Ecological Stability and the Dynamics of Delinquency (From Communities and Crime, P 35-66, 1986, Albert J Reiss, Jr, and Michael Tonry, eds. - See NCJ-103315)

• NCJ Number: 103317
• Author(s): R J Bursik
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 32 pages
• Grant Number(s): 84-IJ-CX-0071; 84-IJ-CX-0011
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Justice (NIJ); US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Sale Source: University of Chicago Press
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This essay examines the ecological stability of Chicago's local community areas between 1930 and 1970 and the effect of any changes on patterns of delinquency.

Abstract

The author initially reviews Shaw and McKay's ecological approach to social disorganization and delinquency which was developed under the assumption that Chicago was characterized by a stable set of ecological dynamics. Methods of measuring change in ecological models of crime and delinquency are described, as are the Chicago data used in this study -- male juvenile referral rates and measure of ecological change available from census materials. This analysis shows that Chicago's ecological structure has undergone significant changes since 1940. Areas characterized by the most rapid changes experienced dramatic increases in delinquency, which is consistent with the social disorganization perspective. Developments in some areas, however, differed substantially from the pattern predicted from the social disorganization model. This suggests that ecological theories should consider dynamics external to local communities, such as housing shortages and black migration, and must be careful in defining local communities. Tables and approximately 50 references. (Author abstract modified)