Social Disorganization Theory

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The community centers did have an impact on gang life. That is, the community centers brought much needed resources, guidance, and support to these communities. These are things necessary in neighborhoods where disorganization is present. According to Bates and Swan (2013: 121) Social Disorganization theory suggests that society is constantly going from social disorganization to reorganization and back to disorganization. Further, in neighborhoods where disorganization gets out of hand people resort to deviant behavior to cope with the disorganization in their communities. In other words, when a neighborhood ends up in really bad shape and there is violence plaguing the community, then people are more likely to engage in certain delinquent…show more content…
According to Rodriguez the concept was proposed by Sal Basuto as a way to end the warfare that was plaguing the neighborhoods. The idea was to bring the leaders of two major gangs around the area into a same room to talk about a peace treaty (Rodriguez, 193-194). In other words, the centers were attempting to bring a sense of organization into these neighborhoods. The truce gained support from both parties only after a well respected youth was shot by a sheriff and became a more apparent reality after the young men was pronounced dead (Rodriguez, 201; 203-204). In other words, the death of the young man became a symbol of peace and unity for both gangs, a sense of organization. However, this truce was dissolved after two members of one of the gangs were shot down in a drive-by (Rodriguez, 205). The deaths of these two young men lead to a sense of disorganization among the truce participants. In other words, their efforts to maintain peace and a sense of organization in their neighborhoods when down the drain and lead them to chose deviance to deal with the effects. Although, the truce was short lived, it does not take away from the fact that the centers had provided support and guidance to these…show more content…
Rodriguez explained that he took a few lessons of Karate at that center even though it was in enemy territory (115). Karate can teach people self control something which some young men and women did not practiced in these neighborhoods. In other words, the neighborhoods were so disorganized (i.e., inflicted with violence) that the only way these young women and men felt they could survive was by acting irrationally. For instance, while a game of pool took place at the John Fabela Youth Center one girl called out another girl for staring at her, “What you looking at, puta tijuanera” (Rodriguez, 115). This might suggest that some of these young men and women were usually on their guard and ready to confront each other. In other words, the center that offered Karate knew that teaching these young men and women self control was beneficial to reduce some of the violence produced by the disorganization in the

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