The Ecology of Social Disorganization in Helsinki.

The article presents a discussion on the ecology of social structure and disorganization in Helsinki, Finland. The purpose of this article is to reveal factors by which the ecological distribution of various symptoms of social disorganization in Helsinki can be described and explained. The analysis is carried out by means of variance analysis, the Kendall coefficient of concordance and factor analysis. This is not an attempt to compare behavioral differences in individuals, but to shed light upon regional differences in behavior. The study proceeds from the hypotheses and results brought forward in certain ecological studies of cities. They are briefly and roughly the following: as a result of the process by which a city grows and changes, individuals, groups, tasks and production units become distributed according to a pattern which results in an inner differentiation within the city; this process of selection and differentiation gives rise to so-called natural areas with their own distinctive characteristics; each of these areas, with its characteristic features, leaves its impression upon the people inhabiting it and influences their behavior.