Comprehension
The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to each question.
Sociologists working in the Chicago School tradition have focused on how rapid or dramatic social change causes increases in crime. Just as Durkheim, Marx, Toennies, and other European sociologists thought that the rapid changes produced by industrialization and urbanization produced crime and disorder, so too did the Chicago School theorists. The location of the University of Chicago provided an excellent opportunity for Park, Burgess, and McKenzie to study the social ecology of the city. Shaw and McKay found . . . that areas of the city characterized by high levels of social disorganization had higher rates of crime and delinquency.
In the 1920s and 1930s Chicago, like many American cities, experienced considerable immigration. Rapid population growth is a disorganizing influence, but growth resulting from in-migration of very different people is particularly disruptive. Chicago's in-migrants were both native-born whites and blacks from rural areas and small towns, and foreign immigrants. The heavy industry of cities like Chicago, Detroit, and Pittsburgh drew those seeking opportunities and new lives. Farmers and villagers from America's hinterland, like their European cousins of whom Durkheim wrote, moved in large numbers into cities. At the start of the twentieth century, Americans were predominately a rural population, but by the century's mid-point most lived in urban areas. The social lives of these migrants, as well as those already living in the cities they moved to, were disrupted by the differences between urban and rural life. According to social disorganization theory, until the social ecology of the ''new place'' can adapt, this rapid change is a criminogenic influence. But most rural migrants, and even many of the foreign immigrants to the city, looked like and eventually spoke the same language as the natives of the cities into which they moved. These similarities allowed for more rapid social integration for these migrants than was the case for African Americans and most foreign immigrants.
In these same decades America experienced what has been called ''the great migration'': the massive movement of African Americans out of the rural South and into northern (and some southern) cities. The scale of this migration is one of the most dramatic in human history. These migrants, unlike their white counterparts, were not integrated into the cities they now called home. In fact, most American cities at the end of the twentieth century were characterized by high levels of racial residential segregation . . . Failure to integrate these migrants, coupled with other forces of social disorganization such as crowding, poverty, and illness, caused crime rates to climb in the cities, particularly in the segregated wards and neighborhoods where the migrants were forced to live.
Foreign immigrants during this period did not look as dramatically different from the rest of the population as blacks did, but the migrants from eastern and southern Europe who came to American cities did not speak English, and were frequently Catholic, while the native born were mostly Protestant. The combination of rapid population growth with the diversity of those moving into the cities created what the Chicago School sociologists called social disorganization.
Question: 1

A fundamental conclusion by the author is that :

Updated On: Jul 26, 2025
  • the best circumstances for crime to flourish are when there are severe racial disparities.
  • to prevent crime, it is important to maintain social order through maintaining social segregation.
  • according to European sociologists, crime in America is mainly in Chicago.
  • rapid population growth and demographic diversity give rise to social disorganisation that can feed the growth of crime.
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

The passage discusses how sociologists from the Chicago School studied the impact of rapid or dramatic social changes on crime. They built on the ideas of European sociologists like Durkheim, Marx, and Toennies, who linked industrialization and urbanization to crime and disorder. In particular, the passage highlights how Chicago, during the 1920s and 1930s, experienced significant immigration, contributing to rapid population growth and demographic diversity. This diversity, due to the influx of different racial and ethnic groups, led to social disorganization. According to the social disorganization theory, such rapid changes in social structure can increase crime rates as the social ecology struggles to adapt. This is compounded by the failure to integrate migrants, racial segregation, and other factors such as crowding and poverty. Thus, the passage concludes that rapid population growth and demographic diversity give rise to social disorganization that can feed the growth of crime, making it the author's fundamental conclusion.

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Question: 2

Which one of the following is not a valid inference from the passage ?

