FINAL REVIEW -- MARCH

SOCIOLOGY OF URBAN LIFE

AK/POLS/SOCI 3561 6.0A

{SYNOPSIS AND GENERAL OVERVIEW: THE FINAL SECTION OF THE COURSE HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON THE CRITICAL EXAMINATION THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONTEMPORARY URBAN LANDSCAPE AND CULTURAL LIFESTYLES – AND THE METHODS OF UNDERSTANDING AND ANALYSING THE RELATIONSHIP. IT WAS DIVIDED INTO TWO RELATED (CONCRETE AND ANALYTIC) SUBJECT AREAS: (1) URBAN LANDSCAPING AND ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCE ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY {E.G., ETHNORACIAL RELATIONS/ RESIDENTIAL PATTERNS}, CULTURAL AND SUBCULTURAL URBAN AESTHETICS {E.G., THE USE/DISAPPEARANCE OF PUBLIC SPACE}, AND URBAN HEALTH {E.G., SOCIAL PATHOLOGIES/LIFESTYLE EPIDEMICS}; (2) THEORIES AND METHODS FOR DECONSTRUCTING THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE THROUGH DISCOURSE ANALYSIS; SUBCULTURAL ANALYSIS; AND POLITICAL ECONOMIC ANALYSIS.

A) DISCOURSE ANALYSIS:

(i) {CULTURAL DIVERSIFICATION/RELATIVITY AND DISCOURSE} A DISCOURSE CAN BE DEFINED AS “A MODEL THAT MAPS THE WORLD” OR “A KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM WHICH INFORMS INSTITUTIONALISED TECHNOLOGIES OF POWER.” ====> EVERY CULTURE IS SITUATED IN A FRAME OF REFERENCE THAT IT TAKES FOR GRANTED [MODELS THAT MAP THE WORLD] === SOCIOLOGISTS CALL THIS CULTURAL MAPPING PROCESS === “DISCOURSES”

****DISCOURSE - IS A SET OF TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION AND A WAY OF TALKING ABOUT THOSE TOPICS THAT IS CONTINUED OVER TIME BY A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE CERTAIN INTERESTS IN COMMON. THROUGH DISCOURSE, THE PARTICIPANTS [IN A CULTURE] COME TO HAVE A SHARED "KNOWLEDGE" ABOUT THE WORLD

SOCIOLOGISTS TEND TO AGREE THAT CULTURAL DISCOURSE PROVIDES THE CONCEPTUAL MODELS FOR PEOPLE AROUND WHICH THEY MAP THE WORLD (GOLDBERG, 1993; FOUCAULT, 1980)

======> [[EX: “24” EXERCISE – CONTEMPORARYDISCOURSES ON DEMOCRACY, CAPITALISM, LIBERALISM AND WESTERN SUPREMACY]].

======>[[EX: THE FILM “CULTURAL CRITICISM AND TRANSFORATION,” bell hooks ARGUES THAT POPULAR CULTURE AND MASS MEDIA ARE DISCOURSES IN DEFENSE OF WHITE SUPREMACIST CAPITALIST PATRIARCY.

(ii) {CULTURAL SENSITIVITY AND DISCOURSE} CULTURAL SENSITIVITY IS BEING AWARE THAT CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES EXIST AND HAVE AN EFFECT ON VALUES LEARNING AND BEHAVIOUR.

FILM/PRESENTATION: “HEAR WHAT WE ARE SAYING” ====> THESIS: NEED TO BE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE IN FIELD OF HEALTH CARE / MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN A DIVERSE, MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY====> THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS A DISCOURSE ON EUROCENTRISM MITIGATING AGAINST DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT =====> SOLUTIONS: (1) MORE MINORITY SERVICE PROVIDERS (REPRESENTATIVE WORKFORCE); (2) MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION; AND (3) ANTI-RACIST “DIRECT ACTION”.

B) POLITICAL ECONOMIC PARADIGM

THE POLITICAL ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE IS AN INTERPRETIVE FRAMEWORK THAT UNDERSTANDS URBANIZATION NOT AS THE RESULT OF NATURAL PROCESSES BUT AS THE RESULT OF ACTIONS AND DECISIONS BY THOSE WHO HAVE ECONOMIC OR POLITICAL POWER (HILLER, 2004:45).

THE “POLITICAL ECONOMY” PARADIGM EMPHASIZES INVESTMENTS SHIFTS BY BANKS, INSURANCE COMPANIES, AND INTERNATIONAL CORPORATIONS THAT SHAPED CITIES BY TRANFERRING THE OWNERSHIP AND USES OF LAND FROM ONE SOCIAL CLASS TO ANOTHER (ZUBIN, 1996: 43).

FURTHERMORE, THE POLITICAL ECONOMY APPROACH FOCUSED ON HOW CONFLICTS BETWEEN DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF THE URBAN POPULATION, NOTABLY SOCIAL CLASSES AND RACIAL AND ETHNIC POPULATIONS, DETERMINED THE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL CHARACTER OF THE METROPOLIS.

i) [[EX: IN “THE CITY AS A SOCIAL ORGANIZATION”, WILLIAM MICHELSON ARGUES THAT THE CITY IS A POLITICAL ECONOMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT BETWEEN {TYING TOGETHER} THE “NEAR ORDER” OF PRIMARY GROUPS AND THE “FAR ORDER” OF SOCIETY AS A WHOLE =====> BETWEEN THE MICRO-WORLDS OF EVERDAY LIFE, AND THE MACRO-DIMENSIONS OF THE SOCIAL ORDER====> THAT MEDIATES DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT PRIORITIES AND EXPENDITURES. THE CITY AS SOCIAL ORGANIZATION HAS THE CENTRAL ROLE IN THE URBAN POLITICS OF MEDIATING CONFLICTS AND ENFORCING RESTRUCTURING THROUGH ENTREPRENEURIAL PLANNING, DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT, AND LAW AND ORDER.]]

ii) [[EX: “THE NEW URBAN POLITICAL ECONOMY”, ARGUES THAT THE STRATEGY OF USING {CONVENTIONAL URBAN AESTHETIC}CULTURE TO MARKET CITIES HAS BECOME AN ABSOLUTE MUST FOR POLITICIANS AND PLANNERS - “THE BILBAO EFFECT”/ “URBAN GROWTH MACHINE”]].

