2. Aim
To find out if homicide rates would vary as a function of
local life expectancy in Chicago.
3. Procedure
Sample was everyone who happened to be living in
Chicago at the time.
It was a correlation using data from police records,
school records and local demographic records. This was
compared to data from a recent population census.
They focused on communities that had low average life
expectancies. The average life expectancy for males
was 54-77 years.
4. Results
There was a negative correlation, the lower the life
expectancy, the higher the homicide rates.
The correlation coefficient was -0.88
Daly & Wilson suggested that young men in these
neighbourhoods expected to live short lives so took
more risks for short-term rewards.
There was also another negative correlation, the lower
the life expectance, the higher the truancy from school.
5. Link To Crime
If you live in an area with a low life expectancy and so
have a low life expectance yourself, you have a higher
chance of turning to crime because you will be more
likely to take risks which will give you short term
benefits. You are less likely to get a good education as
you will see it as a waste of time and so will find it
difficult to get a job meaning crime may be the only
way you can support yourself.
6. Issues
Generalisability low – only looked at Chicago, didn’t
look at other areas with low life expectancies or high
life expectancies so cannot be used to explain why
people turn to crime.
Reliability high – used police records and local
census, these are generally reliably sources of
information and can be gathered for any area therefore
the study is replicable.
7. Debates
Situational/Individual could argue situational
because the study says if you live in an area with a low
life expectancy you are more likely to take risks and
turn to crime. Could also argue individual as it is the
person themselves who have a low life expectancy
which brings out the risk taking characteristics.
Free will the study shows that the criminal behaviour
comes about because the individual is aware of their
short life expectancy and so is more likely to take risks.
This is free will because the person is making the
decision that the risk is worth it because life is only
short so they may as well go for it.
8. Quiz Questions
1. Where did the study take place?
2. What was the average life expectancy of the
participants?
3. How was the data collected?
4. Was there a positive or negative correlation between
homicide and life expectancy?
5. What was the coefficient of the correlation?
9. Answers
1. Chicago
2. 54-77 years
3. Police records, school records, local demographic
records and the local census.
4. Negative
5. -0.88
