Wortopolis Case Study

Superior Essays
The economic recession in Wortopolis ended in 2001 after a software developer established its headquarters in Wortopolis. This company attracted many educated individuals who moved into the city. The city also experienced a growth in its tourism industry because it constructed a new amusement park. The addition of the new company and the amusement park led to the construction of others projects like hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, retail stores and casinos. These advancements helped re-vitalize the city. Despite all the advancements the city made, not all Wortopolis citizens benefited from it. The inequality rate in the city increased between 2001 and 2010. The social bond and relative deprivation theory explain why the crime rates in Wortopolis …show more content…
The relative deprivation theory talks about how the perception of unfair disparity between different situations leads to crime (Boyd, 2014). The theory also states crime rates are based on social inequality. In Wortopolis many of the residents who have lived there a long time watched newcomers take high paying jobs. The residents were then stuck with low paying service sector jobs. This wealth disparity made them relatively deprived in comparison to the newcomers. This increased the perception among people who had the low paying jobs that they were not included in the city’s success. When the permanent residents watched the city go through a long recession and then watched everything but their lives prosper, they will get upset. This perception along with the fact that the citizens who endured the recession with their city did not get jobs that newcomers got will lead to frustration. The theory also states social inequality will also lead to crime. Despite the new jobs, the city’s unemployment rate is still three times higher than it was before the recession. This has made the alternative of property and violent crime more appealing. The social bond theory and relative deprivation theory both work together to show why crime in Wortopolis has not …show more content…
The relative deprivation theory can only explain crime that was committed by people who may not be as fortunate as others may. It can only explain crime that was committed by people who were relatively deprived in comparison to the standard. The social bond theory faces a limitation when it comes to establishment as a reason behind crime. The social bond theory has elements, which are difficult to establish because they are often personal. The four categories of attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief are often held internally and can only be measured when it has an impact on society through crime. It also faces a limitation when it comes to establishing why loitering rates went up. The social bond theory also cannot explain why people loitered more after the recession ended. The social bond theory and relative deprivation theory can explain the high crime, and the increasing drug trafficking, and prostitution in Wortropolis. The social inequality has led to the lack of belief in the city’s ability to help the people who are not financially stable. The inability to help the citizens has led to them feeling relatively deprived which resulted in higher in drug trafficking, prostitution and loitering rates in Wortopolis. The breakdown in belief and the relative deprivations citizens faced caused the increased in

Related Documents

  • Great Essays

    The theory’s premise suggests that social causes such as inequality, poverty, and unemployment relatively affect crime. Braga & Weisburd (2010) elaborates that offenders who are motivated are often willing and capable of committing a criminal activity. Dean, Gottschalk & Fahsing (2010) adds that targets perceived suitable are objects and persons that the offenders either perceive to be attractive or vulnerable. The analytical of the routine activities encompasses the broad examination and shift in the victim’s patterns and the behavior of the offenders. The theory in discussion delves on the assumption that any individual can commit a crime when they have the opportunity to do so. Random patrols are relatively efficient and also effective in crime prevention that is routine. They tend to reduce fear among the potential vulnerable targets and also instill fear on the intention of the offenders. For a crime to occur within the tenets of the theory then there must be the following element: motivated offender(s) who has the intention of committing a crime; the ability to be inclined towards the act; suitability of the victim or the target, and absence of guardian who is capable of preventing the crime. Random patrol officers, therefore, act as guardians who eventual can prevent the intention of the motivated offenders. According to Bryan & Wang (2013), the theory is however not quite…

    • 2430 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Citizens will commit crimes when it is revealed that the doors to attaining material success are closed. Subjects such as unemployment, ignorance, disease, filth, poor housing, congestion, and discrimination are all contributing factors to the crime waves that are shown across the nation. The Blocked Opportunities Frame reveals that crime stems from poverty and discrimination. Policy depicts that the government must address the “root causes” of crime by creating jobs and reducing poverty. Symbols of this frame exemplify acts like stealing sneakers, black on black crime, dead-end, low-paying…

