Research, read, and prepare a 4 page summary of chapters one through four of The New Urban Sociology by Gottdiener, Mark and Hutchinson, Ray and Ryan, Michael T. Your summary should focus on the connection to urban studies and urbanization and how this connection impacts you personally and professionally. 

 

Urban Studies and Urbanization

The number of people living in urban areas has been on the increase. A prediction that up to sixty percent of the world’s population will be living in urban areas by the year 2030 makes new urban sociology critical. A 2007 report by United Nations indicates that most of the people who will be living in the urban areas by the year 2030 will be in shantytowns because their incomes will be below the poverty level (Hutchison & Gottdiener, 2011). Relating urban studies to urbanization can be done by studying areas such as new urban sociology, the origin of urban life, the rise of urban sociology, and the contemporary urban sociology.

The study of new urban sociology can help in creating knowledge on issues affecting and influencing urbanization such as varying social classes among dwellers, lifestyles, the culture in the metropolitan areas, and clustering of homes among others.  For instance, some of the factors that influence the settlement spaces in urban areas include political and economic decisions as well as the influence of various social institutions (Morris, 2013). Besides, the way people living in the urban areas give meaning to the settlement spaces is also considered as a sociospatial perspective that play an important role in new urban sociology (Hutchison & Gottdiener, 2011). The immensity of scale is another important perspective of new urban sociology that should be studied. For instance, it is easy to identify the urbanized developments that extend to about a hundred of miles around most of the largest cities. Another important characteristic of urban regions is the presence of industrial parks, vacant spaces, suburbs, cities, shopping malls, recreational areas as well as intensely formed lands used for agriculture, all mixed in one area (Hutchison & Gottdiener, 2011). The sociology and structure of developing new urban regions are different from the cities of the past. In the past, cities were distinct from the rural areas as they were highly compact with a central business district. The central business district dominated the other parts of the city in terms of both social and economic sense. The characteristics of urban regions differ in various countries around the world. However, all of them experience similar processes of urban development, which lead to regional urbanization and gigantic cities. Besides, urbanization presents both opportunities and challenges in cities all over the world. For instance, hyper urbanization in developing nations leads to immense stress on the economic and social resources. Currently, the decisions made at the global levels influence the economic activities at the metropolitan communities thereby leveling the field for global economic opportunities. Currently, the abstract model of capitalism creates the notion that government intervention is limited in controlling economic systems (Jabareen & Eizenberg, 2020). However, in reality, factors such as government regulations and direct spending of tax dollars by governments on various public projects influence their national economies.

Urban studies help in understanding the origin of urban life, which can be defined as the transformation of humankind from hunters and gatherers to the current city dwellers. However, it is important to understand that different cities around the world sprouted independently and at different times (Jabareen & Eizenberg, 2020). Urbanization which is characterized by densely populated areas or people living in compactly populated areas existed as early as ten thousand years ago. There has been a transformation in the way people perceive urbanization to the point it has become synonymous with civilization and industrialization (Hutchison & Gottdiener, 2011). When considering the present-day standards of the urban population, the ancient cities can be described as less densely populated. Even during ancient times, cities had remarkable structural features. As opposed to the current city structures, the ancient cities were considered as sites of wealth and fortified for protection. Besides, the cities were characterized by division of labor, and intense economic activities around places where organized populations were concentrated. Again, religious codes were considered important hence allocated spaces which were under the protection of the gods. The development of societies was not an instantaneous process, but a process that came in evolutionary stages (Hutchison & Gottdiener, 2011). Both social and economic division of labor contributed to the growth of urban areas into what they are today.  Trade is one of the most important economic activities that supported the growth and development of cities especially in regions such as Asia, North Africa, and the Near East.

Urban studies enhance knowledge on the growth and development of urban dwellings, hence the need for the study of the rise of urban sociology. Since the formation of a special inquiry to help in the understanding of urban phenomena in the United States of America, various scholars have conducted studies devoted to boosting knowledge on areas such as factors influencing urban growth and development (Morris, 2013). For instance, studies have identified important terms such as urbanism and urbanization, both of which, must be discussed in terms of their difference when referring to urban sociology in the US (Hutchison & Gottdiener, 2011). The relationship between the ways of life in cities and the historical development were areas of study that Friedrich Engels and Max Weber emphasized. On the other hand, Georg Simmel emphasized the city dwellers’ ways of thinking and the patterns of activities as his contribution to urban sociology. Studies have highlighted the relationship between human ecology and urban ecology by associating the former with technology innovation that supports urban change and growth.

Urban studies also enhance knowledge on contemporary urban sociology, which can be understood by exploring studies by classical sociologists such as Max Weber and Karl Marx. The two sociologists used the laws of social development to explain the structures and growth of modern cities (Hutchison & Gottdiener, 2011). While Marx majored in the use of economic considerations in explaining urbanization, Weber majored in the political and cultural factors that influenced the behaviors of individuals, their economic activities, and social history. Far from what both Weber and Marx explained, Engels wrote about various aspects of capitalism that influenced urban spaces. Besides, he highlighted various social problems that resulted from traditional breakdown and capitalist operation (Hutchison & Gottdiener, 2011). The sociologists mentioned here helped in understanding some of the silent and known factors that contributed to the growth and development of various urban cities.

Based on the discussions here I have gained a wealth of knowledge on the origin of urbanization, the factors that influence the growth and development of cities as well as the need to adopt models in explaining some of the social, economic, and cultural factors that influence urbanization and urban growth. I have realized that movement from rural areas to urban areas may not be the best thing to do, instead, governments should be advised to decongest cities by decentralizing economic, social, and cultural activities. Professionally, I have developed an interest in studying modern city structures as a way of coming up with solutions to the challenges faced in urban dwellings such as traffic congestion and the spread of suburbs within the major cities. Besides, studying urban sociology is critical in understanding both growth of regions and the impact of urban migration on the lives of urban dwellers, people in metropolitan regions and suburbs. By extension, urban sociology helps in understanding the impacts of urban population growth on the natural environment and human societies.  

Conclusively, an important aspect of urban sociology that is critical here is the creation of a sustainable safe environment. Urban studies have been among the important areas of research that many sociologists explore in understanding the social, economic, and cultural influencers of urbanization. The wealth of knowledge available due to studies on urban development and urbanization can be used in improving the economic and social challenges that face the growth and development of cities around the world.