Filling in Gaps & Wirth's Essay

First, let me go back to my somewhat scattered remarks about the origin and development of the city, which I presented this past Tuesday (9/14). I talked about the origin of the city and Aristotle's observation that people initially gathered in cities for security, but stayed to pursue the "good life," which I interpreted rather simply as pursuing ends that go beyond mere biological survival - hence the development of a craft life, art, etc. I also commented on the significance of the development of agriculture which provided the necessary food surplus to make cities possible. Early cities were also ceremonial centers and centers of military power. What I left out of my presentation was an interesting quote from that text I used in the past, about how this urban development was something of a mixed blessing:
"This, then, was the period of the first urban revolution. From approximately 4000 B.C.E. to 500 C.E., urban sites multiplied and their populations grew to sizes previously unknown in human history. (Rome at its apex surpassed a million people)."
"In retrospect, the first urban revolution appears to have been something of a mixed blessing. The city's greatest positive attributes are its ability to improve people's standard of living, provide choice in the conduct of life, and stimulate the human imagination. On the other hand, these first cities also had rigid social class divisions that extended the city's benefits to only a small minority of the urban population. With the emergence of city-states and urban empires, human warfare and bloodshed rose to unparalleled levels."

And with regard to urbanization in North America from colonial times through the 20th century, I just want to underscore that broad way of characterizing this period. From colonial times through the early 20th century, this was a period of "URBAN IMPLOSION" in which CENTRIPETAL FORCES were dominant and people were drawn into the city. Cities were fairly compact and densely populated, and because of industry often rather dirty and polluted. Beginning in the mid 20th century, an "URBAN EXPLOSION" takes place in which CENTRIFUGAL FORCES such as our auto/highway system begin to draw people out of central cities to surrounding suburbs. It is a time of METROPOLITAN EXPANSION, and the rise of the MEGALOPOLIS, such as the Boston-Washington D.C. corridor which is almost one continuous urban conglomeration. We will be examining some of the adverse consequences of this trend in "Geography of Nowhere" toward the end of the course and I believe it will also come up in our discussion of "City: Urbanism and Its End," which we will be getting into shortly.

I hope that helps to fill in some gaps in what I tried to present in class this past Tuesday.


WIRTH'S ESSAY

As you recall, we just got into Wirth's famous essay, "Urbanism as a Way of Life," yesterday. I want to present the rest of this in this blog, and include some critical perspective from that text I used in the past. I do this so that we can begin to discuss our new book next Tuesday according to that schedule I handed out. There is a lot more to Wirth's essay than I am going to bring out here. For example, I appreciate the plea he makes at the very end for a comprehensive theory of the city rather than a collection of unsupportable judgments about different aspects of the city. This is not to say, of course, that Wirth's theory (or Simmel's, for that matter) is the comprehensive theory we should accept and use. As I will note below, many aspects of his theory have been challenged by more recent research.

A. As you recall, Wirth begins his essay by offering a definition of the city based on THREE characteristics, and then he proceeds to deduce the social consequences that follow from each of these characteristics. His definition: The city is "a relatively large, dense, and permanent settlement of socially and culturally heterogeneous individuals." (p. 148)

1. Size of the Population Aggregate: large population size he believed to be correlated with greater occupational and cultural diversity. And with people from many different cultural backgrounds and pursuing specialized lines of work, this necessitated more dependence on formal control structures, such as a legal system. Secondary group contacts more important. Relationships come to be based more on utility and rationality. As Wirth himself says (and note his use of Simmel's term, "blase": "...the city is characterized by secondary rather than primary contacts. The contacts of the city may indeed be face-to-face, but they are nevertheless impersonal, superficial, transitory, and segmental. The reserve, the indifference, and the blase outlook which urbanites manifest in their relationships may thus be regarded as devices for immunizing themselves against the personal claims and expectations of others."
"The superficiality, the anonymity, and the transitory character of urban social relations make intelligible, also, the sophistication and the rationality generally ascribed to city-dwellers." etc. (p. 153)

2. Population density: this just intensifies the above effects. Diversity comes to be reflected in distinct neighborhoods based on class and ethnicity. Wirth called this process of specializtion, "ecological specialization." Tend to judge or regard others on (superficial) outward characteristics or symbols such as uniforms, types of homes people live in, etc. Although there may be greater toleration of differences among urbanites, there also tends to be an increase in social distance. High density may also increase anti-social behavior. And, reminiscent of Simmel, Wirth says, "The close living together and working together of individuals who have no sentimental and emotional ties foster a spirit of competition, aggrandizement, and mutual exploitation. Formal controls are instituted to counteract irresponsibility and potential disorder. Without rigid adherence to predictable routines a large compact society would scarcely be able to maintain itself. The clock and the traffic signal are symbolic of the basis of our social order in the urban world." etc. (p. 156)

3. Heterogeneity: Among the consequences of this, Wirth identifies "depersonalization." Against a background of commercial mass production and consumption, personal relations are eroded by an emphasis on money. Also, social mobility undercuts the establishment of binding traditions.

Clearly, the above theory of urbanism is quite pessimistic. The authors of that text observed: "... Wirth was pessimistic about urbanism as a way of life. He saw the city as an acid that, in time, dissolved traditional values and undermined...meaningful relationships."
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That's all for now. I'll blog the criticism of Wirth's essay on Monday.