Key Concepts in Urban Sociology and Suburbanization

These flashcards cover key concepts related to urban sociology, suburbanization, and racial dynamics in housing, addressing the implications of policies and historical trends.

What is the Chicago School of Urban Sociology known for?

It is recognized for its emphasis on the social geography of cities viewed through a biological frame and Darwinian views of 'survival of the fittest'.

What does the Burgess Model describe?

It outlines a concentric zone distribution, where different social groups occupy different urban zones, with the central business district in the middle and working-class and residential zones further out.

How did the railroad impact urbanization?

Railroads were central to the rise of industrial societies, altering how people lived and worked, and facilitating economic changes.

Define 'Racial Capitalism'.

A concept developed by Cedric Robinson that refers to the accumulation of capital through severe inequalities among human groups.

What is settler colonialism?

An ongoing system of Indigenous dispossession, land restructuring, and the creation of exclusionary property regimes.

How did suburbanization change after WWII?

There was an explosion of suburbanization with people moving from urban areas to newly developed suburbs, facilitated by the rise of the automobile and highway systems.

What were Levittown's characteristics?

It featured mass-produced cookie-cutter homes using assembly-line production techniques, focused on low-cost housing for white families.

What role did the GI Bill play in suburban expansion?

The GI Bill provided housing and education benefits, enabling many veterans to purchase homes, thereby increasing homeownership rates.

How did restrictive covenants function in Levittown?

They were used to prevent the sale of homes to African-Americans or Asian-Americans, maintaining racial segregation despite legal prohibitions.

What is redlining?

The practice of marking neighborhoods primarily inhabited by minorities as 'risky' investments, leading to lack of access to mortgages for residents in these areas.