Social Disorganization Theory
Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay
Julia Contreras15 May 2013SBS 300Dr. Ruben MendozaSpring 2013
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The Social disorganization theory was created in 1942 by Clifford Shaw and Henry
McKay. This theory focuses on deviant behaviors such as crime and violence that were at
their peek in the 1920s in large cities. Shaw and McKay decided to focus on the types of
places that created favorable and unfavorable conditions for these behaviors instead of the
individuals who were most likely commiting these acts. To test their theory, Shaw and
McKay used Burgess’s Concentric Zone model to base their finding on, used juvenille
records from the city of Chicago and published their findings in books, papers and maps.
Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay attended the University of Chicago at around the same
time; they were classmates. Here they graduated as sociologists, a fairly new area of study at
the time. They were two people who really influenced the program of sociology and made it
concrete after they went through it. Shaw and McKay were both sociologist who were
particularly interested in the field of criminology. When Shaw was a small child he went into
a blacksmith shop and stole 9 nails. Before leaving the shop, the nails fell out of his pocket.
The owner did not accuse him or threaten him, instead asked why he needed the nails?
Clifford replied that he was trying to build a wagon. The owner told Clifford that they could
build it together. Clifford later identified this event as extremely important in his life that
shaped his interest in crime. (Everything 2)
In the 1920s there was large migration into Chicago by African Americans and European
immigrants looking for industrial jobs. Most of these people were poorly educated, lacked
basic working skills, and did not speak English. Because of this more affluent residents
moved away to the suburbs leaving the poor and ill educated in the run down cities; crime
and delinquency rates were on the rise because of these transformations. Shaw and McKay,
jointly, decided to investigate the reasons for this. Instead of focusing on the types of
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individuals who would be most likely to commit these deviant behaviors, Shaw and McKay
focused on the types of places such as the neighborhoods where crime would most likely be
commited. (Delinquency in Society, p.177)
To test their theories, Shaw and McKay used Burgess’s Concentric Zone model. This
model is basically a city divided into five zones, or rings, each with characteristics and
inhabitants pertaining to each. Using official delinquency data, Shaw and McKay made rate,
zone, spot, and pin maps. Their finished work presented detailed discussions of delinquency
rates in Chicago over three time periods: 1900–1906, 1917–1923, and 1927–1933. Together
they produced a collection of books and reports that illustrated the distribution of
delinquency rates in Chicago and the processes associated with delinquent values and
traditions. In essence, social disorganization is the consequence of a community's inability to
realize common values and to solve the problems of its residents, resulting in the breakdown
of effective social control within that community. This theory claimed that delinquency was
not caused at the individual level, but was considered to be the normal response of normal
individuals to abnormal social conditions. Consequently, there was an indirect loss in the
ability to act communally and individuals exhibited unrestricted freedom to express their
dispositions and desires, often resulting in delinquent behavior. Crime is a normal response
to social, structural, and cultural characteristics of a community. (CSISS)
Coming from immigrant Mexican parents and living my whole life in a suburb in Los
Angeles I was surrounded by many possibilities for failure and the expectation from those
around me to fail. For someone like me, it is most common to drop out of highschool, get
pregnant, get married, not go to college. Tracking is not just something in the past and those
around me walked down the paths created for us, the minorities. Many others walked down
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paths of deviance; this intrigued me the most. Many of the people around the neighborhood
were involved in deviant acts such as stealing and handling drugs. Each generation of kinds
that came and went were introduced to these lives, lived them, and ended up busted by the
law. I did not understand why. This did not just happen in my surroundings, but I know this
happens in many asuburban areas where minorities reside. The Social Disorganization
Theory was a perfect match for my curiosity revolving deviant behaviors. It helped me
understand and confirm many of the questions and assumptions I had. I hope to one day be a
criminologist, studying and understanding crime around the country for the FBI more
specifically, organized crime.
Christen T. Jonassen was highly influenced and critical of Shaw and McKays work. In
his article “A Re-Evaluation and Critique of the Logic and Some Methods of Shaw and
McKay”. Here Jonassen critiques every possible error Shaw and McKay could have possibly
made. He questions the natinalities used, the age group used, dilineation of the city of
Chicago, etc. It is true that the theory is aged and could have some possible errors although
noone has attempted to revisit or re do a study to unprove Shaw and McKay’s Social
disorganization theory. (A Re-Evaluation and Critique of the Logic and Some Methods of
Shaw and McKay)
I believe the theory to be strong and still applicable. Many other criminologists and
sociologists support shaw and McKays finding claiming it to be very versatile and applicable
to any society. When analyzing the issue of crime and deviance in a certain area, I believe the
Social Disorganization theory holds strong. It is evident that crime tends to stay in certain
areas of the city and a cause for this is in every different area. I do agree with one critque that
some criminologists have that Shaw and McKay used juvenile records. In other words, the
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crimes they were taking into consideration were those that were already processed by law
enforcement. I do agree that much crime is not reported and document and that error could
possibly exist; some crime in other areas could have slipped shaw and McKays radar.
Shaw and McKay’s theory of Social Disorganization is an interesting one. Together,
these sociologists made a major contribution to the field of criminology to understand crime.
In the most violent years America has ever had, the 1920s, Shaw and mcKay’s decided to
take crime occuring on a daily basis and which was at its peak and carefully examine it.
Shaw and McKay’s findings prove that some places create favorable conditions for crime
and deviance to thrive in and noone has yet been able to dissprove their theory after so many
years. This theory has truly inspired me and has given me a better understanding of crime
and a direction as to what I want to study. Although many criticism does exist, much support
exists as well, including myself.
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Bibliography
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A Re-Evaluation and Critique of the Logic and Some Methods of Shaw and McKay
Christen T. Jonassen American Sociological Review , Vol. 14, No. 5 (Oct., 1949), pp.
608-617
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"Clifford R. Shaw." Everything2. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2013.
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"McKay, Henry D. (1899–1980)." : SAGE Knowledge. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2013.
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Regoli, Robert, John Hewitt, and Matt DeLisi. "Delinquency in Society." Google Books.
Jones & Bartlett Publishers, n.d. Web. 05 May 2013.
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Snodgrass, Jon. "Pioneeer American Criminologists (6-2012)." Scribd. N.p., n.d. Web. 05
May 2013.
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Wong, Carlin. "CSISS Classics - Clifford R. Shaw and Henry D. McKay: The Social
Disorganization Theory." CSISS Classics - Clifford R. Shaw and Henry D. McKay: The
Social Disorganization Theory. University of California, Santa Barbara, Web. 24 Feb.
2013.