote and participate in shared activities. Within any setting, having common and shared goals limits any chances of there being conflict, for instance, over educational amenities, health resources, among others. Within the social disorganization theory, one key tenet is that the wellbeing of the society is predicated on the quality of social relations. Cullen et al. (2019) provided a retrospective look at the nature of American cities as they morphed from stable farming communities into “crowded cities that were centered around booming industries and whose residents were constantly in flux” (p. 33). Because of industrialization, the quality of life was greatly affected being that individuals could now explore any and every opportunity to generate income. However, in the process, as Cullen et al. (2018) noted, it would be wrong to not see how such vast changes in the social structure were associated with a rise in crime. Here, the theory suggests an intimate relationship between social disorganization and the maladaptive behavior of some individuals who are adversely affected by emergent changes.
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Based on what is known about the social disorganization theory, a society’s wellness can be improved through determining how ecological features interact with the needs of the residents. In the course text, Cullen et al. (2018) focused on a study regarding delinquency in youth in which the researchers observed that the rate of crime was directly associated with the characteristics of a particular area. Here, the implication is that the manner in which the community is set up plays a key role in influencing the behavioral outcomes of individuals (Sampson & Groves, 1989). For that reason, the theory in question puts much emphasis on the importance of, for instance, establishing programs focused on ensuring that youth are not idle within the community. However, more often than not, political factors such as poor leadership tend to postpone the needs of members in the community. That being the case, establishing a community that is free crime becomes a daunting task. Therefore, a key limitation of the theory is that it does not provide a distinctive differentiation between social disorganization and crime as an outcome of social disorganization.
The wellbeing of any society can be improved following increased awareness and education of the importance of shared goals. Through the prism of social disorganization theory, structural factors are integral in determining the behavior of individuals. However, there will always be vast differences in structural setups of communities following different economic capacities (Martinez et al., 2008). It follows that the role of individuals in promoting social disorganization should be included as a key factor that can either promote or limit the occurrence of crime, among other social issues. Instead of solely dwelling on the impact of social structures, it is important to look at how individuals, as agents in themselves, play part in promoting that social disorganization. Crime can be reduced, for instance, through promoting common values making each individual responsible for their wellbeing as well as that of their neighbor. Hence, the idea is to shift from placing much importance on structural elements, and instead, investing in changing individuals’ attitudes toward their welfare.
References
Cullen, F. T., Agnew, R., & Wilcox, P. (201 8 ). Criminological theory: Past to present - Essential readings . Oxford University Press, USA.
Sampson, R., & Groves, W. (1989). Community structure and crime: Testing social-disorganization theory. American Journal of Sociology, 94 (4), 774-802. Retrieved March 7, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2780858
Martínez, R., Rosenfeld, R., & Mares, D. (2008). Social disorganization, drug market activity, and neighborhood violent crime. Urban affairs review (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) , 43 (6), 846–874. https://doi.org/10.1177/1078087408314774
