JOHN WILLY M.

DIOLA
BSED-Social Studies
Urban Geography

LET’S ANALYZE
Activity 2. Provide the information needed in the table below.
THEORY MAIN IDEA STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
The Determinist theory In this theory, the city, The way in which it
DETERMINIST of Wirth, is the with its wide choice of fosters the spread of
THEORY characteristic of urban different roles and more serious forms of
environments because identities becomes a deviancy by eroding
of the physical and ‘magic theatre’, an social responsibility
functional separation ‘emporium of styles’, and social control.
of the ‘audiences’ to and the anonymity These various forms of
which different roles afforded by the ease of adaptive behavior are
are addressed: family, slipping from one role thus a weakening of
neighbors, co-workers, to another clearly personal supports and
club members and so facilitates the social constraints and a
on. Thus, people tend emergence of confusion of
to be able to present unconventional and behavioral norms. The
very different ‘selves’ deviant behavior. feelings of isolation
in different social among the ‘lonely
contexts. crowd’ are associated
with neurosis,
alcoholism and
suicide; and the
anomic state induced
by the weakening of
behavioral norms and
intensifying levels of
incivility is associated
with various forms of
crime and delinquency

Crowding theory Ethnologists believe Critics of crowding

CROWDING draws heavily on that humans, like many theory have
THEORY behavioral research other animals, that are emphasized the
with animals, where subject to a genetic obvious dangers
the links between trait that is produced involved in extending
crowding, stress and by the species’ need animal behavior to
abnormal behavior can for territory as a source humans: people are not
be clearly established of safety, security and rats; it is by no means
under laboratory privacy. The idea of certain that humans
conditions. This territoriality is also possess any innate
 showed that crowding seen as satisfying the sense of territoriality;
led to aggression, need for stimulation and in any case even
listlessness, and for a physical the most crowded
promiscuity, expression of personal slums do not approach
homosexuality and the identity. the levels of crowding
rodent equivalent of to which experimental
juvenile delinquency. animals have been
subjected.

Design determinism In this theory, The inhibiting effects

DESIGN suggested that the Newman suggested, of high-rise and deck-
DETERMINISM configuration of nobody will feel access apartment
buildings and spaces obliged to ‘supervise’ dwellings on social
creates a ‘syntax’ of it or ‘defend’ it against interaction and child
images and symbolism intruders. Newman’s development, for
to which people ideas have been example, have been
respond through a supported by some documented in a
synthesis of ‘gut empirical work and number of different
reactions’ and enthusiastically studies; and from these
intellectual reactions. received in the it is a short step to
professions concerned studies that point to the
with urban design, correlation between
where they have certain aspects of
created a new urban design and the
conventional wisdom incidence of particular
of their own: aspects of deviancy
defensible space is such as mental illness
now an essential and suicide.
component in the
praxis of urban design,
endorsed by many law
enforcement agencies
as part of an
international
movement known as
Crime Prevention
Through
Environmental Design.
Alienation of Karl Alienation analyzes This theory also
ALIENATION Marx, it is associated power and conflict in emphasized the bad
with the loss control the society. It explains thing that capitalist
that workers have over why there is such an society does to the
their labor power uneven distribution of people who feel
under the capitalist power and wealth alienated. Alienation
mode of production. between social classes. cause human to
 Alienation is being Also, alienation participate in some
characterized by the become an attractive form of activism,
feelings of the explanatory factor which can range from
powerless, when considering eccentric forms of
dissatisfaction and spatial variation in protest to violence and
distrust, and a rejection people’s behavior. terrorism. People
of the prevailing become alienated
distribution of wealth because they feel that
and power. In other the structure of these
words, alienation is the systems prevents their
process whereby the effective participation;
worker is made to feel others may be
foreign to the products alienated because they
of his/her own labor. disagree with the very
nature of the systems
perhaps because of
their ineffectiveness in
satisfying human
needs.
Compositional theory This theory minimizes This theory is not
COMPOSITIONAL suggests that a city is the psychological framed explicitly to
THEORY composed not just of effects of the city life analyze and
one urban way of life on people’s behavior, understand deviant
but rather a wide suggesting, instead, behavior. The pattern
variety of lifestyles. It that behavior is of sexually transmitted
also, emphasizes the determined largely by diseases serves to
cohesion and intimacy economic status, illustrates
of distinctive social cultural characteristics, compositionalist
worlds based on their family status and so perspective.
ethnicity, kinship, on: the same attributes
neighborhood, that determine which
occupation or lifestyle, social worlds they live
rejecting the idea that in.
these social networks
are in any way
diminished by urban
life.
This theory of deviants In the idea of What have seen as
SUBCULTURAL believes that subcultural theory, downright deviancy in
THEORY distinctive conflict may be the larger society are
sociodemographic avoided by implicit those delinquents,
characteristics and behavioral boundaries professional criminals,
distinctive lifestyles beyond which groups and homosexuals; or to
propagate certain ‘promise’ not to be at least ‘odd’ such
behaviors. The trespass: a kind of as artists, missionaries
subcultural theory social contract; but the of new religious sects,
 subscribes to the idea most effective means and intellectuals; or to
of social worlds with of maintaining be breakers of tradition
distinctive intergroup tolerance is such as life-style
sociodemographic through spatial experimenters, radicals
characteristics and segregation. This idea and scientists.
distinctive lifestyles makes subcultural
that propagate certain theory attractive in
forms of behavior. explaining spatial
variations in deviant
behavior. It has proved
useful, for example, in
studies of delinquent
behavior.

Structural theory This theory enables to The sense of being

STRUCTURAL emphasizes the protect the interests of powerless, but at the
THEORY importance of the dominant class, same time dangerous,
institutions in thereby helping that because its members
providing social class to continue its represent a potentially
stability and regulating domination. volatile group. Aside
social action. This from it, capital
perspective views on accumulation requires
the rules of social fit and healthy
behavior and the workers, it also tends
definitions of deviant to debilitate them
behavior as part of through the effects of
society’s the stresses that result
superstructure, the from the various
framework of social controls that are
and philosophical exerted on the labor
organization that stems force. Workers
from the economic experience more than
relationships on which their share of the costs
society is based on. or stresses, and less
than their share of the
benefits. It is no
surprise, therefore, that
the working classes are
disproportionately
represented in the
prevalence data for
mental illness, drug
and alcohol abuse, and
crime.