Within the vast multitude of social structural theories, two stand out among all the others. Shaw and Mckay’s Social Disorganization Theory serves as a unique theory that attempts to gauge the cause of the seemingly rampant crime occurring in society. Particularly, the Social Disorganization theory references an individual’s environment as a significant factor contributing to their moral fiber and ultimately their behavior. Henceforth, those individuals who are unfortunate to have to grow in an environment that is teeming with crime and composed of those with low socioeconomic status, they are likely to follow the common trend. This trend is in coinciding correlation with delinquent behavior and criminal activities. The Social Disorganization
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They both deal with the causation aspect of criminology. Both theories note that there are several contributing factors that lead to individuals committing crime, yet each theorist believes his reasoning reigns king. Many theories are formed based upon the effects of criminal behavior and activities, yet these two attempt to spear the root cause of such occurrences. Another similarity exhibited by these two theories is that they were replaced by either derived theories or psychological theories. In regards to the strain theory, several derived theories such as the General Strain theory and the Institutional Anomie Theory trace their roots back to the strain theory. Shaw an McKay’s work was furthered by individuals such as Robert Faris and Robert Sampson who based their research upon the conclusions drawn in the Social Disorganization Theory. Therefore, both theories can be viewed as a basis for further development in the field of criminology theory. Inclusively, both theories formulate a foundation for an individual reason for the commitment of crime within an …show more content…
They both unswervingly weigh the most significant influences that serve as causations for participation in illicit activities. The Social Disorganization Theory concludes that “crime is largely a product of unfavorable conditions in certain communities” (Gaines and Miller 43). This can be applied directly to criminal justice due to the realization that a large sector of criminals are not inherently bad people. Rather, they are morally equal to any individual, but were simply victims of their environment. If someone is constantly emerged in an atmosphere where horrendous activities are deemed acceptable or even admirable, they are significantly more likely to succumb to similar opportunities. The Strain Theory is similarly effective as it concludes that the yearning for monetary success is to blame as the most significant factor contributing to the commitment of crime. Money as the motive applies to the criminal justice system in many investigations where they are searching for a motive that may lead them to capturing a criminal. Wholly, both theories are tremendously useful in terms of understanding crime in regards to criminal
They both deal with the causation aspect of criminology. Both theories note that there are several contributing factors that lead to individuals committing crime, yet each theorist believes his reasoning reigns king. Many theories are formed based upon the effects of criminal behavior and activities, yet these two attempt to spear the root cause of such occurrences. Another similarity exhibited by these two theories is that they were replaced by either derived theories or psychological theories. In regards to the strain theory, several derived theories such as the General Strain theory and the Institutional Anomie Theory trace their roots back to the strain theory. Shaw an McKay’s work was furthered by individuals such as Robert Faris and Robert Sampson who based their research upon the conclusions drawn in the Social Disorganization Theory. Therefore, both theories can be viewed as a basis for further development in the field of criminology theory. Inclusively, both theories formulate a foundation for an individual reason for the commitment of crime within an …show more content…
They both unswervingly weigh the most significant influences that serve as causations for participation in illicit activities. The Social Disorganization Theory concludes that “crime is largely a product of unfavorable conditions in certain communities” (Gaines and Miller 43). This can be applied directly to criminal justice due to the realization that a large sector of criminals are not inherently bad people. Rather, they are morally equal to any individual, but were simply victims of their environment. If someone is constantly emerged in an atmosphere where horrendous activities are deemed acceptable or even admirable, they are significantly more likely to succumb to similar opportunities. The Strain Theory is similarly effective as it concludes that the yearning for monetary success is to blame as the most significant factor contributing to the commitment of crime. Money as the motive applies to the criminal justice system in many investigations where they are searching for a motive that may lead them to capturing a criminal. Wholly, both theories are tremendously useful in terms of understanding crime in regards to criminal