SAGE Journal Articles

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Article 1: Andreescu, V., Shutt, J.E., and Vito, G.F. (March 2011). The Violent South: Culture of Honor, Social Disorganization, and Murder in Appalachia. Criminal Justice Review 36: 76-103

Andreescu and colleagues (2011) test tenants of social disorganization theory in a nonmetropolitan area in order to further it’s validity and generalizability beyond being historically tested in metropolitan areas. This study examines economic disadvantage and violent crime rates, specifically homicide rates in Appalachia.

Questions to Consider:

  1. What components of social disorganization theory are found in the current research study by Andreescu and colleagues?
  2.  What specific findings can be found in Andreescu and colleagues (2011) article that supports social disorganization theory? What findings refute social disorganization theory?

Article 2: Yang, S and Hoffmann, J. P. (1998).  A Multilevel Assessment of Social Disorganization Theory in Taipei, Taiwan. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice 14: 222-247.

Yang and Hoffmann (1998) test social disorganization theory in a Chinese cultural setting by using data from Taipei, Tawain on a sample of in school adolescents in order to examine juvenile delinquency.

Questions to Consider:

  1. Why is this research important to crime and delinquency research in Tawain? Are rates of crime and delinquency rising or declining?
  2. What social disorganization measures are used for both the independent and dependent variable(s)?
  3. Explain the parallels between Chicago and Taipei in terms of the article’s relevance to social disorganization theory.

Additional articles:

Kingston, B, Huizinga, D. and Elliott D.S. (2009).  A Test of Social Disorganization Theory in High-Risk Urban Neighborhoods. Youth & Society 41:53-79

Kubrin, C. E., & Weitzer, R. (2003). "New directions in social disorganization theory.". Journal of research in Crime and Delinquency, 40(4), 374-402.

Lanier, C and Huff-Corzine, L.  (2006).  American Indian Homicide: A County-Level Analysis Utilizing Social Disorganization Theory.  Homicide Studies 10: 181-194.

Veysey, B. M., & Messner, S. F. (1999). Further testing of social disorganization theory: An elaboration of Sampson and Groves's `community structure and crime'. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 36(2), 156-174.