Louis wirth in his work "urbanism as a way of life" provides us insights into different parameters to define a city Viz. Density size and heterogeneity. Wirth published this piece in the American Journal of Sociology in 1938, as major transformations were occurring. More and more people were moving into cities and the world was rapidly urbanizing, and Wirth argued that urbanism, or the condition of living in a city, became the way of modern life and living in a city impacts our personalities and our very way of life; or living in a city changes the ways people behave and interact. This essay mainly focusses on the definition of city and its impacts on individuals (interaction and social relationships) The city and contemporary civilization:- Going into the history of cities, one realizes that cities evolved gradually over time , from just a meeting place (on certain occasions) to a developed place of residence. In that sense primitive societies were scattered and had no defined territory but cities have definite territories. So we can say that the growth of cities, flagged the beginning of modern civilization . The modern times are characterized by growth of the cities and urbanization.
The process of urbanization still continues and cities witness migration from rural areas. (Agglomeration economy) So what is a city ? Sociology attempts to define city considering the fundamentals or elements of urbanism-in demographic, political, economic and technological aspects. To elucidate, city is characterized by technological advancement (in transportation, communication etc.) Defining cities according to attributes of urbanism, also distinguishes between industrial city and mining, and other sub kinds of cities (characteristics). So , cities are often described as the places with high population but there are other features or characteristics linked/ associated with cities and Louis wirth tries to put them in fore front. In addition to size, Wirth argued that another defining feature of the city is density and heterogeneity. No consensus over definition- (A theory of urbanism) And Wirth's suggestionsWe still don't have a set of characters through which we can arrive at the accurate definition of city , despite proliferation in research and materials. Wirth is unsatisfied with the most predominant definition of city - according to demography (population size ) and suggests the need to include other factors also- "density " and "heterogeneity" .
1. Density:- Literal meaning of density is the no of people inhabiting in a partial area. Density, as a significant factor in defining city is relevant because it directly affects the social relations between inhabitants as pointed out by Aristotle's and Weber's statements in above paragraph. 2. Heterogeneity:- The The level of heterogeneity in groups plays an important role in the urban mode of living. Statistically , the larger a group becomes, the greater the likelihood that their differences are increased. As Simmel also points out, Wirth states that individuals with different values and social norms are not likely to bond and form kinship. This is normal as people tend to gravitate toward likeminded individuals. Groups are less homogenous in urban settings, and therefore social controls are weakened. Hence , urbanites tend to limit contact with neighbors choosing instead to interact with secondary contacts across segmented social situations. Wirth also touches on the impact of increasing population density on heterogeneity. He explains that the shift to industrialization and the influx of people moving into the cities, created a need to develop specialized tasks and roles in order to “stand out” from the masses, further increasing the heterogeneity among groups. Density thus complexes the social structure, promoting individuality and freedom.
Recollecting statements from history (Size of population aggregate)-
1. Aristotle, .....the father of .... Also recognized the repercussions of great population density. He expounds that increasing the no. Of people of people inhabiting in a particular area beyond a certain limit, affects the relation between them -as the degree of interaction between them is abated. It limits the possibility of each member of the community knowing all other personally. 2. Weber advocates Aristotle's point ,explaining that large population density in a city /area decreases the mutual acquaintanceship between the inhabitants. Thus increasing population density carry the potential to change and even destroy the strong social relations. 3. Adam .... The relation between the theory of urbanism and sociological research:- Urbanism can be approached from three properties:- 1. Physical structure- approaching urbanism from physical structure comprises of knowing its demographic and ecological factors such as population size space composition (young and old ) etc. 2. Social organisation- looking at its social structure and how it’s different from urban area. A. Individuality- no bonds no emotional ties B. Division of labour- grouping and specialisation C. Declining significance to family D. Development of institutions outside home E. Discouraging self-employment 3. Urban personality and collective behaviour- it looks at the dimension that how even after division of labour and individuality as a characteristic feature of urban area, there is interdependence also. A. Through voluntary groups it develops personality- acquire status B. Increased interdependence ( DOL ) - work through representation. C. Indirect communication or media.
Conclusion:- Louis Wirth has mentioned four characteristics of urban system or urbanism – heterogeneity of population, specialisation of function, anonymity and Impersonality and standardisation of behaviour. So in a nutshell , in sociology , city is defined as a relatively large, dense and permanent settlement of socially heterogeneous individuals
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