Chicago School Of Criminology Essay

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Chicago school of criminology is an institution that stems from the end of the first world war. It began as a section of the post-progressive era social science movement. The school marked the stable institution of sociology in the United States of America. It developed as a result of urbanization and expansion of Chicago and the increase in crime rates. The theorists in the institution focused on the changes occurring in the neighborhood. The main school of thought is on urban sociology, social disorganization and other concepts that explicate the crime rate in numerous neighborhoods. The school focuses on the relationship of high crime rate and the changes in the society. The major personalities associated with the institution are Edward Frazier, Edwin Sutherland, Florian Znaniecki, W.I Thomas, Henry McKay, Ruth Shonle Cavan amongst others.
Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay were some of the major researchers in the Chicago school of criminology. Their theory of social disorganization gives an explanation of the increase of crime rate and juvenile delinquency. They explained that social deterioration and physical destruction of downtown areas causes disintegration of the society and its ability to govern itself. According to the two
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The theory explains that criminal behavior is learned through interaction with those in the community. The theory further explains that learning of delinquent behavior occurs within familiar personal clusters. Criminal behavior is motivated by the definition of the favorability of legal codes. The more favorable the legal system definition is to a person the more likely they are to engage in crime. Differential association varies in duration, frequency, intensity, and priority, and the pace is reliant on the group. Therefore, the increase in juvenile delinquency and crime rate in Chicago and its environments are a result of the learning from close

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