Updated On: Jul 26, 2025
  • The differences between urban and rural lifestyles were crucial factors in the disruption experienced by migrants to American cities.
  • According to social disorganisation theory, the social integration of African American migrants into Chicago was slower because they were less organised
  • According to social disorganisation theory, fast-paced social change provides fertile ground for the rapid growth of crime.
  • The failure to integrate in-migrants, along with social problems like poverty, was a significant reason for the rise in crime in American cities.
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

To determine which statement is not a valid inference from the passage, we need to analyze the claims made in the comprehension and match them with the options: 

  • The passage explains that rapid social change and disorganization contribute to increased crime rates, as studied by the Chicago School theorists. The integration of migrants, particularly African Americans during "the great migration," was hindered by factors like racial residential segregation, leading to crime.
  • The first statement suggests that differences between urban and rural lifestyles were crucial in disruption for migrants; this aligns with the passage, which acknowledges these differences as disruptive influences.
  • The second statement claims that the integration of African American migrants into Chicago was slower due to them being "less organised." However, the passage does not state that African Americans were less organized; instead, societal racism and segregation were the primary reasons for their slower integration.
  • The third statement aligns with social disorganization theory as discussed, indicating that rapid social change is a criminogenic factor.
  • The fourth statement also matches the passage, noting how the failure to integrate migrants and social issues like poverty contributed to crime increases.

Therefore, the statement: "According to social disorganisation theory, the social integration of African American migrants into Chicago was slower because they were less organised" is not a valid inference from the passage.

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Question: 3

Which one of the following sets of words/phrases best encapsulates the issues discussed in the passage ?

Updated On: Jul 26, 2025
  • Durkheim; Marx; Toennies; Shaw
  • Chicago School; Native-born Whites; European immigrants; Poverty
  • Chicago School; Social organisation; Migration; Crime
  • Rapid population growth; Heavy industry; Segregation; Crime
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

To determine which set of words/phrases best encapsulates the issues discussed in the passage, we need to identify the key themes and concepts addressed by the Chicago School tradition within the provided text. Let's break down the comprehension passage: 

  • Role of the Chicago School: The passage describes sociologists from the Chicago School exploring how rapid social changes, such as urbanization and industrialization, lead to increases in crime. These sociologists studied the social ecology of cities, focusing on high levels of social disorganization and their correlation with increased crime and delinquency.
  • Social Organization: The text highlights the disruption in social life due to migration and the impact of social disorganization theory that suggests social change and disorganization can lead to criminogenic influences.
  • Migration: Migration is a central theme, emphasizing the movement of diverse populations into urban areas. This includes in-migration of native-born whites, blacks, and foreign immigrants and how these migrations led to social disruptions.
  • Crime: The passage draws a connection between social disorganization and increased crime rates, especially in segregated and diverse areas of the cities.

Based on this breakdown, the terms that best capture the passage's issues are "Chicago School; Social organisation; Migration; Crime." These terms collectively cover the study of social disorganization and its relationship with migration and crime, as discussed by the Chicago School. Hence, the correct set is:

Chicago School; Social organisation; Migration; Crime

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Question: 4

The author notes that, "At the start of the twentieth century, Americans were predominately a rural population,but by the century's mid-point most lived in urban areas." Which one of the following statements,if true,does not contradict this statement ?

Updated On: Jul 26, 2025
  • Demographic transition in America in the twentieth century is strongly marked by an out-migration from rural areas.
  • The estimation of per capita income in America in the mid-twentieth century primarily required data from rural areas.
  • Economists have found that throughout the twentieth century, the size of the labour force in America has always been largest in rural areas.
  • A population census conducted in 1952 showed that more Americans lived in rural areas than in urban ones.
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

To determine which statement does not contradict the assertion that at the start of the twentieth century, Americans were predominately a rural population, but by the century's mid-point most lived in urban areas, we need to consider what the statement implies: there was a significant migration or shift from rural to urban areas during this time period.

Let's evaluate the options:

  • Demographic transition in America in the twentieth century is strongly marked by an out-migration from rural areas.

    This statement aligns with the assertion as it acknowledges the demographic shift from rural to urban, therefore it does not contradict the given statement.

  • The estimation of per capita income in America in the mid-twentieth century primarily required data from rural areas.

    This statement implies the rural population is still significant in economic terms at mid-twentieth century, potentially contradicting the notion that most people had moved to urban areas by then.

  • Economists have found that throughout the twentieth century, the size of the labour force in America has always been largest in rural areas.

    This statement conflicts with the given assertion as it suggests a larger rural population, undermining the notion of urban majority by mid-century.

  • A population census conducted in 1952 showed that more Americans lived in rural areas than in urban ones.

    This directly contradicts the statement that most Americans lived in urban areas by mid-century.

Hence, the only statement that does not challenge the given assertion is:

Demographic transition in America in the twentieth century is strongly marked by an out-migration from rural areas.

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