Urbanism as a Way of Life: Louis Wirth

Urbanism as a Way of Life: Louis Wirth

The Unbridled growth of industries let to the growth of cities which can be best seen in United Kingdom, later on  in 1801 about a fifth of its population lived in towns and cities.  By 1901, the year of Queen Victoria’s death, the census recorded three-quarters of the population as urban. In the span of a century a largely rural society had become a largely urban one.

The pattern was repeated on a European and then a world scale as industrialization proceeded. At the beginning of the 19th century less than 10 percent urbanized, with respect to cities of 10,000 or more; by the end of the century it was about 30 percent urbanized It was almost similar in all parts of the world.

As with population growth, it was in the underdeveloped nations that the fastest rates of urban growth were to be found. The rapidly expanding population of a countryside unable to support it sought the city for both escape and opportunity, though in many cases it was a perilous choice. Between 1900 and 1950, the world’s population grew by 50 percent, the urban population grew over 200 percent.

But while urbanization in the underdeveloped nations repeats some of the more distressing features of its Western counterpart—overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and unemployment—the compensation and eventual remedy of economic growth has been largely lacking. The underdeveloped world has known urbanization without industrialization. The result has been the rapid growth of ghettos on the edges of the big cities.

Urbanism is not mearly urban growth. But it is a matter, of culture and consciousness. Urbanism is a way of life, as classically analyzed by the German sociologist Georg Simmel and the American sociologist Louis Wirth.

But whether they deplored or praised urban life, most commentators have agreed that, with industrialism, the city moved into a pivotal new relation with society as a whole. Preindustrial cities were islands in an agrarian sea.

With industrialization, the countryside now became dependent on the city.  The cities were thickly populated. The influx of population to urban, industrial areas also led to the growth of slums.

 In the essay of “Urbanism as a Way of Life” Louis Wirth in 1938, has been an influential piece of work that has attracted many urban sociologists. The characteristics he found were size of  population, heterogeneity of the urban population and density of  population which define the sociology aspects in an urban city.  These characteristics paved the way for impersonal, transitory and secondary social relationship which was based on formal, anonymous rational interest.  This contributed to the development of a peculiarly “urban way of life” and a urban personality.

Prof. Ram Ahuja says that urbanism Is a way of life which is characterized by certain elements such as transiency (short-term relations), superficiality, (impersonal and formal relations with limited number of people,) anonymity (not knowing names and lacking Intimacy) and individualism (people giving more importance to one’s vested interests).

Louis Wirth, Urbanism is a way of life, is characterized by extensive conflicts of norms and values, by rapid social change, by increased social differentiation, greater social mobility, by higher levels of education and income, by emphasis on material possessions and individualism, by impersonality of relationships and decline in Intimate communication and by increase in formal social controls.

Size of  population:

Wirth believed that the larger the population size it produces great diversity in the cultural and occupational characteristics of a city.

This happens as a result of :

·       A large population migrate to urban space.

·       Migration of diverse population to cities.

·       This large population with diverse cultural background need a formal control system.

·       This large population supports proliferation of specialization.

·       Specialization organizes human relationships more on an interest basis often called social segmentalization.

Heterogeneity of the urban population:

·       Heterogeneity of the urban population, breaks down the rigidity of rural caste, but also complicates the  class structure.

·       This results in mobility of people from one social level to another without the clutches of caste.

·       Since a vast majority of the population in urban areas do not own land they are able to move freely.

 Density of  population:

·       The consequence of a large population effects the social life of the population.

·       It differentiate the different segments into clear boundaries, rather than sameness we experience in rural areas.

·       Such neighbourhood is called, natural areas, revealing that such places evolved unplanned.

·       Wirth also states that urbanites also have a tendency towards stereotypical and categorical thinking means a person grasping the city through visible symbols, clothing cars, fashionable streets etc.

·       In cities, physical closeness tends to increase social distancing.

