【Sample】Research Proposal(II)

(III) Brief Literature Review

Environmental Variables and Crime

The work of the pre-world war II Chicago researchers Shaw and Mcay made a major contribution to criminology by developing the "Ecological" approach to the understanding of the interaction between society and environment in crime causation. 【主要功绩】

They theorized about social relations, urban social structure and their relation ship with crime. 【XX的理论化】Their study "Juvenile Delinquency and Urban Areas"(1942) showed that high crime areas usually straddled the industrial zone which was characterized by very high rates of residential turnover and low rates of home ownership.【事物以为特征】

Shaw and McKay explained this phenomenon by the theory of "social disorganization". 【用理论解释现象】In short, they argued that differences in delinquency rates between areas was correlated with environmental variables like housing conditions, demographic stability and ethnic/social status.

Later, a geographer Davidson (1981) tried to give a full explanation for the relationship between environmental variables and crime. 【对XX全部解释】

He classified environment into two categories-- physical environment and social environment.【分成两派】 Physical environment referred to the structure and design of an area. For example, parks, leisure grounds, street patterns, commercial complexes and centers are the basic components of the physical environment. Social environment referred to a set of contexts which form the basis for social interaction outside the home such as school, recreation and neighborhood. 【两种分类的展开】Davidson's study suggested how both the social and physical environment provide opportunities for delinquency.

The latest studies about physical environment and crime by Taylor and Harrell (1996) show how physical features like housing design or block layout, land use, territorial features, and physical deterioration relate to crime risk. 【最近的研究】

My study will attempt to define and examine the pattern of such environmental variables in Tuen Mun, Tseung Kwan O and Kowloon City. Differences in the kinds of environmental factors found in the three study areas may provide hypothetically an explanation for differences in juvenile crime in Hong Kong.【我的研究】

Rational Choice

Clarke (1983, 1993) has applied the "rational choice" perspective to a range of
crimes. [将A应用到B]

His studies examined how offenders think about a crime situation and how
they choose the most "suitable" environment and opportunity to operate in or ta
rget to select. 【他的研究检验了C】

It suggests that the environmental features of a place will probably affect a potential offender's perceptions about a possible crime site, their evaluations of the likelihood of success and the availability and visibility of guardians. (Clarke, 1983, 1993, Felson, 1994, Taylor and Harrell, 1996)【研究说说明了C会影响D】

Therefore, my study will explore how juvenile offenders perceive such environmental va
riables and test whether they commit delinquency in a rational fashion.【因此，我的研究会怎样补充】

A study by Beavon (1984, cited in Felson,1994) demonstrated this rational choice
assumption by showing that a shop located in an area with more converging stree
ts suffered more crime than those located elsewhere. Because the street junction
s and intersections made the offender feel that it was more convenient to access
, escape and hide. 【X人的研究通过X展示了X，因为……】

With this kind of example in mind, my study seeks to find out
howsimilar sorts of environmental features in Tuen Mun influence juvenile deli
nquents to make this type of rational choice.【我的研究会怎样】

Crime Prevention Through Environment Design (CPTED)

CPTED studies provide numerous detailed description and explanations of the rela
tionship between crime and place with a view to minimize crime.【研究概述】
For example, Jane Jacobs(1961) found a greater tendency for crime to occur in large publicly accessible areas created by the newer forms of urban planning.【举例】
She pointed out that the new forms of design broke down many of the traditional controls on criminal behavior, for example, the ability of residents to watch the street and the pre
sence of people using the street both night and day.
She suggested that the lack of "natural guardianship" in the environment promoted crime. 【X人的观点】

A decade later Oscar Newman (1972, 1980) contributed a seminal work on crime prevention and environment, using such concepts as "defensible space", "natural surveillance", and "community of interest". 【使用了XX的概念】

Concerning the relationship between the prevalence or abs
ence of "guardianship" or "surveillance" and crime occurrence, my study will exa
mine whether the environment of Tuen Mun's new town provides insufficient "natur
al guardianship" compared to Kowloon City which leads to a high delinquency rate【我的研究设想】
.

Another major work on environmental criminology by Pat and Paul Brantingham (199
0) further developed the concept of CPTED. 【XX发展了XX理论】

The Brantinghams' suggested that "routine activity" such as the way the potential offenders live, work or go to school, and engage in leisure could influence the offenders to search for crime targets. For example, places near McDonald's restaurants and 7-eleven stores where youths like to gather after school may suffer more property crime than other place
s.

Hence, the Brantinghams' suggested that schools should be kept away from shopping malls and convenience-stores so youths do not congregate at these places after school or at lunch time. Such a change of space or place could reduce some delinquency such as shoplifting.【XX的观点】

My research following the Brantinghams' suggestion (will examine and compare) what sorts of places and why they are prone to high juvenile crime in Tuen Mun.【我的研究】