Chapter 2: Urban Community

Emergence of Urban Community

Definition

Different between level
of relationship (Urban vs Rural)

A group that perceives themselves as having a strong and lasting bond particularly when sharing the same geographical area in the city

Features of urbanization that
lead to the emergence

1.Level of participation in activities

  1. Strength of identification among members with the perceived social bond of the group
  1. Specific physical space understood as territory (material markers with strong emotional ties)
  1. Lack of walls/ fortifications around cities
  1. Real estate development from economy of capitalism
  1. The idealogy of privatism (individual accomplishment in community)
  1. Large-scale foreign immigration, massive population turnover within cities
  1. The regional dispersal of metropolis

Urbanization vs Urbanism

Urbanization

  1. study the social activities
    the increase size of population/ cities
  2. type of city growth (gigantic/ sprawling/ explosive growth of cities based on population)
  3. unequal city growth result in the growth of population in slum area
  4. charting the rise and fall of cities

Urbanism aka culture of cities

  1. way of life characterized by diversity, density, complex social organization
  2. study of cities (geographic, economic, social and cultural environment, imprint on buildings
  3. associated with greater understanding, consuming the arts, expensive dining, entertainment and fashion
  4. creating human community for living, work, play and covering human aspects for urban planning
  5. define urban areas by density of population

How Cities Grow

It has municipal council, varies depending on different systems and governance

Political power relates to their position as sites of economic activities

site of 'urban culture', presence of pedestrian and street culture

Importance of city

Definition

Ten traits of early cities

A bounded space, densely settled, relatively
large and culturally heterogeneous populated

  1. the power to tax, raise money via bonds and other financial instruments
  1. hire own police force
  1. provide all social service to residents
  1. power of self governance, elect officials
  1. political power of city administrators
  1. mayors have national political clout
  1. urban settlements are dense and large
  2. Supported craft people full-time and in specialized jobs
  3. Farmers produce surplus, controlled by rulers
  4. Presence of monumental building
  5. Surplus are controlled by ruling elite and priests within the city
  1. Centers of ideas and recording them (translating, book writing)
  2. Centers of arts
  3. Centers of predictive science (new finding)
  4. City organisation based on residency, not kinship
  5. Involves in trading (import, export)

The steps of urban growth

  1. The colonial period vs mercantile capitalism
  1. The industrial period vs industrial capitalism
  1. The metropolitan period vs monopoly capitalism
  1. Deconcentration, restructuring of settlement space within multicentered metropolitan region vs global capitalism

Factors contribute to urban growth

  1. economic factors
  1. transportation, construction and communication technology
  1. political change
  1. immigration policy
  1. expansion into global superpower

How cities have changed

economic -> manufacturing -> nodal services -> financial investment

Changes can be seen through

  • economic restructuring
  • social restructuring
  • uneven development

People and Lifestyle

Diversity in lifestyle, subculture exists from:

  • social factors of income, gender, age and race
  • spatial patterns of population concentration/ dispersal

A basic tenet in sociospatial approach:

  • the factor of population dispersal linked to particular space
    : class, gender, social means, lifestyle, and specific environment such as street corner, mall
    Interaction is shaped through signs and symbols of sociospatial context

Class stratification

Important to determine the life chances in the future

  • Stratified society is individuals, households located within social hierarchy, determine access to resources
  • top hierarchy control most resources, enjoy political influence, symbolic prestige

The Wealthy/ Upper Class

  • multiple home ownership
  • isolate themselves from population, living in expensive house, security guards, controlled entrance
  • go to specific restaurant, social club, places for upper class
  • specific leisure activities in restrictive place ie country club, play golf

Middle Class and Yuppies

  • Professional workers
  • Live in suburban ie condominium
  • Prefer last minute shopping, fitness club, cinemas
  • more DIY, barbeque with friends

Working Class

  • some live in cities/ suburban
  • go to pub, associated with football and street as playgrounds
  • depends on public transport, hospitals, suffer declining education level
  • no fire, police protection, street maintenance, recreational activities

The Underclass

  • isolated poor, live in ghettoes in inner cities
  • fewer/ no prospect for better life. inadequate resources from city authority
  • subject to pathological consequences of city living
    : public health crisis
    : child abuse
    : crime, murder, rape, robbery

Women, gender roles
and space

Man-made built environment - reflects towards men's activities

  • Offer little benefit to women,
  • The emergence of feminist to fight for right, create greater insight into needs of women

Women and
the environment

Women and political economy

  • 19th century - whole family work in factories
  • early 20th - women stay at home, copy upper class lifestyle
  • middle 20th - middle class emerged, women return to work

The emergence of type of work for women:

  • merchandising store ie Tesco, Mydin
  • service industries ie fast food chain, dry cleaners

today: bigger garage and men share domestic labour as well

  • outsourcing specialized household task such as child care, housecleaning
  • Space and gender extend to communities
  • decoration of the house as an expression of individuality
  • women control over environmental space at home, vulnerable outside
  • need for safe environment for women