Final answer:
The Chicago School of Sociology argued that social space or ecology was influential in determining social behavior. This approach suggests that environmental factors within urban spaces contribute to social outcomes like disorganization or criminal behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Chicago School posited that social space or ecology was a determinant of social behavior. More precisely, scholars like Robert E. Park and Ernest Burgess, associated with the Chicago School, developed the concept of social ecology, examining how the urban environment influenced its inhabitants. Park argued that social disorganization within cities was a product of the environment rather than the residents themselves. This school of thought suggested that the built and natural environment that individuals live in can lead to certain social behaviors, irrespective of the ethnic or social backgrounds of the individuals.
Related to this concept is Social Disorganization Theory, which posits that conditions within neighborhoods can encourage or discourage criminal behavior. Murray Bookchin, a proponent of social ecology, argued that our ecological problems are direct results of long-standing social issues. He proposed that to resolve ecological problems, society must address underlying social problems, potentially by empowering smaller, locally-based groups.
Critics of this viewpoint often express concern that environmentalism and approaches favored by developed nations might not be suitable for or accessible to less industrialized nations facing immediate survival challenges such as food scarcity or lack of clean water. Therefore, there is a recognition of privilege attached to certain environmental perspectives, acknowledging a complexity in applying these theories globally.