scholarly journals Responding to Neighborhood Problems: Is the Division of Community Labor Gendered?

2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (9) ◽  
pp. 1215-1241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Wickes ◽  
Lisa Broidy ◽  
John R. Hipp
Keyword(s):  
Social Control ◽  
Social Disorganization ◽  
Fear Of Crime ◽  
Crime Reduction ◽  
Informal Social Control ◽  
Social Disorganization Theory ◽  
Neighborhood Crime ◽  
Neighborhood Problems ◽  
Control Actions ◽  
The Relationship

Social disorganization theory positions informal social control as central to neighborhood crime reduction. Although neighborhood ties, fear of crime, and perceived disorder influence the exercise of informal social control, there are significant sex differences for these drivers that might differentially influence men and women’s informal social control actions. Furthermore, these differences may be exaggerated under conditions that activate gendered divisions of labor. We use survey data from 4,000 residents in 148 neighborhoods and employ multilevel logistic regression to examine the relationship between sex and informal social control actions. We find that men are more likely to take action than women; however, our three-way interactions reveal family arrangements moderate the relationship between ties, fear of crime, disorder, and these actions.

Social Disorganization Theory

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Bellair
Keyword(s):  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Social Disorganization ◽  
Urban Neighborhoods ◽  
Informal Social Control ◽  
Social Disorganization Theory ◽  
Neighborhood Crime ◽  
The Social ◽  
Organic Solidarity ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Crucial Test

Contemporary sociologists typically trace social disorganization models to Emile Durkheim’s classic work. There is continuity between Durkheim’s concern for organic solidarity in societies that are changing rapidly and the social disorganization approach of Shaw and McKay (1969). However, Shaw and McKay view social disorganization as a situationally rooted variable and not as an inevitable property of all urban neighborhoods. They argued that socioeconomic status (SES), racial and ethnic heterogeneity, and residential stability account for variations in social disorganization and hence informal social control, which in turn account for the distribution of community crime. Empirical testing of Shaw and McKay’s research in other cities during the mid-20th century, with few exceptions, focused on the relationship between SES and delinquency or crime as a crucial test of the theory. As a whole, that research supports social disorganization theory. A handful of studies in the 1940s through early 1960s documented a relationship between social disorganization and crime. After a period of stagnation, social disorganization increased through the 1980s and since then has accelerated rapidly. Much of that research includes direct measurement of social disorganization, informal control, and collective efficacy. Clearly, many scholars perceive that social disorganization plays a central role in the distribution of neighborhood crime.

In Guns We Trust: A Reexamination of the Collective Security Hypothesis

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (12) ◽  
pp. 1936-1954 ◽  
Author(s):  
James D. Kelsay ◽  
Jordan Papp ◽  
Jennifer Wareham ◽  
Brad W. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Social Control ◽  
Fear Of Crime ◽  
Informal Social Control ◽  
Collective Security ◽  
Gun Ownership ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Public ◽  
Security Hypothesis ◽  
Perceptions Of Police ◽  
Using Data

This study reexamines the collective security hypothesis of gun ownership using data collected from residents of the city of Detroit, Michigan. In addition, we seek to determine whether the effects of perceptions of police, fear of crime, and victimization on individual-level gun ownership are attenuated by neighborhood levels of informal social control. Our findings indicate that police satisfaction remains a robust predictor of gun ownership, in that those who are less satisfied with police are more likely to own a firearm for defensive purposes. Moreover, the effects of this variable remain unaffected by the inclusion of informal social control. These results confirm a number of previously identified correlates of gun ownership remain influential and suggest that improving perceptions of police among the public may lead to fewer firearms in circulation among the public.

Cross-cultural nuances of the sources and consequences of subjective feelings of unsafety: A qualitative analysis in four cities

2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 324-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riccardo Valente ◽  
Lucrezia Crescenzi Lanna
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Social Control ◽  
Fear Of Crime ◽  
General Trend ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Informal Social Control ◽  
Social Involvement ◽  
European Cities ◽  
Depth Interviews

The research aims at analyzing the fear of crime and its consequences on social cohesion and informal social control. The study is based on data collected through a triangulation of qualitative techniques (in-depth interviews, participant observation, and semi-structured focus groups) throughout eight neighborhoods of four European cities. Challenging the initial expectations, the results obtained show that, under certain circumstances, the fear of crime might foster genuine forms of social involvement and problem-solving participation. Nevertheless, the general trend indicates that crime-related anxieties are fueling the emergence of nostalgic, passive-aggressive, and violent forms of identity, which might promote potentially dangerous types of collective action.

