Hirschi assumes in his social bonds theory that humans have a natural tendency to delinquency. The interesting question for him is what prevents people from violating norms. According to Hirschi, conformity is generated by social control. Hirschi distinguishes four different forms of social bonds and their influence on social control:
1969
Social disorganization (Shaw & McKay)
[also known as: Social Ecology, Area Approach, cultural transmission] Theories of social disorganization assume that in areas with certain ecological conditions such as high unemployment rates, population mobility or material decay, crime rates are constant. Such conditions prevent social organisation and cohesion in the neighbourhood and thus informal social control