    • 410 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    One will first analyze the primary crime prevention. The city of Walshville lacks social crime prevention strategies especially in zone 17. According to the report it was observed that more crimes were committed in DA 17. This can then explain how the lack of education can result in no employment, which can lead one to poverty. Bureau of Justice Assistance (1994) found that the lack of education an individual has can initiate human violence . Furthermore, there is also a lack of proper environmental design presented preferably in zone 7. It been reported that Bill Ave. consist of a lot of low rent apartment tower complexes as well as row town houses). McKay (2007) found that criminal activity is more likely to be committed in low rises as oppose to high rises as it is believed that it is must more difficult for someone to commit a crime such as B&E 's in these buildings. According to the selected crime indicator, there was about 139 break and enters equally divided between DA 15, 17,19 and 11. We will now look into the secondary prevention model. The Walshville report disclosed that disputes including domestic, family and neighborhoods are the leading cause of crime with 493 reports only in DA 17 for 2010. The reason why there may be an increase of such behavior is because of the lack of publically funded resources provided, this…

    • 1498 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As with any theory, the strain theory draws great criticism. One of the major criticisms is the fact that the strain theory is based on weak empirical support. Scholars have argued that the strain theory was improperly measured suggesting that the main concept of the strain theory was improperly measured in previous research (Burton & Cullen, 1992). A criticism made by Bernard (1987), is that the strain theories do not predict relationships at the individual level between crime and frustration. The theory predicts a relationship between crime and characteristics associated with social structures; however, those social structural characteristics are not necessary to explain crime at the individual level. It is also argued that the theory only explains some types of crime and delinquency but not all (Bernard, 1987).…

    • 1315 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It is common for the poor to lack vital resources for survival because of the concept of the poor economic inequality among minorities. As a result, cities with a greater population of African individuals are regularly targeted by police violence due to the poor city condition and the monetary inequality. These urban conditions encompass a negative way of life that includes low income households, unsanitary surroundings, and crime associated habits. Consequently, underprivileged minority communities are perceived as very dangerous due to the fact that those who live in these communities frequently are associated with gangs. Lack of money and support from family contributors is the main reasons of crimes. Unlike the upper class, the poor communities have plenty of unsolved issues like gangs, prostitutions, and…

    • 653 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Prison Boom

    • 1116 Words
    • 5 Pages

    This says that crime is caused by structural causes rather than individual traits. (Shaw and McKay 1942 Juvenile Delinquency and Urban Areas) This is better defined as the breakdown of social institutions in a community. Poverty creates excess crime and criminal behaviors. If this is true then a reasonable person could place the blame on certain administration 's politics such as the initial Nixon drug laws and then later Clinton 's mandatory sentencing guidelines. For all of the models used in criminological theory, they never account for racist or elitist tendencies to wield power in favor of like individuals. What would the theories of Shaw and McKay look like if it interpreted data from the perspective of an impoverished underclass? It is in my honest opinion that the theoretical models would not work properly within those parameters without providing a motivation for the constant individual cultivation of extreme wealth. The prison industrial complex has proven to be a social juggernaut, but one may be surprised at what kind of negative effects have been absorbed by the most vulnerable people in our society. According to Christopher Widman in his paper imprisonment and infant mortality Having ever been incarcerated or having an ever-incarcerated partner increases the risk of having infectious or stress-related…

    • 1116 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Income Inequality

    • 760 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The link between income inequality and both violent and property crime is well established, as low levels of trust in highly unequal countries correlates higher income inequality to high homicide rates (O10). Disadvantaged members of a society are likely to suffer from frustration and resentment, which fosters hostility as a result of their economic position and blocked opportunities. The bitterness held by low socio-economic individuals result in a higher tendency towards criminal behaviour (OO5). Income inequality also increases the incentive to commit crimes, as fewer methods of lawfully obtaining resources are available for large numbers. Limited employment opportunities caused by an unequal economy encourages young people to find unacceptable and illegal means of sustaining themselves in a hostile environment. These illegal methods allow disadvantaged people to obtain material goods they would not have otherwise been able to secure through legitimate means (O12). The wide gap between the wealthy and middle class also tends to reduce law enforcement spending in low-income areas, which maximizes crime. Due to the fact that wealthy members of society favors secluded communities, these rich neighborhoods provide more funds for legal enforcement compared to their less affluent counterparts. This results in a less effective police force in numerous underprivileged…

