The structural perspective is based on the premise that killings are not simply idiosyncratic, individual acts of violence. Rather, they are "social facts" that are distributed in patterned ways. The authors' description of structural approaches situates them within a broader conception of social organization. Within this conceptual framework, structural influences on homicide are subdivided into two basic types: control influences, in which structural weaknesses or ruptures free or release people to engage in violence; and strain influences, in which structural forces push or pressure persons into violence. The chapter begins by describing the concept of social organization and its attendant components and explaining the theoretical linkages of this concept to homicide. The authors next review theory and research on the major structural correlates of homicide: class, gender, race, and age. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of important issues for future research on homicide and social organization. 15 notes and 92 references