Abstract

This capstone includes three papers that explore how structural disadvantage, place-based dynamics, and institutional responses shape the experiences of individuals and communities. The first paper focuses on the relationship between concentrated disadvantage, micro-places, and individual outcomes. It shows how crime is not randomly distributed but clusters in specific locations within disadvantaged neighborhoods. Drawing on theories of social disorganization and cumulative disadvantage, the paper explains how neighborhood and micro-place conditions intersect to shape long-term risks and outcomes for residents. The second paper analyzes a community-based intervention designed to reduce recidivism and revictimization. The evaluation considers the program’s design, goals, and limitations, particularly in light of the broader structural challenges its participants face. The paper argues that while the program offers short-term support, it also reveals the need for more systemic change beyond individual-level intervention. The third paper examines conceptualizations of deservingness, focusing on how exactly it is determined what victims are deserving of compassion and empathy and which should be held personally responsible for their own victimization. These perceptions are shaped by larger societal context, and an enduring history of creating an "other" to be vilified. Together, these papers highlight the importance of place, policy, and structural context in shaping inequality. They emphasize that meaningful solutions must address both the specific challenges at the individual level and the broader conditions that limit opportunity and well-being.

Publication Date

12-17-2024

Document Type

Master's Project

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Criminal Justice (MS)

Department, Program, or Center

Criminal Justice, Department of

College

College of Liberal Arts

Advisor

Irshad Altheimer

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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