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Structural Determinants of Homicide

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Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research

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Definition

Structural determinants of homicide are causes or correlates of homicide that are related to the structure of social institutions (from families to societies) and their attendant inequalities.

Structural explanations as opposed to cultural or subcultural explanations focus on the effects of poverty, income inequality, unemployment, racial composition of areas, family structure, and other related variables. Even though race can be seen as a demographic characteristic, along with age and gender, the effects of racial inequalities in the modern American society, originally stemming from Black slavery, have far-reaching consequences and long-term effects on the distribution of resources and opportunities and, inevitably, on the quality of life.

Structural factors operate at the aggregate level (neighborhoods, counties, states, etc.), assuming group-level processes extending above and beyond individual-level explanations of behavior such as psychological characteristics or attitudes...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of New Haven, CT, USA

    Maria Tcherni

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  1. Maria Tcherni
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Correspondence to Maria Tcherni .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada

    Alex C. Michalos

  2. (residence), Brandon, MB, Canada

    Alex C. Michalos

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Tcherni, M. (2014). Structural Determinants of Homicide. In: Michalos, A.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_4131

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_4131

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