The Influence of Rapid Social Change on Civic Community and Perceptions of Crime and Disorder
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Date
2011-12
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Publisher
Ohio State University. Libraries
Abstract
This study examines the effects of rapid social change brought on by industrial
restructuring to nine small town/rural communities located in Southern Louisiana.
Social change is often found to have negative impacts on traditional community
organization. In particular, communities experiencing rapid social change often
demonstrate heightened perceptions of crime problems and social disorder. Other
sociological literature finds that communities that are civically organized show
various positive social outcomes. Utilizing qualitative methodology, this study aimed
to examine the nuances of the relationship between rapid social change, civic
community, and perceptions of crime and disorder. This study proposed that civic
and social organizations may work as intervening institutions against the negative
effects of social change, such as increasing fear of crime. The study found a twofold
effect of social capital on this relationship. First, when incoming workers are
brought into civic and social organizations then the civic community does have a
dampening effect on perceptions of crime. However, the integration of migrating
workers into these organizations was dependent upon the workers level of trust or
future reciprocity perceived by the local community. Furthermore, when workers
were not integrated into civic and social organizations they were seen as potential
criminals, which heightened the community’s fear and distrust of new-comers.
Description
Keywords
social change, perceptions of crime, industrial restructuring, civic community
Citation
International Journal of Rural Criminology, v1, n1 (December, 2011), p. 89-104