The historical review focuses on the seminal ecological studies of Shaw and McKay conducted in the 1920's and 1930's. Shaw demonstrated the marked variations in delinquency rates within a major city and related delinquency rates to particular characteristics of neighborhoods and the growth processes of the larger city. In their cooperative studies, Shaw and McKay argued that criminal behaviors are socially transmitted in socially disorganized areas. Following the review of Shaw and McKay's work, recent changes in the scope of ecological research are noted. The overview of key issues in the social ecology of crime focuses on debate regarding the relative reliability of crime statistics derived from Uniform Crime Reports and victimization surveys and the necessity of theory integration. Other issues reviewed are the problem of contextual fallacies, conceptualization and measurement, the use of cross-sectional versus longitudinal research designs, and the application of social ecology to criminal justice policy. 28 footnotes.