Ecological and Areal Studies in Great Britain and the United States

Despite a growing body of criticism of the ecological approach to the study of delinquency, the number of criminological studies based upon it, both in Great Britain and in the United States, has shown no signs of decreasing. Given the sheer numbers of such studies that have been conducted in postwar years and their increasing statistical complexity, it is important to make some critical assessment of their contribution to our understanding of delinquency. In much of this work, the objectives of the research have become blurred, conceptual difficulties and ambiguities have been overlooked, and conclusions have been presented as if the use of a technically sophisticated methodology obviated the need for careful explanation. There are some promising directions for further research. Particular attention should be paid to the research that has been stimulated in recent years by the publication of Oscar Newman's Defensible Space (1972). New sources of crime data-particularly victimization studies and self-reported delinquency studies-may enrich areal research. Future research must be sensitive to the politics of delinquency definitions and should investigate the social processes that create and reinforce the unfavorable reputations of delinquency areas.