Urban Social Stress IB Geography II Part 1

Urban Social Stress IB Geography II

Part 1: The Link Between Urban Social Stress and Income Inequality • For many people, especially those who belong to the upper class and to government circles, it is the urban poor who are responsible for violence and crime in the cities. This is a prejudice that has often hindered any attempt to get to the heart of the problem of either poverty or crime and violence, in our cities. • The key issue is that poverty reflects the inability of an individual, household or community to satisfy certain basic minimum needs. The assumption follows is that due to poverty, the urban poor are forced to resort to crime and violence. • Instead, today, let’s analyze the possible link between income inequality and crime and violence. • To what extent does income inequality, rather than poverty alone, lead to increased levels of crime and violence in cities?

Intro Video • Ted Talk: “How Income Inequality Harms Societies” by Richard Wilkinson • Step 1: Gather evidence as you watch of the effects of income inequality on society. • Step 2: Revisit our Guiding Question in Partners: • To what extent does income inequality, rather than poverty alone, lead to increased levels of crime and violence in cities?

Gini Coefficient/Murder Rates Data Analysis • Orientation to Data • Data Analysis (Individual) • Discussion of Data around Guided Questions (Partners) • Debrief with Guiding Question in Mind: To what extent does income inequality, rather than poverty alone, lead to increased levels of crime and violence in cities?

Part 2

The Causes of Urban Violence and Crime • • • Inequality Unemployment Limited Police Presence Opportunity Poor Urban Planning Globalization and Communications Technology

Inequalities and Social Problems • Examples of the many social problems found in cities include: – Lack of access to services for underclass – Problems related to crime – Ethnic and religious divisions causing social and economic polarization. – Economic Polarization: The widening gap between the rich and the poor

Inequality • The growing gap between rich and poor is far more likely to lead to crimes than poverty itself. • Unequal access to employment, education, health and basic infrastructure is the underlying cause of crime.

Unemployment • Most research suggests that unemployed youth aged 15 -24 are disproportionately more likely to be perpetrators as well as victims of crime and violence

Limited Police Presence • The speed of urbanization increases pressure on the ability of authorities to meet public security and safety demands though adequate policing. • Large cities have lower levels of community cooperation with the police and require more police officers per inhabitant

Opportunity • Crime rates are higher in large cities because there is a greater concentration of wealthy potential victims, more opportunities to commit crime, and a more developed second-hand market for stolen goods. • Criminal networks can be persuasive and influential towards certain disadvantaged groups, luring them into criminal gangs.

Poor Urban Planning • The design of urban environments may affect the security of citizens • For example, if streets have unlit or hidden areas and layouts with more escape routes, or streets police cars can’t get down, crime is more common.

Globalization and Communications Technology • Ease of communication through mobile phones and other devices add to the efficiency of organized crime.

The Consequences of Urban Crime • Can generate a culture of fear • Can lead to segregation and social fragmentation • Can lead to the creation of fortified spaces • Can negatively impact economic development • The Latin American region has the highest homicide rate in the world, and widespread fear and insecurity are a fact of daily life.

Gated Communities • While violence does occur, anxiety and fear generated by the perception of crime and violence outweighs the actual level of danger. • Mexico City: Fear of crime leads people to restrict their movements and avoid leaving home at night. • Gated Communities are found most in places with high inequality and inadequate public security.

Gated Communities • Most found in North American cities • New phenomenon in Brazil and South Africa where there are increased socioeconomic inequalities. • South Africa: # of private security guards has increased by 150% since the late 1990 s. • Often results in segregation across ethnic, racial and religious lines