ABSTRACT
The Chicago School of Sociology and the Chicago Area Project pioneered the development of theory, research, and practice concerning juvenile delinquency and its prevention. The theories of Thomas, Burgess, and Park emphasized the continuity and similarity between deviant and normal individuals, the potent influence of the social context in shaping behavior, and the community as the primary cause, preventive agent, and cure of deviance. Shaw and McKay's quantitative research supported the zonal theory of urban development that predicted high delinquency rates in socially disorganized communities near the central city. Their qualitative life histories of delinquents supported their continuity view of delinquents and explicated the social influences that promoted delinquency. The Chicago Area Project has a 50-year history of preventing delinquency by developing indigenous talent to work with local youth and improve commu" nity conditions. This Chicago example demonstrates the value of prevention programs that emphasize the synergy of theory, research, and practice, the importance of sociaf and community levels of analysis, the combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, and the use of citizen participation.
