Urban Sociology Exam 2

What does the Sociospatial Perspective (SSP) study?

How society and physical space shape each other in a two-way relationship.

What earlier urban theory does SSP replace?

The Chicago School’s ecological model, which viewed cities like natural organisms.

What three factors does SSP integrate?

Economic, political, and cultural forces.

How does SSP view built environments like classrooms or malls?

As reflections of social hierarchies that influence behavior.

What major urban form does SSP focus on today?

The Multicentered Metropolitan Region (MCMR).

Who developed the concept of the “production of space”?

Henri Lefebvre.

What are Lefebvre’s two circuits of capital?

Primary (industrial production) and Secondary (real-estate investment).

What is “abstract space”?

Space planned by elites or governments for control and profit.

What is “social space”?

The lived, everyday use of space by residents.

What conflict arises between abstract and social space?

Profit-driven planning often clashes with community needs.

What drives city formation under capitalism?

Capital accumulation and reinvestment for profit.

According to Marx, what is the relationship between labor and capital?

Workers sell labor but do not own what they produce.

What is uneven development?

The unequal investment of capital across regions, producing wealth in some areas and poverty in others.

What are examples of uneven development in the U.S.?

Silicon Valley’s prosperity vs. Rust Belt decline.

What role does government play in capitalism’s urban cycle?

It intervenes through renewal projects to make space profitable again.

How is urban class structure spatially visible?

Different classes occupy distinct neighborhoods by income.

What are the three main class groups?

Capitalist, professional/managerial, and working class.

How did Engels link poverty and space?

He showed that capitalist systems create class segregation in cities.

What is suburbanization?

The movement of people and capital from central cities to surrounding low-density areas.

What two perspectives explain suburbanization?

Agent-side (consumer desires) and structural-side (capitalist and government forces).

What technology enabled suburban growth?

Automobiles and highway systems.

Which 1934 act expanded homeownership?

The National Housing Act creating the FHA.

What post-WWII policy boosted suburban housing for veterans?

The GI Bill / Veterans Administration loan program.

What did FHA and VA loans make possible?

Affordable, long-term, low-down-payment mortgages.

How did racism shape suburbs?

Redlining and covenants excluded minorities from home loans and neighborhoods.

What was Levittown?

The first mass-produced suburb (1947–49), affordable for white middle-class families.

How did suburbanization change daily life?

Reinforced middle-class conformity, car dependency, and gendered domestic ideals.

What is deindustrialization?

The decline of manufacturing and rise of service and finance sectors.

What defines a Multicentered Metropolitan Region (MCMR)?

A dispersed urban area with multiple economic hubs rather than one downtown core.

What economic pattern replaces the old city-factory model?

A two-tier economy: high-income professionals and low-wage service workers.

What example shows MCMR in practice?

Tesla’s suburban Austin factory assembling globally sourced parts.

What is globalization of capital?

The ability of money and production to move rapidly across borders seeking cheaper labor and higher profits.

How does globalization affect urban inequality?

It widens gaps between affluent global centers and impoverished regions.

What is the “dual city” concept?

A city split between high-income professionals and low-wage service workers.

What is the informal economy?

Unregulated, “off-the-books” work such as street vending or gig labor.

Why has the gig economy grown?

Corporations rely on part-time, contract labor without benefits to cut costs.

What is meant by “uneven development” on a global scale?

Some regions attract capital and grow; others are left behind, deepening inequality.

What is an example of a global region that gained investment?

The U.S. Sun Belt or East Asian manufacturing hubs.

What is an example of a region that lost investment?

The U.S. Rust Belt.

What drives rapid urban growth in developing countries?

Rural-to-urban migration and high birth rates without matching economic growth.

What is a primate city?

One or a few cities where a country's population concentrates, often with widespread urban poverty

List two problems common in primate cities.

Urban poverty and inadequate sanitation/housing.

What are Special Economic Zones (SEZs)?

Areas offering tax breaks and cheap labor to attract global investors.

How do SEZs show global capitalism at work?

They reveal how capital exploits geographic inequalities for profit.

What did Marx emphasize in urban analysis?

Class conflict and capital accumulation as forces shaping the city.

What did Engels study to understand capitalism?

Working-class conditions in industrial Manchester.

What did Max Weber add to Marx’s ideas?

Cultural and political factors influencing urban development.

What were Henri Lefebvre’s key concepts?

Production of space and circuits of capital (primary & secondary).

What did David Harvey contribute?

Showed how cycles of boom, bust, and renewal sustain capitalist urban growth.

What did Joe Feagin argue about city building?

Developers and governments construct cities to maximize profit, not livability.