News Analysis 3
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SOC220_Chapter14.pptxSocial Problems Community, Policy, and Social Action
Sixth Edition
Anna Leon-Guerrero
Chapter 14
Urbanization and Population Growth
Urban Sociology
Urban sociology—examines the social, political and economic structures and their impact within an urban setting
Sociologists in the 1920s (University of Chicago) examined the city and the impact of city life and its problems on its residents, providing the basis for urban study
Initially took a functionalist approach, comparing a city to a biological organism
Human ecology—the study of the relationship between individuals and their physical environment and population dynamics
Community studies and ethnographies
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Urban Sociology
Urban sociology includes the study of
Demography—the study of the size, composition, and distribution of human populations
Analyzes the changes and trends in the population beginning with two fundamental facts—we are born and then we die
Migration—the movement of individuals from one area to another
Domestic migration—the movement of people within a country
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The Processes of Urbanization and Suburbanization
Urbanization—the process by which a population shifts from rural to urban
Took off in the later half of the 19th century
As industrial economy grew, people were drawn by work in factories and mills
Helped by emigration of Europeans and the migration of southern rural blacks and whites
Overurbanization—an excess population is concentrated in an urban area that lacks the capacity to provide basic services and shelter
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Urban Population
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Suburbanization
After WWII, the U.S. experienced suburbanization—the outward expansion of central cities into suburban areas
Population shifts—from the Snowbelt (industrial regions of the North and Midwest) to the Sunbelt (South and Southwest) and from rural to metropolitan areas
Facilitated by new housing laws and the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956
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Urban population—an area with 2,500 or more individuals.
Urbanized area—a densely populated area with 50,000 or more residents.
Metropolitan statistical area—a densely populated area with 100,000 or more.
Population Growth and Composition
Population composition—the biological and social characteristics of a population
Affected by changes in the fertility, mortality and migration rates
Ethnic composition of communities also has an impact on social and human services
Age distribution—distribution of individuals by age
Provides a community with direction in its social and economic planning, assessing its education, health, housing and employment needs
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Functionalist Perspective
Durkheim—society changed from mechanical solidarity to organic solidarity
Mechanical solidarity—members in small simple societies united through a set of common values, beliefs, and customs and a simple division of labor
Organic solidarity—the result of increasing industrialization and the growth of large complex societies, where individuals are linked through a complex division of labor
As a result of industrialization, social bonds which unite us will eventually weaken
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Functionalist Perspective
Industrialization and urbanization have been functional, creating a more efficient, interdependent and productive society, but have also been problematic
With weakening of social bonds and an absence of norms, society begins to lose its ability to function effectively
As social bonds weaken, so does sense of obligation or duty to one another
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Functionalist Perspective
Industrialization and urbanization have been functional, creating a more efficient, interdependent and productive society, but have also been problematic
Urbanization can lead to social problems such as crime, poverty, violence, and deviant behavior
Solutions—reinforcing or recreating social bonds through social institutions or instituting societal changes through political or economic initiatives
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Conflict Perspective
Critical political-economy or socio-spatial perspective—uses a conflict perspective to focus on how cities are formed on the basis of racial, gender or class inequalities
Cities are shaped by powerful actors working within capitalistic structures
Social problems are natural to this system, rising from the unequal distribution of power between politicians versus taxpayers, the rich versus the poor, or the homeowner versus the renter
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Feminist Perspective
Feminist urbanists argue for development of theory and research which acknowledge the role of women in urban structures
Feminist theory can help us understand ways cities reproduce and challenge patriarchy and the problems this creates
Living conditions of lower income, inner city women have been affected by the economic restructuring of cities and the patterns of downtown development
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Interactionist Perspective
A city’s economic, personal, and intellectual relationships can’t be defined by physical space
A city represents an opportunity for individuals to find self expression, while being connected with fellow city dwellers
The way a city is constructed might actually interfere with your social interaction with others
Urban communities are segregated by income, race/ethnicity, or immigrant status, which contributes to isolation, physically and through meanings we attach to these different neighborhoods
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The Consequences of Urbanization and Population Growth
A major problem is the lack of affordable housing
The lack of public assistance
Increasing prices
Slow wage growth
Limited inventory of affordable apartments and houses
Discrimination and prejudice
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The Consequences of Urbanization and Population Growth
Central city residents less likely to own a home than suburban residents with the same income
Along with the increase in homeownership rates there has been a decline in home affordability
Minorities are more likely to be denied home loans, even if they have similar financial, employment and neighborhood backgrounds
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Urban Living Environment
Substandard housing
Housing quality has been associated with morbidity from infectious diseases, chronic illnesses, injuries, poor nutrition, and mental disorders
People of color and those with low incomes are disproportionately exposed to substandard housing
Crowding is defined as more than one person per room in a household
Can lead to greater conflict and increased disease transmission
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Urban Living Environment
Homelessness—the number of homeless is at least in the hundreds of thousands, not counting those who live with relatives or friends
Homelessness is more not only the absence of a place to live
Consistently correlated with income, employment, health and disability, education, barriers to housing and social support, living environment and crime
A large proportion of homeless have experienced extreme social disadvantage and traumatic experiences in childhood
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Gentrification
Gentrification—the process of neighborhood change which results in the replacement of lower income residents with higher income ones
Increasing real estate values, tax revenues, and commercial activity
Low-income residents displaced, particularly elderly people and minorities
Neighborhood displacement and change is thought to have an impact on mental health of displaced
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Urban Sprawl and Transportation
Urban sprawl—when the spread of development outpaces population growth
Began with land developments after World War II
Creates 4 conditions
Population widely dispersed in low density developments
Rigidly separated homes, shops, and workplaces
A network of roads marked by huge blocks and poor access
A lack of well-defined activity centers, such as downtowns or town centers
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Department of Housing and Urban Development
Federal agency responsible for addressing the nation’s housing needs and improving and developing the nation’s communities
Part of Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty—1965
Enforces fair housing laws
Administers programs to provide a decent, safe and sanitary environment for every American
Has been a major player in
Influencing land use decisions in urban areas
Spurring economic growth and development in distressed communities
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Urban Revitalization Programs
HOPE IV (1992) created with recommendations from the National Commission on Severely Distressed Public Housing
Recommended: physical improvements, management improvements, and social and community services to address residents’ needs
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Urban Revitalization Programs
The Obama administration established the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative. Included:
Choice neighborhoods: revitalization of distressed public of HUD-assisted housing
Promise neighborhoods: revitalization program to improve the educational and developmental outcomes of children and youth
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Sustainable Communities
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Housing and Homelessness Programs
Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (1987)
20 programs were authorized to provide emergency food and shelter, transitional and permanent housing, education, mental health care, primary health care, and veterans’ assistance services
Habitat for Humanity and Project Homeless Connect provide services
Supportive services are vital, but scarce housing is at the core of much of homelessness
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