SOC607 Official Handouts

Lesson 01 INTRODUCTION TO URBAN SOCIOLOGY · Topic: 01-06 · Topic 01: Urban Sociology

Urban Sociology is an inter-disciplinary subject that deals with the urban (city) life of the people. Sub-fields of Sociology like Demography, Gender Studies, Social Psychology, Cultural Sociology, and Cultural Anthropology are part of its study. This subject deals with all the aspects of social human life in the cities and urban areas (Shlay & Balzarini, 2015).

Emergence of Urban Sociology

urban sociology as a field emerged. It was due to the domination of town, particularly city. As in

and publishing centers, professional organizations, and religious and welfare establishments) (Chopra, 2015) .

Historical context

with this phenomenon the subject of urban sociology came into being. (Mondal, 2016)

Rise of Urban Sociology

Urban social science rose to prominence through a group of sociologists and theorists at the University of Chicago from 1915 to 1940 in what became referred to as the Chicago School of social science. The Chicago School of social science combined social science and social science theory with ethnographical studies so as to grasp that how people move at towards urban social systems (Shil, 2016) . In contrast to the primarily macro-based social science that had marked earlier subfields, members of the Chicago School placed greater stress on micro scale social moves that sought to produce subjective desiring to humans interact underneath structural, cultural and social conditions (Shil, 2016).

Topic 2: Defining Urban Sociology

Urban is derived from Latin word “Urbs”, term used by Romans to describe town or city. Urban Sociology focuses on the different dimensions and nature of social relationships of the people living in cities. It seeks to study structures, processes, changes and problems of urban setting for planning and policy making. Urban Sociology deals with the social dynamics of an urban setting. Factors like variation in towns, in different aspects, cause variation in life style, norms, values and nature of relationships of the people living in them. Study of urban sociology makes us understand not just how urban regions grow and develop, but also the impact of urban life on individuals living in cities.

Urban Settlements

Urban settlements form distinct regular patterns. A city is a clearly distinguished spatial order of urban activities. City is a multi-functional settlement. The functional task is the result of social forces and processes; which in turn, are conditioned by institutional values, traditions and customs of a specific culture.

Ecological Structure of a City

Three factors that determine the ecological structure of a city are: -

1. Differentiation of functions: Areas are differentiated on the basis of functions performed over there for e.g. business zone, industrial area, residential zones.
2. Class Separation: Society is divided into groups on the basis of status and power.
3. Cultural Segregation: Inequality on the basis of norms, values and religion

Social dynamics of both rural and urban setting make them distinctive. Life opportunities vary according to social class, race, gender, ethnicity, age and family status among other factors. Such social variable interacts with spatial factors such as clustering of homes according to family income, journey to work or school and diverse ways people pursue a particular lifestyle. These changes cause particular patterning of social networks.

Demographic Aspect

Demographic aspect focuses on increase and decrease in populations and other variables such as population density, fertility and fecundity, life expectancy and infant mortality.

Cultural Aspect

Cultural aspect relates to pattern and type of interpersonal relationships and nature of social bonds. Norm, Values, Folkways and Mores are included in this aspect.

Characteristics of Urban Setting

1. Increased population size and density
2. Concentration of agricultural surplus
3. Public works and monuments
4. Specialization of labor
5. Social Stratification
6. Invention of writing
7. Development of arts
8. Development of sciences
9. Membership
10. Long distance trade

Defining Urban Sociology

Fernand Tonnies’ concepts of Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft sketched out an evolutionary view of the development of human society. The great period of industrialization that transformed European societies beginning in the late 1700s signified a change from community to association. Our life opportunities vary according to social class, race, gender, ethnicity, age, and family status, among other factors. Such social variables, in reality interact with locational, or spatial, factors such as the clustering of homes according to family income, the journey to work or school, and the diverse ways people pursue for a particular lifestyle. These change cause particular patterning of social networks.

Focus of Urban Sociology

Urban sociology focuses on the reality of urbanism by studying the patterns of everyday human life that are embedded within the urban and suburban settlements. Similarly urban sociology focuses on the dynamics of neighborhood change, specifically the factors of change, the process of change, the effects of change on households coming in and out of the urban area and the effects of neighborhood change on the city and region as a whole.

Topic 3: Urbanism and Urbanization

Urbanism

Urbanism is a way of life in the cities. How inhabitants of urban areas, such as towns and cities, interact among themselves and with the built environment. How inhabitants of urban areas are connected through communication, transportation and infrastructure. There is a diffusion of different cultures into an urban society. It is a socio-cultural and economic phenomenon which encompasses interaction between social and technological processes. It is a developing and constantly changing phenomenon. Sociologists are interested in the way people live and the nature of interpersonal relationship, they have

City

A city is like a theater which portrays the interwoven relationship of divergent human culture and human personalities (Lewis Mumford, 1937). These change cause particular patterning of social