Urban

• Terms like urban area, city community, etc., are often used interchangeably in sociological literature.

• Urban communities play a dominant role in modern and industrialised societies.

• Urban population generally includes residents of cities and towns, but the definition of urban is a complex matter.

• The concept of urban society refers to a society typical of modern industrial civilisation, heterogeneous in cultural tradition, emphasizing secular values and being individualised rather than integrated.

• The population classified as urban varies significantly by country:

  • USA: communities with 2,500+ population considered urban

  • France: 2,000+ population

  • Egypt: 11,000+ population

  • Republic of Korea: 40,000+ population

• According to Indian Census Authorities, urban characteristics include:

  • Population density of not less than 1,000 persons per square mile

  • Population of 5,000 or more

  • At least three-fourths of working population engaged in non-agricultural occupations

  • All places with municipality, corporation, cantonment board, or notified town area committee

• Post-independence, a strict definition of urban areas was introduced in the 1961 Census, including the above points.

• According to Erickson, urban sociology is a generalising science aiming to research the determinants and consequences of diverse social behaviors in the city.

• Urban sociology studies the impact of city life on social action and behavior.

• Urban areas often show a complex social structure due to heterogeneity in ethnicity, occupation, and culture.

• Secularism and individualism are considered key features distinguishing urban societies from rural ones.

• Urbanization is often linked to industrialization, modernization, and economic development.

• Urban areas typically have more infrastructure, public services, and institutional governance compared to rural areas.

In Indian Context

• In India, for a very long time, cities have coexisted alongside the rural hinterland.

• Indian society was considered largely traditional and agrarian in nature.

• The focus of sociology remained targeted towards areas such as agrarian studies, social stratification, and social movements.

• Urban studies were neglected for multiple reasons, including the historical emphasis on rural life and the belief that villages represented the core of Indian society.

• Over time, sociologists realised the urgency of studying urban society due to rapid social changes occurring in the contemporary world.

• Fast communications and global impact have significantly transformed urban life in recent decades.

• The terms Urban and Urbane are both derived from the Latin word ‘Urbanus’, which means belonging to a city.

• Originally, Urban and Urbane were synonymous in meaning.

• Urbane conveys the qualities of being sophisticated, refined, polite, or elegant.

• These desirable qualities were traditionally associated with city dwellers rather than country folk.

• Urban refers to anything relating to a city or town, as opposed to village or countryside.

• Urbanisation in India has accelerated due to industrial development, migration, and economic reforms, leading to the emergence of megacities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore.

• The study of urban society now includes aspects like urban poverty, slum development, urban governance, and cultural transformation.

Urbanisation

• One of the most striking features of India’s urbanisation is its long tradition.

• India has a long-standing tradition of urban living dating back to the Indus Valley Civilisation around 2500 BC.

• There have been temporal and spatial discontinuities in urban growth and the urbanisation process across the country.

• Urbanisation in India evolved under the influence of varied forces during three main historical periods:

  • Ancient period (early times to 1206 AD)

  • Medieval period (1206 to 1757 AD)

  • Modern period (1757 AD to present)

• India’s urban pattern reflects influences from the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial periods.

• The ancient period saw the rise of planned cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, characterized by advanced urban infrastructure.

• During the medieval period, urban centres developed around forts, trade routes, and religious sites, with the growth of regional kingdoms and the Delhi Sultanate.

• The modern period was marked by the impact of British colonial rule, which influenced the growth of cities through railways, administrative centres, and industrialisation.

• Post-independence urbanisation has been driven by industrial growth, rural-urban migration, and economic liberalisation.

• India’s urbanisation rate remains lower than many countries but is rapidly increasing, leading to challenges like urban poverty, infrastructure strain, and environmental concerns.

Definition of Urban System

• Robert Park, in his book The City, defined city life not as a mere collection of individuals and social conveniences but as a “state of mind, a body of customs and traditions, and the organised attitudes and sentiments that inhere in these customs.”

• Louis Wirth, in his essay Urbanisation as a Way of Life, defined a city as “a relatively large, dense, and permanent settlement of socially heterogeneous individuals.”

• According to Ian Robertson, “A city is a permanent concentration of a relatively large number of people who do not produce their own food.”

• Despite many attempts by sociologists, no single satisfactory definition of urban has been universally accepted.

• Kingsley Davis remarked that “much ink has been wasted in trying to make sharp demarcation to tell where city ends and country begins.”

• Every city possesses some features of villages, and every village has some characteristics of cities, including aspects like population size, legal boundaries, occupational structures, and social institutions.

• Urbanisation is generally seen as a complex socio-economic process that is closely linked with the scientific and technological revolution.

• Urbanisation exercises a growing influence on all aspects of society, affecting:

  • Economic development

  • Demographic trends

  • Ethnic composition

  • Various social processes

• The study of urbanisation requires a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach, involving fields like sociology, economics, geography, demography, and urban planning.

• Extensive literature on urbanisation includes many definitions, ranging from:

  • Seeing it as mere growth in the share of urban population in a region

  • To a broader perspective defining urbanisation as a world historic process involving increasing concentration, intensification of human interaction, and integration of diverse forms of human activity

• Urbanisation is an essential part of the development process.

• It is a pre-requisite for the progress of human interaction, the flourishing of socially vital activities, and the realisation of society’s creative potential.

• Modern urbanisation is accelerated by industrialisation, transportation advancements, globalisation, and digital communication networks.

• Urban areas are often hubs of innovation, economic opportunity, and social mobility, but also face challenges like poverty, pollution, and infrastructure stress.