Abstract

Robert “Bob” Bursik held esteemed positions within the American Society of Criminology, including Fellow, President, and Vice-President, and he was the recipient of the Herbert Bloch Award in 2005. He completed his undergraduate studies in sociology at Rutgers University in 1973, followed by a Master’s in 1975 and a Ph.D. in 1980, both from the University of Chicago. Bursik began his faculty career at the University of Oklahoma, where he served as professor and chair of the sociology department. His final destination was the University of Missouri—St. Louis, as part of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Recognized for his significant contribution to the revitalization of community crime studies in criminology during the late 1980s, Bursik’s notable publication, Neighborhoods and Crime: The Dimensions of Effective Community Control, co-authored with Harold G. Grasmick (1993, Lexington), explored vital factors in understanding the influence of community structures on crime and delinquency. His research interests also encompassed the interplay between crime and immigration, contextual analysis, the evolution of urban environments and crime patterns over time, and extensive testing of key criminological theories. (Visit Bob’s profile on Google Scholar here.)

Keywords: Chicago School, social disorganization, Shaw & McKay, Rutgers, University of Chicago, neighborhood research.