The opportunity structures of the South and non-South are becoming similar because the South is changing with respect to urbanization, industrialization, occupational redistribution, income, education, medical care, and migration. These structural and demographic changes are thought to lead to a convergence of crime rates. Southern homicide rates, however, remain pronounced. It is hypothesized that high homicide rates persist in Southern counties that are remaining relatively unaffected structurally by changes that are transforming the region as a whole. / Multiple regression analysis of data collected from a random sample of 300 Southern counties shows that structural and demographic variables explain less than 10 percent of the variance in county homicide rates in 1960 and 1970. Analysis is discontinued because interaction effects are detected. / It is proposed that the association of certain structural variables and such heretofore unspecified demographic variables as age, sex, and race may account for the failure of structural variables to predict county homicide rates. Structural changes are thought to be producing a relocation of individuals who are demographically prone to commit homicide. It is argued that earlier findings regarding the association of structural variables and state homicide rates may be an artifact of the use of the state as the unit of analysis. The failure of the cultural explanation to specify a learning theory is discussed. Such a theory is tentatively sketched. It is proposed that ecological and behavior approaches may be complementary. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-03, Section: A, page: 1224. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_74123 |
| Contributors | MYERS, HOWARD PAUL., The Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 160 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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