Exam 12: Group Differences in Delinquency
Describe the trend in high-poverty neighborhoods and residents from the 1960s to 2013. Did high-poverty neighborhoods and their residents increase, decrease, or both? Be specific in your answer.
The trend in high-poverty neighborhoods and residents from the 1960s to 2013 saw an increase in both. In the 1960s, there was a significant increase in the number of high-poverty neighborhoods, particularly in urban areas, as a result of economic shifts and social policies. This led to a higher concentration of residents living in poverty within these neighborhoods.
Over the years, the number of high-poverty neighborhoods continued to increase, with more residents living in these areas. Factors such as deindustrialization, suburbanization, and the impact of the Great Recession contributed to the growth of high-poverty neighborhoods and the increase in residents living in poverty.
By 2013, the trend showed that high-poverty neighborhoods and their residents had both increased. This had significant implications for the well-being and opportunities available to those living in these areas, as high-poverty neighborhoods often face challenges such as limited access to quality education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. The trend highlighted the need for targeted interventions and policies to address the issues faced by residents in high-poverty neighborhoods.
Examine why it is better to live in a community surrounded by wealthier communities than by other poor communities. Use propositions of strain theory to explain how surrounding communities can influence crime rates.
Living in a community surrounded by wealthier communities can have several benefits compared to living in a community surrounded by other poor communities. One of the main reasons is that wealthier communities often have better resources and opportunities for their residents, such as higher quality schools, healthcare facilities, and job opportunities. This can create a more positive and supportive environment for individuals living in the surrounding community, leading to a higher quality of life and lower levels of stress and frustration.
From the perspective of strain theory, which suggests that crime is a result of the gap between societal goals and the means available to achieve those goals, living in a community surrounded by wealthier communities can influence crime rates in several ways. First, individuals in the surrounding community may experience strain and frustration when they compare their own economic status and opportunities to those of their wealthier neighbors. This relative deprivation can lead to feelings of injustice and a desire to attain the same level of wealth and success, potentially leading to criminal behavior as a means of achieving those goals.
Additionally, the lack of access to resources and opportunities in the surrounding poor communities can create a sense of hopelessness and alienation, further contributing to the likelihood of criminal behavior. This is especially true when individuals feel that the societal goals of success and prosperity are unattainable through legitimate means, leading them to turn to criminal activities as a way to achieve those goals.
In contrast, living in a community surrounded by other poor communities can exacerbate these feelings of strain and frustration, as there may be a lack of positive role models and opportunities for upward mobility. This can create a cycle of poverty and crime within the community, as individuals may feel that criminal behavior is their only option for achieving success and improving their circumstances.
Overall, the surrounding communities can have a significant impact on crime rates within a community, and living in an area surrounded by wealthier communities can provide individuals with more opportunities and resources to avoid turning to criminal behavior as a means of coping with strain and frustration.
Agnew and Brezina state: "residents of deprived communities are more likely to develop beliefs favorable to delinquency, forming what have been called 'delinquent or criminal subcultures.'" Explain this statement from a social learning perspective.
From a social learning perspective, this statement suggests that individuals living in deprived communities are more likely to be exposed to and influenced by delinquent or criminal behavior. According to social learning theory, people learn through observing and imitating the behavior of others, as well as through the reinforcement and punishment of their own behavior. In deprived communities, there may be a higher prevalence of delinquent behavior, and individuals may be more likely to be exposed to and influenced by this behavior.
Additionally, individuals in deprived communities may lack access to positive role models and opportunities for prosocial activities, leading them to be more susceptible to adopting beliefs and behaviors favorable to delinquency. This can create a subculture within the community where delinquent behavior is normalized and even encouraged, further reinforcing and perpetuating these beliefs and behaviors.
Overall, from a social learning perspective, the statement suggests that the environment and social context in deprived communities play a significant role in shaping individuals' beliefs and behaviors, leading to the development of delinquent or criminal subcultures.
Residents of high-crime communities are less likely to engage in various types of control because they:
Residents of high-crime communities often have less access to conveniently located manufacturing and service-sector jobs. This is an example of what type of strain?
Delinquent groups are more common in deprived communities because:
Explain the relationship between the characteristics of high-crime communities and community crime rates using control theory.
Draw on material presented in the text to explain why the homicide rate is much higher in Baltimore than in New York City. Focus your discussion on the characteristics of high-crime neighborhoods and cities.
Use strain theory to explain the relationship between deprived communities and high crime rates. Be sure to address the various types of strain and coping responses that increase the likelihood for crime. Give examples.
The textbook describes how residents of high-crime communities are less likely to engage in different types of control for at least four reasons. What are these reasons?
During the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s the number of people living in high-poverty communities in the United States __________________.
Residents of high-crime communities may be less able to cope with strain through legitimate channels because they:
If one lives in a poor community, it is better to live in a poor community:
Describe social disorganization theory. Do data support the basic arguments of social disorganization theory? Explain why or why not.
In the text, Agnew and Brezina use the term "old heads" to denote:
Which of the following is associated with high-crime communities?
Agnew and Brezina state that in neighborhoods where the street code is prevalent, young people may feel pressure to use violence even if they do not personally value aggressive behavior. Provide some reasons for why this would be true.
Draw on delinquency theories to explain the impact that "collective efficacy" has on crime rates.
From 2000 to 2013, the number of high-poverty neighborhoods __________________.
Communities where residents are willing to work together to exercise direct control over others are said to be high in:
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