You must answer two of the following questions. The content of the questions may overlap somewhat, but your answers should not have much overlap with each other. Your completed exam must be submitted on Canvas by 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, February 28th. Though length will vary depending on your style of writing, you must write at least 4 double-spaced pages for each question. Be sure to address every aspect of the question.
Your answers must be submitted as a single document in Microsoft Word or pdf format. The answers must adhere to the following guidelines:
1. Describe the fundamental tenets of social disorganization theory, starting from its origins with Shaw and McKay and continuing through the more recent extensions such as the concept of collective efficacy by Sampson’s and others. Include a discussion of the empirical research that has tested the theory and its extensions.
2. Compare and contrast the social disorganization perspective (e.g. Shaw & McKay and Sampson) with the differential organization perspective (e.g. Anderson’s “code of the street”). How are the two perspectives compatible, and how are they incompatible? Be sure to include a discussion of empirical research for each perspective. Given that they are considerably different in many ways, how do you think it is possible that empirical evidence has found support for both?
3. Robert Sampson’s book, Great American City, makes the case that life is decisively shaped by where you live. Each chapter in the book supports this argument in a different way, including (but not limited to) thorough discussions of the theory of collective efficacy, the influence of disorder, and mobility experiments. Based on the arguments and research evidence in this book, describe two specific programs or policies that could be implemented by cities or neighborhoods to reduce levels of crime in neighborhoods. For each of the two programs you propose, you must describe the program and explain why you would expect it to be successful in reducing crime based on the arguments made in the book. You cannot simply give your own opinion about what would reduce neighborhood crime levels. Each program must be supported by specific arguments made in the book.
we also used Sampson, Robert J. 2012. Great American City: Chicago and the Enduring Neighborhood Effect. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press. ISBN: 9780226055688. I can give the Chegg login if needed.