Clarifying the Relationship Between Racial Diversity and Crime: Neighborhoods Versus Cities

2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (11) ◽  
pp. 1513-1536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marin R. Wenger
Keyword(s):  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Social Disorganization ◽  
Racial Diversity ◽  
Current Investigation ◽  
Neighborhood Crime ◽  
Census Tracts ◽  
Neighborhood Diversity ◽  
The Relationship

Since the 1970s, racial diversity within neighborhoods and cities has been increasing. Although social disorganization theorists have long argued that diversity reduces social cohesion leading to increases in crime, the association between diversity and crime may be more nuanced than previously thought. More specifically, neighborhood processes occur within the broader context of the cities within which they are embedded. The current investigation uses data from 9,593 census tracts nested within 91 large U.S. cities from the National Neighborhood Crime Study (NNCS) to test whether the association between neighborhood diversity and crime differs by city diversity. Results indicate an interaction between neighborhood and city diversity, such that the effect of neighborhood diversity on crime becomes weaker as city diversity increases.

Guardianship and Informal Social Control

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle M. Reynald
Keyword(s):  
Social Control ◽  
Crime Control ◽  
Social Ties ◽  
Informal Social Control ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Key Points ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Critical Overview ◽  
Neighborhood Level

This article provides a critical overview of the concepts of guardianship and informal social control. The discussion compares these fundamental criminological concepts and highlights areas where there is overlap, as well as key points of departure. The relationship between these concepts is scrutinized to illustrate their distinct origins as well as the distinctive ways each of these concepts have developed within the criminological literature. This article focuses on informal social control as a multi-level community process, and on guardianship as a multi-dimensional situational concept comprising, in its most fundamental form, the presence or availability of guardians, inadvertent and/or purposive supervision and direct or indirect intervention. In doing so it showcases the dimensions of guardianship which bear close resemblance to aspects of informal social control, while simultaneously emphasizing that there are important distinctions to consider when comparing some of these dimensions and the levels at which they operate. One core distinction is that informal social control is dependent on neighborhood social ties and collectively shared expectations. On the other hand, while guardianship can be strengthened by social ties at the street-block or neighborhood level, it does not necessarily require such ties to function effectively at the microlevel. Although these concepts do coincide the discussion stresses that theoretical and empirical clarification about what makes them distinct is important. In conclusion, this article shows how each concept makes a unique contribution to criminological understanding about the role of informal citizens in crime control at places.

The Multilevel Effects of Changes in Disadvantage on Changes in Crime

2021 ◽  
pp. 001112872110475
Author(s):  
Marin R. Wenger
Keyword(s):  
Social Disorganization ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Community Survey ◽  
Social Disorganization Theory ◽  
American Community Survey ◽  
Neighborhood Crime ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Census Tracts ◽  
Multilevel Effects ◽  
Over Time

While social disorganization theory suggests the importance of change, most prior research examining macro-level criminological associations uses cross-sectional data. The current study examines the multilevel relationship between changes in disadvantage and changes in crime over time using four data sources: the National Neighborhood Crime Study, the 2000 U.S. Census, crime-incidents occurring between 2005 and 2009, and the 2005–2009 American Community Survey. Analyzing 6,068 census tracts within 53 large U.S. cities using multilevel models with time nested within tracts nested within cities, I parse out the contribution of changes in tract-level disadvantage from city-level disadvantage to changes in robbery and burglary rates. Results indicate the importance of both static and dynamic associations between disadvantage and crime, at both the neighborhood and city level.

scholarly journals Contribution of Design Indicators in Perception of Social Capital, and Interference of Socio-Demographic Information in the Process

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 3589
Author(s):  
Akbar Rahimi ◽  
Mahsa Tarashkar ◽  
Banafshe Jahantab
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Control ◽  
Social Indicators ◽  
Urban Parks ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Informal Social Control ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Effective Contribution

Social capital is the effective contribution of social groups through providing a context for cooperation, sense of identity, and perception of social norms. Urban parks are important components of cities, helps building the social capital within urban societies. This study examines the social capital of important urban parks of Tehran, Iran, using three main criteria: informal social control, social cohesion, and social leverage. A stratified random sample of 330 users were selected and asked to rank the social capital criteria using a questionnaire involving five-point Likert scale questions. The results show mutual relationship between informal social control and social leverage (r = 0.62, α = 0.00), and also inter-relationship between design indicators and perceived social capital. People from lower age group and higher educational level show highest perception of social capital. Perceptual difference were observed between genders. Women experience higher esthetic perception (α = 0.00), security (α = 0.01), and accessibility (α = 0.03). The study, while proving the relationship between social indicators and design features, and the impact of personal characteristics on the perception of social capital, indicates social inequality in citizens’ equal benefit of social capital. Measures must be taken to increase social capital in society and solve the significant lower perceptions of some social capital indicators among specific groups.

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