Local Social Ties in a Community and Crime Model: Questioning the Systemic Nature of Informal Social Control

摘要: Recent theoretical and empirical developments within social disorganization theory rely heavily on a systemic model of community attachment. It has been argued that poverty, heterogeneity, mobility undermine neighborhood networks ties, contributing to breakdown in informal control that, turn, allows for increasing crime rates. Tests the nature have rare, however, results mixed. In addition some recent research raises question whether ties consistent meaning terms across neighborhoods. We test role local both as mediator between structural conditions rates conditional upon characteristics using data 100 Seattle census tracts. find decrease assault rate significantly, but little mediating effects structure The effect burglary, is contrary hypotheses. More importantly, we differing different types Specifically, significantly negatively affect predominantly white neighborhoods, while they no significant minority or racially mixed These latter findings particular significance development refinement models.