Ch. 15 Urban Life Terms

Urbanization

movement of people people from rural countryside to cities

Urbanism

the way of life characteristic of cities and towns.

suburbanization

the process of population movement from urban centers to the surrounding suburbs

urban/suburban sprawl

extended

development of homes and businesses,

across miles of expanding urban areas

exurbia

populations pushing outward into rural areas… land & housing costs are lower

rural rebound

return back to small towns and rural areas

urban revitilization

improvement to the city

urban renewal

tear down the old, replace with new

• city re-development projects

• private contractors buildings

gentrification

middle class people move into the the rundown areas and fix-up the neighborhoods

public housing

(projects) high density apartments for poor people

Criticisms: low quality, stigma that identifies the poor, plagued with drugs, crime, and violence.

supportive housing

programs that combine low income housing with onsite social services

• substance abuse, mental disability, and those who are poor and alone

disinvestment

redlining, banks withdraw financing and loans

deindustrialization

industry and jobs leave the area

middle-class flight

Middle class moves out, taking economic and social capital away.

modernization theory

Functionalism: modernization and industrialization benefit a country in housing, employment and health-care

raising standard of living for all nations that adopt new industrial tech

tradition and religion can create barriers to economic development

Criticism: modernization simply a defence to favor capitalism which creates inequality

ignores how rich nations prevent poor ones from developing

ethnocentric thinking undermining tradition and benefits of traditional ideas and solutions

World system (dependency) theory

Conflict: global inequality results in historical exploitation of poor societies by rich ones

exploitation occurs by way of neo and colonialism

global economy shapes the destiny of all nations

Criticism: argue blaming rich is naive

relative poverty

the level of poverty that changes based on context– it is relative to the economic climate

shantytown (housing for poor)

improvised settlements consisting of hand-built dwellings known as shanties

gemeinschaft & gesellschaft

gemeinschaft: social bonds bound by kinship, and tradition

gesellschaft: people interact on the basis of self-interest