    • 760 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    North Memphis Case Study

    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The crime problem will never be achieved, but it can be controlled through punishment for breaking laws. The North Memphis District will possibly continue to experience ongoing crime because of the lack of funds the government fail to invest in the community, which can make it a better environment in Memphis. The Social Disorganization, Social Control, and Strain theory attempts to express why and how crime remains in certain societies and what steps should be taken to lessen criminal behavior. Therefore, patterns of crime in cultural occurrences can greatly affect all of the theories from group to group with societal context that include time and space (Porterfield,…

    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Nobody fully knows why people commit crimes and negatively affect our society, but society can try to explain some reasons with sociological theories. People can look at three widely known Sociological theories of crime; Strain, social learning, and control theories. Each of these theories explain crime by using social environment such as, family, school, social groups (friends), workplace, community, and society. Each theory is similar but at the same time very different, each theory is different on how social environments cause crime, they take different parts of social environment, and some theories explain differences of the individual and others explain differences in social groups. Strain theory explains that individuals engage in crime because they are stressed or strained. Social learning theory argues that individuals learn through the people they most closely associate with. Control theory is different than the others because instead of asking why people commit crime they ask why people do not commit crime. Control theorist argue that it is easy to commit a crime and get what you want so it’s about people’s relationships and what they have learned that proves whether they have control or not. All of these theories attempt to explain the social causes of crime and with these theories people can try to solve problems in our society so that we can lower the crime rate and create a safer environment for everyone.…

    • 900 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    This theory essentials blames this on today’s society. Everyone has the ability to violate laws, but ultimately do not due to their morals. They are often afraid that committing crimes will ruin great relationships forever. For example, if a college student is currently involved in an internship with a potential employer, they may fear that if they were to commit a crime of any sort, the social bond between them and their potential employer will be ruined forever. Without these social bonds, many people would have no cares in regards to them committing criminal acts. There are four main topics in regards to social bonds: attachment, commitment, belief, and involvement. Attachment to family members, friends, and the community will ultimately assist in ones respect for authority as they grow older. If there is not attachment, one may feel as if they do not have to respect anyone no matter who they may be. If one builds a strong commitment to their future endeavors, they will then begin to think twice before committing criminal acts, unlike those who have no regards to their future or current well-being. Lastly, if one is involved in community service projects, attending school, and working, that leaves little to no time for them to commit criminal acts. For example, if a teenager is living in an unruly neighborhood and simply goes to school and comes back to that…

    • 1809 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    On this Earth there are many people who work very hard to survive. Many people are not as fortunate as others, and were not born into good circumstances. People struggle with poverty and crime on a daily bases. Even though America is better off than some countries, there are certain cities that still struggle such as Cleveland, OH and Detroit, MI. Detroit has one of the highest poverty rates in the United States. Not having enough money to support themselves and their families increase the stress of day to day life. Detroit also has the highest murder rate and one of the top in robberies. Struggling with poverty and crime lowers the standard of life for many Americans. This paper will take a look at how everyone is affected by these situations.…

    • 466 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Relative poverty is the absence of resources to maintain an appropriate living standard in relation to the overall conditions in society. It connects income inequality to crime rate because it is capable of further leading to deviance, which can prompt crime. As mentioned in the introduction, the less fortunate more often than not, compare themselves to the overall economic standing of the general public. The emotional stress involved with being notably lower than the average person could lead to crime against both the poor and the…

    • 467 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Social structure theory suggest that poor people commits more criminal acts because they are straining to fill their financial needs or social activities. Social structure can explain why a person becomes a serial killer through…

    • 613 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    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…

    • 1553 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Those who are heavily involved in social obligations are less likely to have the time to participate in deviant activities or criminality. Finally, belief refers to the acceptance of the dominant value system of society (King, 2016c, para 7). “It focuses on the values of respect, civility, tolerance, and acceptance of law and order” (King, 2016c, para 7). Those who respect the value system of society are less likely to adopt non-conformist beliefs and involve themselves in delinquency. According to social bonding theory, when each bond is strong, and individual will refrain from criminal…

    • 1158 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays