Chapter 7: Crime and The Role
of The Social Environment

Major Principles of Sociological Theories

This brief section serves to summarize the central features of sociological theories of crime causation. Each of these points can be found elsewhere in this chapter, where they are discussed in more detail. This cursory overview, however, is intended to provide more than a summary—it is meant to be a guide to the rest of this chapter.

While, as this chapter will show, those perspectives on crime causation which have been termed "sociological" are quite diverse, most such perspectives build upon certain fundamental assumptions. Among them are

• Social groups, social institutions, the arrangements of society, and social roles all provide the proper focus for criminological study.
• Group dynamics, group organization, and subgroup relationships form the causal nexus out of which crime develops.
• The structure of society, and its relative degree of organization or disorganization, are important factors contributing to the prevalence of criminal behavior.
• While it may be impossible to predict the specific behavior of a given individual, statistical estimates of group characteristics are possible to achieve. Hence, the probability that a member of a given group will engage in a specific type of crime can be estimated.

While all sociological perspectives on crime share the foregoing characteristics, particular theories may give greater or lesser weight to the following aspects of social life:

1. The clash of norms and values between variously socialized groups.
2. Socialization and the process of association between individuals.
3. The existence of subcultures and varying types of opportunities.

Summary

Sociological theories suggest that the causes of crime lie in the structural arrangements of society, and in the way in which social institutions communicate their values to group members. Overall, the concept of subcultures plays an especially important role in sociological theorizing, for even those perspectives which do not directly speak of organized subcultures seem to imply their existence. Additionally, sociological theories build upon the notion that crime is learned in association with others through the process of communication.

Since sociological theories look to the organization of society for their explanatory power, intervention strategies based upon them typically argue for the modification of formal or informal group processes—including the educational process and familial and work arrangements—and to the increased availability of legitimate opportunity structures. Social programs may be created under the exegesis of particular sociological theories, such as the Chicago Area Project or Mobilization for Youth.

Discussion Questions

Note: you may be requested by your instructor to e-mail the answers to these questions to his or her office. If so, be sure to add your name (or other identifying information) to your answers, since your e-mail address may not tell your instructor who you are.

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1. Do you believe ecological theories have a valid place in contemporary criminological thinking? Why or why not?
2. How, if at all, does the notion of a "criminology of place" differ from more traditional ecological theories? Do you see the criminology of place offering anything new over traditional approaches? If so, what?
3. What is a violent subculture? Why do some subcultures stress violence? How might participants in a subculture of violence be turned toward less aggressive ways?
4. Compare and contrast the theories discussed in this chapter, citing differences and similarities between and among them. How, for example, does Reckless's notion of containment differ from Hirschi's idea of a social bond? How is it similar?
5. What policy implications do you think the theories discussed in this chapter hold? That is, what sorts of changes in society and in government policy might bring about a reduction in crime?

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