·       Forced into physical proximity, city dwellers close off or tune out those around them.

·       He to believed like simmel that city life may create antisocial behavior.

In conclusion, Louis Wirth believed that size of population, heterogeneity and density interacted to produce the unique way of life.

He believed that city would act as an acid, that would eventually dissolve the traditional values and evolve a new meaningful relationship.

He too believed that city will provide its dwellers with great freedom.

Wirth understood the essence of urban living was being Cosmopolitan- literally belonging to  all the world.

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Gated communities:

Gated communities:

As in the Communist Manifesto, Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx commented that "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle…" Even after 170 years, the situation has not ameliorated. The battle between the classes still exists, but for different causes. In an urban area, this class struggle can be seen for spaces. This quest for spaces and security has produced a particular type of strategic retreat for many of those who can afford to live there.

Thus we see the genesis of the 'gated community' or as they are also called the 'walled community' or 'common interest development'. They are unique places for unique people. Gated communities are found both in developed and developing countries gated communities are simply communities that erect gates across roads, limit points of entry build, perimeter walls, employ private security guards, surveillance camera, set up infra-red motion detectors.

Gated communities can be traced back to the late 1960s and 1970's in New York USA. People choose gated communities because they fear crime and they craved to produce economic and physical security free from the problem of pollution and noise. They wanted to share responsibility for common areas, they even have associations too.

Gated community is also a sign of the existing inequality entrenched division by caste, class and race within society. Gated communities have become widespread across the globe. The residence generally has substantial fortunes who had much to lose and who fear and understood that there is a struggle going on between the wealthy and poor.

 Types of gated communities:

Edward J Blakely and Mary Gail Snyder in 1999, suggested 3 category:

1. Lifestyle communities

2. Prestige communities

3. Security zone communities

1. Lifestyle communities:

Lifestyle communities are an expression of conspicuous consumption and a new leisure class. Emphasize amenities and include retirement  communities they attract those who want separate private services and amenities, walls that separate their boundaries within a homogeneous, predictable environment.

Eg: They prefer Golf grounds and tennis lawns, even small private swimming pools in their yards.

2. Prestige communities:

Prestige communities are status-oriented places such as those in affluent places, for the people status is important and stable neighborhood. For them personal services and separation of lawns are secondary.

3. Security zone communities :

Security zone communities are enclaves of fear, primarily concerned with protection. They like walls, gates, closed streets and various other security systems within the gated general community. They try to ward off others from entering their own premises does keeping away from threats and staying safe within their home.

SUBURBANIZATION:

Suburbanization is a population shift from central urban areas into suburbs, resulting in the formation of (sub)urban sprawl. As a consequence of the movement of households and businesses out of the city centres, low-density, peripheral urban areas grow.

Definitions:

An outlying part of a city or town.  Merrin Webster

A smaller community adjacent to or within commuting distance of a city. Merrin Webster

The residential area on the outskirts of a city or large town. Merrin Webster

Many residents of metropolitan regions work within the central urban area, and choose to live in satellite communities called suburbs and commute to work via automobile or mass transit.

Difference Between Urban and Suburban:

URBAN

•          Urban areas have a bigger population density

•          Urban areas usually include the inner, or main city.

•          Urban areas are more congested in terms of people and establishments.

•          Lower amount of space available.

•          Commuting in the urban  areas is also via own vehicles or public transport as most  they live quite close to your place of work.

•          urban lifestyle: The urban lifestyle is also extremely fast-paced. Entertainment, the latest fashions, and the most up-to-date thinkers in the world, are at your door step.

SUBURBAN

•          Suburban areas have a smaller population density.

•          Suburban areas are those that are just adjacent to the city, or surround the city.

•          Not so congested in terms of people and establishments.

•          Amount of space available to an individual is comparatively more.

•          Commuting in the Suburbs is via public transport or walking or own vehicles which is usually, within 30 minutes of the city.

