The theory of broken windows. Psychological theories

Psychological theories are interesting to many, because they directly interact with life. They contain tremendous depth and zest that help reveal the sources of significant contradictions in society. The theory of broken windows is a completely unique concept that reveals the connection between the level of order and the crimes committed. This article will be of interest to psychologists, sociologists, everyone who works with people and is interested in the well-being of their city and the country as a whole.

A bit of history

In the mid-80's, New York was a center of crime. Rudolph Giuliani developed methods of dealing with offenders, but their number only increased with time. The theory of broken windows (New York became that real and sad confirmation) was dictated by life itself. Crime has grown literally every day because of the conditions available to it.

The essence of the concept

The theory of broken windows was formulated by two researchers - George Kelling and James Wilson. The concept itself sounds like this: norms and rules help to facilitate the flow of life. Lack of order, the spread of chaos contributes to the growth and development of crime. You can see that if in a certain area of the city to start throwing garbage somewhere, then soon and surrounding people will start to do it. The disorder tends to spread. If you do not replace a broken window in a certain house in time, there is always a possibility that soon others will be spoiled.

Human consciousness is arranged in such a way that it always strives for a new. People want to know the unknown, to get knowledge. But at the same time everyone needs support and a certain participation of others in success. If a person observes chaos from day to day or lives in it directly, negative emotions are formed that provoke fear of life and unwillingness to follow the internal goal. Psychological theories, like the foregoing, are additional evidence.

Experiment

Criminological theory, like any other, needed confirmation. In a number of cities, practical studies were carried out, which only confirmed the existence of this relationship. What did the researchers do? They contributed to the maximum cleaning of the place that used to be rapidly polluted. When the atmosphere of cleanliness was created, there were visible changes. Passers-by did not throw garbage directly on the sidewalk, but used the urn.

If the waste lay directly in front of their eyes, then the likelihood that all the others would continue to litter is high. Practical application of the theory proves its importance. To date, this is a proven fact.

The space in which a person works

Many of us complain about unproductive activities, loss of efficiency, and yet everything depends on us. If a person wants to achieve high results, it is highly advisable to properly organize working time and space. There should not be any distractions around you. It is for this reason that it is best to work in the office. Those who are engaged in remote activities, experience their difficulties with self-organization and control. Practical application of the above-mentioned theory shows that the existence of orderly actions is decided by all.

Crime as a result

If we consider any offense as a result to which a person leads himself, it turns out that the theory of broken windows is an operating mechanism. The process is triggered as a result of emerging associations in the head of the personality and the transformation of the images. If we see near to ourselves dependent people (suffering alcoholism, for example), then slowly we begin to degrade ourselves. In the event that near the house garbage is constantly thrown out, eventually our brain will get used to the given signal and will not consider it as something indecent. As a result, a person begins to behave like everyone else.

Proceeding from the above statement, we can conclude that crime is also provoked by external factors. In a calm and friendly atmosphere, there is nowhere to undertake aggression and arbitrariness. And vice versa, where there is chaos and disorder, crime is much more frequent. Darkness itself sometimes provokes undesirable consequences. When a person feels safe, he is internally satisfied, relaxed. He who constantly experiences anxiety, is closed, distrustful, afraid to prove himself, is secretive. Crimes are never committed by happy happy people. The state of inner satisfaction and integrity will not allow us to go beyond the social framework. Only disharmonious people try to act in defiance of fate, submitting to their own will. Criminals are usually offended to the whole world, and their deeds are a kind of cry for help, which they want to demonstrate to public opinion.

What says Malcolm Gladwell

A well-known Canadian writer and journalist in his book "The Turning Point" notes that a person is able to neglect the opinion of the majority not because he has a bad heredity. Many offenses and crimes are committed as a result of the fact that people have long observed violence or cruelty alongside themselves, and may themselves have been victims of other acts.

Great value has on a person all that he sees and hears around him. No matter how we wish to express our individuality, no matter how we isolate ourselves from the environment of people who are unpleasant to us, but we can not avoid the influence that people have on us. This is the theory of broken windows. Malcolm Gladwell's book emphasizes the entire power of unconscious subordination to the majority's opinion and the impact of the environment on the development of the individual. If a child grows in an atmosphere of love and acceptance of his opinions by others, parents tend to give him the best, then he undoubtedly has a sense of belonging to the social environment where he is brought up.

A small person is already becoming a part of this system. In the case of an unfavorable environment, an initially defective person, incapable of truly accepting herself, is formed. Such a person, whether free or not from evil, but hurts other people, makes them suffer. And all because he had adopted a bad behavior pattern from his childhood, absorbed it into himself. Scandals in the family and the constant presence of abusive words are not dangerous by themselves, they are harmful by their disastrous effect on the child's psyche.

What is the importance of orderliness

To be precise, order is important in everything. First of all, you should take care of putting in order the place where you spend most of the day. If this apartment, it makes sense to somehow harmonize the space, decorate it. You should enjoy everything on which the look stops: the external interior, the situation in the house, your own attitude, relationships with close people. Otherwise, all attempts to become happy and self-sufficient will disperse, like bubbles. The theory of broken windows shows us the consequences of a non-harmonious attitude to oneself and others.

Unfortunately, the environment in which the personality grows has a very strong impact on it. We can not live outside the society. Order is extremely important in the thoughts and actions of man. From what the person has intentions, his self-esteem and the desire to achieve individual goals depend. When priorities are properly placed, there is something to strive for. An excessively restless person is always in a state of anxiety, he does not know how to relax, rest. This behavior is sometimes capable in itself of causing significant psychiatric abnormalities and disorders.

Clarity and consistency

The theory of broken windows, the refutation of which has not been presented so far, is certainly a strong concept, since it is based on real facts. For whatever business you take, you must always remember that it is important to go to the end. But many people stop half way from the cherished goal, and without trying to take a bold step towards the dream!

Think beforehand the sequence of steps that you are going to take. A clear vision of the situation, the ability to plan cases will help to understand many complex issues. When there is a movement ahead and concrete steps are outlined, it is extremely important not to turn off from a given direction. Your trip can have a high meaning, but if you allow yourself to turn in the wrong direction, the return can be very long.

Instead of concluding

The theory of broken windows is a powerful program for the harmonization of the individual at the social level. After all, only considering a person as an individual, one can understand his true motives and aspirations. Everyone wants to be personally, to be unique. To do this, you need to learn to respect others, to accept them as they really are.