C) SUBCULTURAL ANALYSIS

SUBCULTURAL THEORY IS A SOCIAL INTERACTIONIST-STYLE APPROACH TO THE CITY THAT CREDITS URBANISM FOR STRENGTHENING SOCIAL GROUPS BY PROMOTING THE FORMATION OF DIVERSE SUBCULTURES ====> SUBCULTURAL THEORY PROPOSES THAT THOSE LIVING IN AN URBAN SETTING ARE ABLE TO FIND WAYS OF CREATING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY DESPITE THE PREVAILING ALIENATION AND ANONYMITY – THE SIZE, POPULATION, AND HETEROGENEITY OF CITIES ACTUALLY STRENGTHENS SOCIAL GROUPS, AND ENCOURAGES THE FORMATION OF SUBCULTURES ====> THE CULTURAL STRUCTURE IS DOMINATED BY THE MAJORITY NORMS, WHICH FORCES INDIVIDUALS TO FORM COMMUNITIES IN NEW AND DIFFERENT WAYS.

i) DEVIANT SUBCULTURES ====> IN “THE PERCEPTIONS OF GRAFFITI IN IN OTTAWA” {THE ORIGINS OF CONTEMPORARY GRAFFITI CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE ISOLATED EMERGENCE OF STREET GRAFFITI IN NEW YORK CITY IN THE 1970S. WITH INCREASED MEDIA ATTENTION AND THE POPULARISATION OF HIP-HOP CULTURE, GRAFFITI BECAME ONE OF THE HOTTEST CULTURAL PRODUCTS OF COLD WAR AMERICA. BY THE EARLY 1990S, MANY TAGS AND PIECES COULD BE FOUND IN CITIES THROUGHOUT EUROPE AND THE REST OF THE WESTERN WORLD} ====> SOCIOLOGIST JENNIFER BARTHEL ARGUES GRAFFITI PUTS INTO QUESTION THE PERCEIVED PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL ORDER OF SOCIETY {IN A DIALECTIC OF “PURITY” VS. “DANGER” – THE FORCES OF CLEAN/SAFE/CIVILIZED VS.THE FORCES OF DIRT/DISTRUCTION/DECAY=====> IT IS A PHYSICAL EMBODIMENT OF THE TENSIONS THAT ARISE BETWEEN DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTION” BASED ON THE RELATIONS OF POWER THAT ARE AT WORK IN THE PUBLIC SPACE OF THE CITY STREET – GRAFFITI THREATENS COMMUNITY CONTROL (POLITICIANS, CITIZEN GROUPS, POLICE, BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS) AS PUBLIC NUISANCE, AND AN INDICATOR OF DANGER, DEVIANCE AND POLLUTION – GRAFFITI WRITERS SEEK TO INCLUDE THEMSELVES IN THE URBAN AESTHETIC.

ii) DEVIANCE SERVICE CENTRES ======> [[EX: IN “CITIES AND SOCIAL PATHOLOGY”, A. R. GILLIS EXAMINES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN URBANIZAGTION AND DISREPUTABLE AND UNHEALTHY OR PATHOLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR ====> MEDIA CREATED “CULTURE OF FEAR” ======> “DEVIANCE SERVICE CENTRES” ARE THE PLURALISTIC COMPROMISE TO ENFORCEMENT PROBLEMS (E.G. PROSTITUTION/RED LIGHT DISTRICTS – PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT FOR THE DOWN AND OUT AND DISREPUTABLE RECREATION FOR THE WIDER POPULATION).

iii) THE EPIDEMIC OF OBESITY =====>[[EX: IN “ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON EATING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY”, SIMONE A. FRENCH, MARY STORY, AND ROBERT W. JEFFERY ARGUE THE EPIDEMIC OF OBESITY IN NORTH AMERICA IS CAUSED LARGELY BY AN ENVIRONMENT THAT PROMOTES EXCESSIVE FOOD INTAKE AND DISCOURAGES PHYSICAL ACTIVITY =====> EXAMINES ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS IN MARKETING OF FOOD PRODUCTS, PARTICULARLY “FAST FOOD” AND OTHER PREPACKAGED CONVENIENCE FOODS THAT ARE EATEN AWAY FROM HOME, INCREASED TIME SPENT IN SEDENTARY FORMS OF SUCH ENTERTAINMENT AS TELEVISION AND VCR VIEWING AND COMPUTER USE, AND CHANGES IN THE DYNAMICS OF FAMILY LIFE DRIVEN BY INCREASED AFFLUENCE AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS, SUCH AS DRAMATIC INCREASES IN THE PROPORTION OF WOMEN WHO WORK ======> EXPLORES PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTIONS, OPPORTUNITIES, AND POTENTIAL STRATEGIES TO COMBAT THE OBESITY EPIDEMIC BY PROMOTING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS HEALTHY EATING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY