Industrial revolution and the growth of cities Mechanical means of transportation Communication technology

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1 Chapter 12: Urban Prblems The Prblem in Scilgical perspective Agricultural develpments and the emergence f cities Agricultural surplus Industrial revlutin and the grwth f cities Mechanical means f transprtatin Cmmunicatin technlgy The city as a slutin t prblems Better life Wrk Educatin Cultural centers The City as a surce f prblems Lss f cmmunity and alienatin Pverty Early America and the anti urban bias Cities as a crrupting influence Crime Vilence Mral degeneracy An agrarian Utpia and rising ambivalence t city life Mst prblems tday are urban prblems because mst Americans live in cities City life increases the rate f prblems Crime Pverty Suicide United States and the Urban crisis Decaying infrastructure Urban sprawl

2 Lking at the Prblem Theretically Symblic Interactinism The scial cnstructin f city life The city has different meanings t different grups f peple The Chicag Schl and the study f city dwellers Luis Wirth the city as a msaic f scial wrlds William Fte Whyte s bservatinal study (Street Crner Sciety) grup f yung men Gerald Suttles Study f the Chicag slum Elijah Andersn s study f a Chicag slum The regulars The wineheads The hdlums Elijah Andersn s study f the Village-Nrtn area in Philadelphia Gentrificatin and scial tensins between the middle class and pr Symblic interactinists stress that the scial meaning and experience f city life varies frm ne grup t the next Functinalism Chicag Schl and functinalism Ernest Burgess and the cncentric zne thery f city develpment City expands in cncentric circles frm the city center utwards Urban mbility Invasin-successin cycle f areas in the city Zne II in transitin and scial prblems High mbility Underwrld Pverty Mre scial prblems Tday mbility is nt nly utward but als back t the city center thrugh the prcess f gentrificatin Urban renewal Cnflict Thery Class cnflict as the surce f urban prblems Urban transprtatin arteries and ecnmic interests Funded by taxpayers Urban sprawl and the expansin f capitalism The grwth f suburbs and crprate interests Gvernment-insured hme mrtgages

3 Research Findings Is the City Inherently Alienating? Ferdinand Tnnies Gemeinschaft and rural cmmunities Sense f cmmunity based n shared values and way f live Gesellschaft and urban cmmunities Based n impersnal ties and self interest The case f Kitty Genvese in Queens, New Yrk The rise f rad rage Luis Wirth and city life Annymus Segmented impersnal encunters Persnal freedm f city life brings with it a certain amunt f alienatin and lss f scial cntrls Herbert Gans the city as (urban villages ) knwable and meaningful cmmunities t many and an alienating experience fr sme Types f Urban dwellers Csmplitans Singles Ethnic villagers Deprived Trapped The Decline f the Central City Mvement frm urban t suburban areas after WWII Suburban sprawl Urban deteriratin Redlining Self-fulfilling prphecy Disinvestment in areas that are deterirating Urban deteriratin Abandnment f husing and urban decline

4 Urban Vilence Gangs and vilence Frederic Thrasher - gangs start as a play grup, are territrial and slidify n the basis f cnflict with ther grups Albert Chen Lwer class Lwer class yuth frm int a gang as a reactin t being judged by middle-class standards Lack the pprtunities r scial skills fr success The emergence f super gangs that transcend lcal bundaries Natinal in scpe Organized arund crime, vilence and drugs Walter Miller s study f gangs lwer class fcal cncerns Truble Tughness Smartness Excitement Fate Autnmy Girl gangs and lwer class fcal cncerns Walter miller and tw frms f gang vilence Rumble Hit Gang vilence as nrmalized behavir Schl vilence The Clumbine example

5 Urban Rits Labr rits f the 1830 s t 1850 Anti-cathlic rits Rits f vlunteer firemen The cntested racial rits f the early twentieth century Causes f the early rits Rising tensins Precipitating incident The cmmdity rits f the 1960 s and n Natinal Advisry study and backgrund factrs underlying rits Discriminatin and segregatin Islatin Destryed pprtunities Frustrated hpes Pwerlessness Psitive effect f rits by prducing scial change Re-segregatin - flight frm the area Ecnmic decay The City in Change Ecnmic and scial cmpetitin with suburbs Shift f pwer and resurces frm the city t the suburbs Gentrificatin and the rebirth f the city City gvernment and the gverning f the city and the emergence f the plitical machine Rbert Mertn s functinal analysis f city plitics City gvernment cntributes t the verall functining f the life f the city City gvernment is interrelated t ther parts f urban envirnment The plitical machine fills needs fr the functining f city life The decline f the plitical machine Six factrs in the decline f the plitical machine Decline in immigratin Increased educatin Suburbanizatin Civil service laws Black migratin t Nrthern cities New standards f city management Prfessinalizatin f city gvernment The emergence f prfessinal city managers The emergence f minrity leadership in city gvernment

6 The Emerging Megalplis Megalplis intercnnected metrplitan centers as they blend tgether Reginal planning The emergence f edge cities Re-stratificatin as ppulatin size changes due t migratin frm the snw belt t the sun belt states Wealth Pwer Scial Plicy Scial plicy and creating a sense f cmmunity as a bridge t urban success Specific Prgrams Urban hmestead prgrams Wrking with landlrds t reduce abandnment Enterprise znes Tax credits fr business Imprve existing businesses thrugh tax credits Lw interest lans fr develpment Reginal ( Urban/ megalplis) planning Jb decncentratin Cndminium in-filling Hmes fr the elderly in their cmmunities Cmmunity stability Educating the Pr Creating new pprtunities fr the pr thrugh educatin Herbert Gans and educatinal success Hire mtivated teachers Develp new teaching methds Smaller classes Develp new curriculums that meet the need f inner-city yuth Decentralized and less bureaucratized schls Wrk-study prgrams Schlarships fr cllege as an incentive t stay in schl Plicies t deal with Street crime Unemplyment and pverty Brken families Gang vilence and drugs Other scial issues f the city

7 The Future f the Prblem Current trends and cntinuing prblems Segregatin f pr and minrities Develpment f dwntwn areas Pverty and gangs Schl vilence Crime Migratin t the sunbelt Financial difficulties fr cities