Social Disorganization Theory: Past, Present and Future

Abstract

Social disorganization theory is one of the most popular theories researchers employ to understand the spatial distribution of crime across communities. In this chapter, we outline the theory’s historical trajectory, discuss its main arguments, and present key findings about neighborhoods and crime from the literature. We also summarize the theory’s thorniest substantive and methodological issues, which include testing mediating concepts like informal social control and defining a neighborhood unit. Finally, we introduce newer challenges facing the theory including theorizing the role of neighborhood subculture and understanding how immigration impacts community crime rates in the context of current immigration patterns in the U.S. In the conclusion we encourage researchers to consider innovative methods and data sources in future tests of social disorganization theory.