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Exploring How Geographical Location, Trust Among Neighbors, And Trust In Police Impact The Fear Of Crime In Ghana: A Test Of The Social Disorganization Theory

Ahadzie, Veronica A.M.
http://orcid.org/0009-0005-4337-2108
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1681409799279015

Abstract Details

2023, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, Sociology.
Over the past few decades, scholars and policymakers have paid a lot of attention to the fear of crime. Researchers have looked at crime and the fear of crime through Shaw and McKay's (1942) social disorganization theory. This theory argues that neighborhoods that are more urbanized are more likely to have a higher crime rate and, as a result, a higher fear of crime. While there has been much research done on the fear of crime through the framework of social disorganization theory, most of these studies have been conducted in Western developed countries, such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom (Ade 2007; Cordner 2008; Reid and Roberts 1998; Ruhs, Greve, and Kappes 2017). Not much is known when it comes to developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa. This suggests that a cross-cultural understanding of the fear of crime is necessary to enhance our global understanding of the fear of crime. As a result, this dissertation tests the social disorganization theory in Ghana, Africa, by examining the spatial variation of fear of crime in the neighborhood in three categorized regions (major urbanized, semi-urbanized, and less urbanized regions). Also, it examines the relationship between fear of crime, trust among neighbors, and trust in the police. Finally, it investigates how aspects of social disorganization theory, the presence of social disorder, collective efficacy, and victimization experience influence the fear of crime in Ghana, using a cross-cultural, nationally representative sample of data from the World Values Survey (2012). The findings suggest that fear of crime is a significant concern for residents in Ghana. Using ordered logistic regression, results from this study indicate that residents in major urban regions and less urban regions reported higher levels of fear of crime than those in semi-urban regions. This result partially supports the social disorganization hypothesis in terms of why individuals fear crime more in urban areas (Shaw and McKay, 1942; Skogan, 1986; Sampson, 1997), but not in terms of why they have higher fear of crime in less urban regions. In addition, the study found that complete trust among neighbors decreases their fear of crime as opposed to when they have no trust. Also, when it comes to trust in the police, those who indicated they completely trust the police show no significant association with fear of crime, but then those who somewhat trust the police rather indicate less fear of crime. Also, the study found that neighborhood characteristics evaluated in relation to the theory—social neighborhood disorder and being victimized—increase the fear of crime among residents. However, collective efficacy was not significant in relation to fear of crime. Based on my findings, I conclude with some limitations and policy implications of the findings.
Juan Xi (Committee Member)
Stacey Nofziger (Committee Member)
Robert L. Peralta (Committee Chair)
Janet Klein (Committee Member)
Daniela Jauk-Ajamie (Committee Member)
190 p.
Social Research; Sociology
Fear of crime, trust among neighbors, trust in the police, geographic location

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Citations

  • Ahadzie, V. A.M. (2023). Exploring How Geographical Location, Trust Among Neighbors, And Trust In Police Impact The Fear Of Crime In Ghana: A Test Of The Social Disorganization Theory [Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1681409799279015

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Ahadzie, Veronica. Exploring How Geographical Location, Trust Among Neighbors, And Trust In Police Impact The Fear Of Crime In Ghana: A Test Of The Social Disorganization Theory. 2023. University of Akron, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1681409799279015.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Ahadzie, Veronica. "Exploring How Geographical Location, Trust Among Neighbors, And Trust In Police Impact The Fear Of Crime In Ghana: A Test Of The Social Disorganization Theory." Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron, 2023. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1681409799279015

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2023, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.