Which pair is best known for the urban theory that describes city structure in concentric zones?

Which pair is best known for the urban theory that describes city structure in concentric zones?

• A. Clifford Shaw & Henry McKay
• B. Gabriel Tarde & Edwin Lemert
• C. Robert Merton & Walter Reckless
• D. Travis Hirschi & William Sheldon

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is urban structure shaped like rings around the city center, with crime patterns tied to these rings. This concentric-zone belief was developed by Shaw and McKay, who analyzed Chicago and showed how different zones—from the center outward—had distinct social and crime patterns, especially in the zone of transition near downtown. Their work linked how the physical layout and social ecology of a city influence delinquency, making them the best-known pair for this theory. Other pairs contributed in different areas of criminology: Tarde and Lemert focused on social influence and labeling of deviance, Merton and Reckless on strain and containment theories, and Hirschi and Sheldon on social bonds and body-type theories. But none describe city structure as concentric rings around a center, which is the hallmark of Shaw and McKay’s work.

The main idea here is urban structure shaped like rings around the city center, with crime patterns tied to these rings. This concentric-zone belief was developed by Shaw and McKay, who analyzed Chicago and showed how different zones—from the center outward—had distinct social and crime patterns, especially in the zone of transition near downtown. Their work linked how the physical layout and social ecology of a city influence delinquency, making them the best-known pair for this theory.

Other pairs contributed in different areas of criminology: Tarde and Lemert focused on social influence and labeling of deviance, Merton and Reckless on strain and containment theories, and Hirschi and Sheldon on social bonds and body-type theories. But none describe city structure as concentric rings around a center, which is the hallmark of Shaw and McKay’s work.