Social Disorganization – The Crisis State of Society

Running Head: PARTICIPATION WEEK 3

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PARTICIPATION WEEK 3

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Participation Week 3

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Question 1

What is social disorganization? How does social disorganization contribute to organized crime? What is an example of social disorganization that created opportunistic atmospheres for organized crime?
Social disorganization is the theoretical perception that explains ecological diversities in levels of crime centered on structural as well as cultural factors shaping the character of the social order across communities. When parts of the social structure do not execute their operations professionally and effectively or carry out badly, their happen a disparity in the society. This social balance is disturbed, and the society gets out of proportion (Mire & Roberson, 2011). When a society is disorganized, it maintains a state of disequilibrium and lacks social solidarity or consensus among members of the society. A decline in the levels of authority in of existing rules of behavior upon people in the society leads to disorganization.

Social disorganization is the key contributor to organized crime groups in the society it evolves and becomes established the organized crime. There is always a tendency that an individual’s action connections with law infringing behavior that in one way or another complexly organized or disorganized. Low income and paucity stricken communities tend to be deficient in sufficient education, community programs, and health care hence leading to social disorganization. Due to this disorganization, members of the community form gangs groups that they control on their own to manipulate and acquire money through illegal operations in the community (Mire & Roberson, 2011). For instance, the case of gang culture could extraordinarily deviate from the existing order in the society. In the gang culture, it is evident that there is the presence of leadership that is either organized or disorganized.

Question 2

What is a political machine? How does corruption affect the role of politics and business as it relates to organized crime? What is a specific instance where corruption was evident?

A political machine is a political organization in which a trustworthy boss or small group commands the support of a corps of followers and businesses who obtain rewards for their efforts (Farer, 1999). Political machines are characterized by a disciplined as well as hierarchical organization reaching down to neighborhood and block organizers that facilitate the machine to respond to the issues of personal neighborhoods or families in exchange for loyalty and money. Political machine bosses are frequently corrupt and provide favors to poor immigrants and rich businessmen in return for political support as well as opportunities for wealth. The corrupt political machines depend on social disorganization for upward mobility in the community of organized crime. They work together to attain power, authority, and wealth. Organized crime assumes all forms of corruption to penetrate political and business levels all over the world. Weak governance frequently coexists with corruption and a mutually causal nexus exists among corruption as well as feeble governmental institutions resulting in a vicious cycle (Farer, 1999). Corruption within these systems determines the misuse of government resources by diverting them from sectors of vital importance such as education, development and healthcare to their business of drug cartels as well as firearms selling. The price of public services increases to the level that economically deteriorated people can no longer afford them since the poor become poorer and corruption feeds poverty and inequality in the society. The increased socio-economic inequality leads to the loss of confidence in public establishments. Social instability as well as violence increase due to the growing inequality, poverty and mass distrust of political leaders, and institutions (Farer, 1999). Instances propose powerful connections between organized crime and public sector corruption with criminal networks heavily depending on corruption to ensure the circulation of illicit goods enhance money laundering as well as minimize the dangers of successful prosecution. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, for instance, a contentious businessman supervising the unloading of 164 kilograms of pure cocaine from Panama fled a police attack after he received classified information about the operation from the police as a result of corruption from top police bosses.

References

Farer, T. (1999). Transnational crime in the Americas. New York: Routledge.

Mire, S., & Roberson, C. (2011). The study of violent crime. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.