respond to the following discussion posts.
1 – The routine activity theory and the social disorganization theory both look at crimes occurring due to opportunities. Social disorganization describes how crimes grow and flourish in environments which are conducive to them. An example of this owuld be an area where loitering is tolerated in front of store fronts, which leads to the sales of illegal drugs, which leads to theft and robberies. Due to an area having the right components for someone to commit a crime it will then have more crime. This tends to happen in areas where there are lower incomes or areas where people are not as concerned with the daily routines of the people involved.
Routine theory activity lends to this because it discusses the changes in the daily activities and the structures of homes. The example used in the lecture notes was the stay at home wives going to work which lead to the houses being empty. This change in routine creates an environment where it is easier to commit burglaries. Though people care about what happens at home the shift in priorities or the need to have a two income home leaves houses unattended. This also leads to parents spending less time with their kids and being less concerned with their activities.
The similarities is both rely on the environment to help present the chance for a crime to be committed, or making it easier to commit a crime. To me both seem like a “broken window” theory. This is where if an rear looks like it has been victimized by crime, it will invite more crimes. The goal then becomes to make an area or home to not look like the opportune place to commit a crime.
2. Routine activity theory relies on normal day to day activities where an attractive target who appears weak or incapable of defending themselves is met by a motivated offender. Social disorganization theory relies on having a suitable environment where criminal activity can grow and come to life. Both theories rely on similar factors for criminal activity to occur. For example, the daily routine of working parents forces both parents to be away from home and at work. The kids are either in school or daycare and the house is usually occupied by a pet if not completely empty. This lifestyle creates more chances for a motivated criminal to commit burglary since no one is home. The owners would be incapable of defending their property; fulfilling the routine activity theory. The same scenario validates the social disorganization theory where the working lower class is forced to be away from home trying to earn a living; leaving their home unattended in a crime infested neighborhood. The outcome is the same in different neighborhoods simply because we are following a routine
