ABSTRACT
Social disorganization is one logical place to begin this exploration given its dominance in structural criminology. Research on social disorganization and crime in rural areas faces important measurement and methodological challenges. Some scholars suggest social disorganization theory may explain the differences in urban and rural crime rates because the latter are routinely characterized as having greater levels of cohesion, shared values and informal social controls. Recent research has challenged the generalizability of social disorganization theory to rural areas. Challenging the idyllic image of rural communities, results suggest that rurality is not a consistent predictor of crime rates. Scholars have also elaborated the theoretical mechanisms that capture social disorganization. Research on crime and place in rural areas has been overshadowed by research in urban areas, and thus is a relatively new exercise. Residentially unstable and heterogeneous communities are less capable of developing prosocial relationships and less effective at crime control.
