m5/m6 social science

Vanessa Schoening February 13, 2014

Module 2 Revised

Annotated Bibliography Revised

1. Bureau of Justice Statistics (1999). Number of homicides and population for cities with estimated population 100,000 or more, from 1985-1997.

This paper begins by acknowledging that most studies carried out into crimes have focused on the features of the populations such as age, employment and average earnings. The writers hold that the fact that population density has not been studied much represents a knowledge gap. The paper tries to find out whether population density has a negative or positive correlation with crime. Through sifting through previous studies, the paper tries to find out the nature of crimes that are rampant in varying populations.

2. Christens, B., & Speer, P. W. (2006). Predicting violent crime using urban and suburban densities. Behavior and Social Issues, 14(2), 113-127.

Christens and Speer go through past research and statistics and try to show the varying nature of crimes in different settlements areas. Their main focus is on violent and crime and they try to show that densely populated areas are more likely to see violent crime due to increased chances of conflict. Their other argument is that low-income areas are likely to see more violent crime.

3. Duany, A., Plater-Zyberk, E., & Speck, J. (2000). Suburban nation: The rise of sprawl and the decline of the American dream. New York: North Point Press.

The authors of this book are founders of a movement that calls for an improved planning of settlements to avoid further spread of sprawls or informal settlements. The book highlights the effects of these settlements including economic and social ills. The book gives real life examples of how unplanned and congested settlements coupled with low income can cause crime. The book also offers solutions on how to improve the planning of cities and suburbs

4. Fulton, W., Pendall, R., Nguyen, M. & Harrison, A. (2001). Who sprawls most? How growth patterns differ across the U.S. Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution.

This book takes a look at population densities in various cities across the US between 1982 and 1997. The book also acknowledges that as cities grow, they continue to add previously unused land into their metropolitan territory. The book tries to compare the rate at which this land is being urbanized against the population growth. The book holds that cities in the west of the US have highly populated metropolitans and goes ahead to outline some of the challenges that may pose.

5. LaFree, G., Bursik, R.J., Short, J. & Taylor, R.B. (2000). The nature of crime: Continuity and change. Criminal Justice 2000, 1, 261-308.

The authors of this article begin by pointing out that the nature of crimes and reaction of societies towards various crimes do not remain constant. The writers hold that changing legislations and people’s attitudes can affect the nature of crimes. The availability of IT for instance creates a new avenue for criminals to commit crime. They also show how the changes in housing trends in areas close to cities have seen a transformation in the nature of crimes committed. The authors therefore call for a continuous review of the justice system to be able to deal with the complexities of new crimes.

6. Lang, R. E. (2005). Valuing the suburbs: Why some “improvements” lower home prices. Opolis: An International Journal of Suburban and Metropolitan Studies, 1(1), 5-12.

The article tries to find out how improvements made in houses eventually affect their prices. Their assessment shows that not all improvements made lead to an appreciation in the price of houses. In fact, remodeling suburban homes as offices can actually lead to lower prices. The article gives reason for this phenomenon. It also gives other reasons why suburban dwellers may refuse the urbanization of their neighborhoods including a possibility of increased crime.

7. Lersch, K. M. (2004). Space, time, and crime. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press.

This book is a review of existing theories on the relationship between crime and settlements. The writer then carefully explains the areas where each theory is best applicable. Through careful study of existing literature, the book offers a history of the theories. The author offers useful crime fighting solutions in each of the instances. The author concludes by pointing out weaknesses of each theory from a Marxist stance. The book also offers useful insights into crime mapping and analysis.

8. Regoeczi, W. C. (2003). When context matters: A multilevel analysis of household and neighborhood crowding on aggression and withdrawal. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 23(4), 451-464.

The writers begin by poking holes into previous research into the nature of crimes in different neighborhoods. They give various reasons for inconsistencies in previous findings and argue that a main reason for this is the failure to consider populations densities. Their research therefore focuses on the effects of population density on aggression levels among people. The levels of aggression can then be used to predict the nature of crime likely to occur in a given environment.

9. U.S. Census Bureau (2000). Metropolitan Area Population Estimates for July 1, 1999 and Population Change for April 1, 1990 to July 1, 1999

This paper gives insight into the different population levels in varying metropolitans between 1990 and 1990. The changes in population can then be explained using the changes that occurred in the metropolitans in the same period. A look at the police records can also show the trends in criminal activities and relate them to population changes.

10. Yanich, D. (2004). Crime creep: Urban and suburban crime on local TV news. Journal of Urban Affairs, 26(5), 535-563.

The writers begin by quoting statistics from police departments to show that crime rates in the US have been on a downward trend in the last decade. Yet, people’s opinions on their level of safety have not changed. Statistics also show that a majority of citizen rely on news to assess the level of security in the country as a whole. The writer argues that it is likely that the newscasts do not give an accurate picture of the security level in the country. For instance, crimes in urban areas are only about half of those that occur in urban areas. However, newscasts create an image that the urban areas are safer than suburbs.