science

Social disorganization theory

Social disorganization theory is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Social disorganization theory rather than just read about it. In short: Social disorganization theory is a theory of criminology that was established in 1929 by Clifford Shaw and published in 1942 with his assistant Henry McKay. It is used to describe crime and delinquency in urban North American cities, it suggests that communities characterized by socioeconomic status, ethnic heterogeneity, and residential mobility are impeded from organizing to realize the common goals of their resid…

Key takeaways

Social disorganization theory belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Social disorganization theory to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Social disorganization theory from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Social disorganization theory is a theory of criminology that was established in 1929 by Clifford Shaw and published in 1942 with his assistant Henry McKay. It is used to describe crime and delinquency in urban North American cities, it suggests that communities characterized by socioeconomic status, ethnic heterogeneity, and residential mobility are impeded from organizing to realize the common goals of their residents.

Theory In 1929, as part of the study “Juvenile Delinquency and Urban Areas” in Chicago, Shaw researched the residences of 60,000 young males who had been registered by the city, the police or the courts as school truants or offenders. He dubbed the areas in which a significant portion of the young men under investigation lived “delinquency areas”.

Criticism The theory has been subject to criticism, pointing out the lack of explanation as to why delinquency is concentrated in certain geographical areas of a city. Research has deemed the theory inconclusive, and that most cities don’t adhere to what was a commonly accepted theory for quite some time.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Social disorganization theory

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Social disorganization theory claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Social disorganization theory before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Social disorganization theory ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Social disorganization theory

In research: Social disorganization theory appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Social disorganization theory in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Social disorganization theory is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Criminology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Social disorganization theory outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Social disorganization theory in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Social disorganization theory means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Social disorganization theory out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Social disorganization theory in simple terms?

Why does Social disorganization theory matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Social disorganization theory?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Social disorganization theory.