NCJ Number
37982
Date Published
1976
Length
21 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY REPORTS A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TWO LOCAL SLUM COMMUNITIES - ONE WITH A HIGH CRIME RATE AND THE OTHER WITH A LOW RATE - IN KAMPALA, THE CAPITAL AND LARGEST CITY OF UGANDA.
Abstract
IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT EFFECTIVE CONTROL OF PROPERTY CRIME WITHIN A SLUM COMMUNITY REQUIRES SUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE OF, AND FRIENDSHIP AMONG, NEIGHBORS SO THAT: THERE IS A TENDENCY TO REJECT THEFT WITHIN THE GROUP; NEIGHBORS WILL INFORMALLY GUARD EACH OTHERS' PROPERTY; STRANGERS CAN BE READILY IDENTIFIED; AND RESIDENTS WILL OFFER ASSISTANCE IF SOMEONE IS ATTACKED. INTERVIEWS WITH RESIDENTS OF THESE TWO AREAS DISCLOSED NO DIFFERENCE IN DISAPPROVAL OF THEFT. THE AUTHORS SUGGEST THAT THE EXPLANATION FOR THE DIFFERENCE IS IMBEDDED IN THE DIFFERENTIAL SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE TWO COMMUNITIES. THE LOW CRIME SLUM POSSESSED HIGHER DEGREES OF BOTH CULTURAL AND COMMUNICATIVE INTEGRATION. IT WAS TRIBALLY MUCH MORE HOMOGENEOUS, AND ITS OLDER GENERATION SELECTED THEIR CLOSE FRIENDS FROM A LIMITED VARIETY OF CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS. THE ANALYSIS OF COMMUNICATIVE INTEGRATION INDICATED THAT IN THE LOW CRIME COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY AMONG THOSE OVER TWENTY-FIVE, THERE WAS MORE VISITING, LESS MOBILITY, AND GREATER PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING RELIGIOUS GROUPS. THE HIGH CRIME-RATE AREA WAS LESS LIKELY TO REPORT STABLE FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, AND THERE WAS AN OVERALL IMPRESSION OF GREATER INDIVIDUAL ISOLATION. THEY CONCLUDE THAT, DESPITE EROSION OF TRADITIONAL AUTHORITY THAT OCCURS WITH URBANIZATION AND INDUSTRIALIZATION, OLDER PERSONS CONTINUE TO PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN DETERMINING THE CHARACTER OF URBAN SLUM COMMUNITIES. HIGHER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH MORE EFFECTIVE SOCIAL CONTROL IN THESE COMMUNITIES, AND FAIRLY RAPID POPULATION CHANGE DID NOT DESTROY COHESIVENESS AUTOMATICALLY. A THREE-PAGE REFERENCE LIST IS PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)