Crime as a Source of Solidarity: A Research Note Testing Durkheim's Assertion |
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| Authors: | James Hawdon John Ryan Laura Agnich |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University , Blacksburg, Virginia, USA hawdonj@vt.edu;3. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University , Blacksburg, Virginia, USA |
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| Abstract: | A basic premise of a functional theory of crime is that heinous crimes can be a source of solidarity. While anecdotal evidence exists to support this crime–solidarity relationship, no systematic studies have tested this assertion. We compare data from a sample of Virginia Tech students collected in 2006 to data from a sample of students collected five months, nine months, and one year after the mass shootings that occurred on campus in April 2007. The results indicate that solidarity significantly increased after the crime and remained elevated for six months. After six months, solidarity began to decrease. |
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