SOCI 1002 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Ernest Burgess, Georg Simmel, Friedrich Engels
12 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Urban Sociology
Lecture 3
Theorizing urban life
Classical Sociological Approaches towards cities:
Friedrich Engels
Emile Durkheim
Georg Simmel (1858-1918)
• Metropolis & Mental Life (1902)
• City life requires the development of a blasé attitude.
• Cities allow individuals to freely express multiple aspects of themselves.
Queering city life
• City as more liberating space for being out
• Simmelian reading of the city
• Cities allow for the gathering of critical masses of queer people
• Queer activism
• New York’s Stonewall (1969)
• Toronto’s Bath House Raids, Operation Soap (1981)
Human ecology
• Robert Park & Ernest Burgess (1925)
• Functionalist approach towards the city
• Concentric zone theory: “views a city as a series of concentric circular areas, expanding
outward from the centre of the city, with various ‘zones’ invading…. And succeeding
adjacent zones” (Little et al, p. 627).
Urbanism
Louis With (1948)
▪ Inspired by Simmel
▪ Cities created unique living experiences, were not just containers for living in
Urbanism characterized by:
▪ Large population size
▪ Density
▪ Heterogeneity
New urbanism
• Return to traditional neighborhood design principles
• Town centers as anchors of social and economic life of neighborhoods
• Fine-grain and walkable streets that encourage active transportation
▪ Walk Score
Modern city
Urbanization in Canada
▪ rapidly between 1870-1920, period of industrialization
▪ urban population went from 19 % (1871) to 49% (1920) (Little et al, p 621).
The birth of Suburbia
• Suburbs: “the communities surrounding cities, typically close enough for a daily
commute in, but far enough away to allow for more space than city living affords” (Little
et al, p. 623).
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Georg simmel (1858-1918: metropolis & mental life (1902, city life requires the development of a blas attitude, cities allow individuals to freely express multiple aspects of themselves. Human ecology: robert park & ernest burgess (1925, functionalist approach towards the city, concentric zone theory: views a city as a series of concentric circular areas, expanding outward from the centre of the city, with various zones" invading . And succeeding adjacent zones (little et al, p. 627). Inspired by simmel: cities created unique living experiences, were not just containers for living in. Urbanism characterized by: large population size, density, heterogeneity. New urbanism: return to traditional neighborhood design principles, town centers as anchors of social and economic life of neighborhoods, fine-grain and walkable streets that encourage active transportation, walk score. Urbanization in canada rapidly between 1870-1920, period of industrialization urban population went from 19 % (1871) to 49% (1920) (little et al, p 621).
