Analyzing the Role of Culture within the Social Disorganization Perspective: A Multilevel Approach

• In Event: Advancing Social Disorganization Theory In Crime and Punishment Research

Abstract

The literature surrounding the social disorganization and systemic perspectives suggests that neighborhood culture plays a role in the relationship between social ties and informal social control (Warner, 2003). However, the current quantitative research regarding the role of culture within this perspective is limited. This paper aims to test some of the ethnographic findings of Pattillo (1998) using secondary survey data of residents across 66 neighborhoods in Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky. Specifically, this paper hypothesizes that an attenuated culture moderates the relationship between social ties and informal social control, where strong social ties may not result in strong informal social control when neighborhood adherence to conventional values is weak. The authors utilize a multilevel modeling method to analyze individual-level and neighborhood-level effects of cultural strength from a systemic lens.

Authors

• Kristin Swartz, University of Louisville

• Erin Robinson, University of Louisville