•          Lifestyle in the Suburbs:  suburbs seem to have the perfect balance of urban and suburban cultures. All kinds of people live in the suburbs.

Urban Sociology

URBAN STUDIES

Urban spaces are developing at an ever faster pace, and the need to understand, discuss and bring out the essence of social life in an urban area is essential.  Hence thought of starting a blog on Urban sociology. 

Urban Sociology as you know is the sociological study of life and human interaction in urban spaces.

It is a discipline of sociology which seek to study the structures, processes, changes and problems of an urban area and by doing so provide inputs for planning and policy making. In other words it is the sociological study of cities and their role in the development of society.

Early men were nomads the earliest signs of a process leading to sedentary culture can be seen as early as 12,000 BC as they settled near the river bank thus became sedentary; it evolved into an  evolved into agricultural society, settlement of life and the real growth of  towns and cities.

The earliest recorded studies of a contrast from Rural agrarian society was done by Ferdinanad Toennis a German social philosopher who lived from 1855 to 1936. He compared and contrasted the community life that existed prior to great period of industrialization and post industrial revolution. The late 1700s signified a change from community to association. He highlight the differences between village life of the preindustrial period and urban life of the industrial period, and between small-town life and that of the large city.

Next prominent writing were of Emile Durkheim, on Solidarity in Society, in his book ‘the division of labour in society’, he too wrote about the changes brought about by industrialization. In the preindustrial village, individuals were held together by the mechanical bonds of kinship and social interdependence-mechanical because they were predetermined and could not be changed as long as the individual remained within the local village. Hence called Mechanical Solidarity. While under the industrial setup, individuals were no longer bound by the mechanical bonds of kinship: instead they could work at new types of jobs and have greater opportunities for interaction with a wider range of people.

George Simmel  contribution of  ‘The Metropolis and Mental Life’ was concerned with modernity, or the transition from a traditional society to  industrial society situated within cities, Simmel compared the psychology of the individual in rural life with the psychology of the city dweller. His investigation determines that the human psychology is altered by the metropolis. As such, the city dweller’s attitude and psychology is fundamentally different to an individual that inhabits rural life. The psychology of the city dweller, therefore, exhibits what Simmel describes it as a blaze attitude. Simmel described blase attitude as an attitude of absolute boredom and lack of concern for others.

 The real growth of the present urban studies came with the establishment of Chicago School  in the 1930’s. which marked the beginning of a series of studies and researches conducted to study the people, life, the processes, the human interaction, the architecture,environment and pathologies of urban life. Robert Park is the  most interesting figure in the development of the Chicago School Of Urban Sociology. He and his associates went a lot further from a bipolar spectrum of analysing the society to adopting a conceptual position that we call human ecology- the study of the process of human group adjustment to the environment. Urban life for Robert  Park was organized on two separate levels: the “biotic” and the “culture”. The biotic level refers to the forms of organization produced by human competition over scarce environmental resources. The cultural level refers to the symbolic and the psychological adjustment processes and to the organization of urban life according to shared sentiments.

Ernest Burgess’s  yet another contributor to uraban studies, put forward the Concentric Zone theory. According to Burgess the city constantly grew because of population pressures. This in turn triggered a dual process of central agglomeration and commercial decentralization; that is spatial competition attracted new activities to the centre of the city but also repelled other activities to the fringe area. First he explained the pattern of homes, neighborhoods, and industrial and commercial location in terms of the ecological theory of competition over “position” or location. In short competition produced a certain space and a certain social organization in space. Those who could afford it leaved near the center; those who could not arranged themselves in concentric zones around the city center. Such a model required among other things that the center have the most jobs and social activities and hence that it be the most desirable location. This view was challenged various other models that were prior to it.

With the invention and use of computer extensively, brought sweeping changes to the field of human ecology. Urban sociologists no longer had to limit their research to field studies of urban communities; now they could assemble data for the entire cities.

This is just an first part  will pen down the next  soon.

Ani Paul

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