Question

Noted socio-legal researchers Shaw and Mckay propounded, "traditions of delinquency are transmitted through successive generations of the same region in the same way as language, customs and attitudes are transmitted". How it is known as?

• A. Social Disengagement Theory
• B. Cultural Transmission Theory
• C. Neighbourhood influence of crime theory
• D. Crime Syndicate Theory

Hint:

Associate Shaw and McKay with the Chicago School and two key ideas: 1) Social Disorganization (crime is caused by neighborhood characteristics like poverty and population turnover) and 2) Cultural Transmission (delinquent values are passed down in these disorganized neighborhoods).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question describes a specific criminological theory developed by Clifford Shaw and Henry McKay, who were part of the Chicago School of Sociology. Their work focused on how urban environments, particularly specific neighborhoods, influence crime rates.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

Shaw and McKay, in their study of Chicago, found that crime rates remained high in certain inner-city neighborhoods regardless of which ethnic group lived there. This led them to conclude that it was the characteristics of the neighborhood itself, not the people, that caused crime.
They argued that in these socially disorganized areas, a delinquent subculture developed. The values, norms, and skills for criminal behavior were passed down from older residents to younger ones, generation after generation.
This process of passing down delinquent traditions is precisely what is known as Cultural Transmission Theory. It is an extension of their broader Social Disorganization Theory.
Social Disengagement Theory is a theory of aging, not crime.
Neighbourhood influence of crime theory is a descriptive phrase, but the specific name for their concept is Cultural Transmission.
Crime Syndicate Theory relates to organized crime, not the general transmission of delinquency in a neighborhood.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The theory that delinquent traditions are transmitted through generations in specific neighborhoods, as proposed by Shaw and McKay, is known as the Cultural Transmission Theory.