Characteristics Of City And Urban Community
The urban community is primitive and new in comparison to the rural community. This is mainly due to modernization and industrialization. It is considered an indicator of the progress of the society. It is equipped with many features. Explanation of its characteristics will make its concept and nature more clear. The basic characteristics of a rural community are as follows.
(1) Large Size and Density: The urban community is comparatively large. At present, there are more than two hundred cities whose population is said to be more than one lakh. Also, there are enough cities with a population of more than twenty lakhs. The population of the two metropolitan cities (Bombay and Calcutta) is close to one crore. Also, this population is densely settled within the limits of an urban area. The density of population in many cities is more than twenty thousand per square mile. From this the density of the population of the city can be estimated.
(2) Heterogeneity: Diversity is seen more in the people living under the urban community. People of different religion, caste, class, language and culture live here. Also, they are related to different professions and beliefs. There is a lot of difference in their speech, food and lifestyle. It does not mean that they are opposed to each other. The people of the city are indirectly connected to each other through their respective works.
(3) Secondary Relationship: Basically, the importance of secondary relationships is seen in the urban community. Its size is very large, as a result of which people do not know each other. At the same time, people in cities are concerned with their work. There is no sense of belonging in them. Their relation is of ‘Touch and Go’. That’s why they lack close, primary, direct and intimate relationship. They are bound by secondary relations.
(4) Social Mobility: Very rapid social mobility is found in the urban community. This mobility can be seen in all areas like sociality, housing, profession and status etc. In cities, people often live in rented houses, which are not permanent. There is no hesitation in moving from one house to another or from one locality to another. This mobility is in the context of housing. Here the dynamism of profession or business also goes on. In this sequence, there is a change in the socio-economic status of the person. Transfers happen from time to time in government jobs and professions. In this way, there has been a deep connection between the urban community and social mobility.
(5) Open Mentality: People of urban community are of liberal mindset. In other words, they are of modern thoughts. People are tolerant towards each other. There is difference between person to person on various grounds. But they respect each other’s actions and thoughts. Also they do not hesitate to adopt innovation. That is why freedom is seen here in the choice of life partner, love-marriage, inter-caste marriage and divorce etc. Not considered bad.
6) Business and Industry: Urban community is the center of business and industry. Big industries and business establishments are always established in the cities by the government and others. Money is invested in many areas related to production, so that economic activities speed up. Arrangements for traffic, transportation, communication and security are made in the cities from the point of view of economic development. As a result, the number of people coming from outside in the cities increases everyday. Urban trade and industry attract people from outside.
(7) Division of Labor and Specialization: The special feature of the urban community is the division of labor and specialization. People in cities are engaged in different businesses. Also, a person is an expert in a single task or a particular part of a task. Due to this on one hand the economic activity runs smoothly, and on the other hand mutual dependence remains.
(8) Individualism and Competition: The urban community is considered to be the center of individualism and competition. It has also been called the urban lifestyle. Of . Davis says that individualism is found in the urban community to the extent that the individual wants to get the maximum benefit by showing himself as the most intelligent and influential in each area, even if his actions harm other people. Do not be This situation increases the competition. Due to this competition, every person is seen running in the desire to move forward in life.
(9) Center of Education: Urban community is the center of education. Different types of modern education are given here. small here
The city is home to public schools, colleges, universities, medical colleges and technical colleges. There are more opportunities for education here, so the urban community is more educated. Being the center of education, people from far and wide come here to get education. Thus it is clear that the urban community is full of many characteristics. Along with the above characteristics, some other characteristics are found in the urban community. This is it. Father of civilization, influence of intellect-discretion, socio-economic disparity, temporary relations, mechanical life and less importance of religion and tradition etc. On the basis of these unique characteristics, it is said that “an urban community has its own distinctive lifestyle.”
Characteristics Of Urban Community
Pitirim Sorokin and Zimmerman have suggested the following characteristics which give us a greater sense of urban community.
Heterogeneity: Urban community is a heterogeneous group, where people belong to different race, religion, language, caste and creed. For example, in a city like Mumbai, people from different states, people from different cultural groups live and they are completely different. Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis have their own colonies in London.
Social Mobility- Social status in urban society is not based on traditional but on economic status, educational level and talent. In other words, individual intelligence and talent bring progress and heredity is not important.
Personal freedom- Men and women get more freedom in the urban community. People are more individualistic in their behaviour. The townspeople are more selective in their choices and more
Occupation: All people are engaged in non-agricultural activities, such as trade, marketing, offices, police, courts, industries and factories, transport communications, hospitals and educational institutions, theatres, stock markets, etc. That’s why they always stay away. From nature and simple living.
Secondary control: Individual behavior in an urban community is not controlled by family, religion and neighbourhood. It is controlled by secondary organizations like government, police, courts etc.
Lack of community spirit: There is a lack of community spirit, sense of unity, family, neighborhood unity and integrity in the city. People in urban community are busy with their personal achievements, so naturally they neglect the feeling of unity and oneness with the city.
Social disorganization: There are many organizations and associations in the urban community. They are working independently. So there is always struggle, conflict and competition. Thus social disorder is seen and felt.
o Unstable family: The family is no longer an economic, educational, protective, recreational and effective unit. The family has lost its control over its individual members. Many traditional functions of the family are transferred to outside agencies. It is said that the urban family is not rigidly organized.
Secondary relationship: Urban community is characterized by secondary relationship. People are indifferent to each other. Face-to-face, friendly or intimate relationships cannot be seen between people.
Voluntary Organization: All the people in the city are doing non-agriculture work. They are necessarily members of several voluntary associations. According to the standard of living they form their own residential groups and necessary institutions and associations.
Concept Of Urban Community
Although the city has existed since ancient times, but the sure history of its origin and development is not available. Gist and Halvert have said, “Like the birth of civilization, the birth of cities is lost in the darkness of the past.” The concept of the city is seen in the context of the rural concept.
(1) According to Louis Worth, “From the sociological point of view, a city can be defined as a large, densely settled and permanent residence of persons of social diversity.”
(2) Definition according to population- The definition of the city has been given on the basis of the size of the population. And they are also recognized. A place with a population of 2,000 or more in France, 11,000 in Egypt and 25,000 or more in America is defined as a city. A place with a population of one lakh or more in India has been called. A place with a population of five thousand or more is defined as a town.
The following three grounds are also necessary for the town-
(1) Population more than five thousand.
(2) the density of population is 400 persons per square kilometer or more, and
(3) At least 75 percent of the adult male population should be engaged in non-agricultural activities.
According to Theodorson and Theodorson, “An urban community is a community characterized by high population density, predominance of non-agricultural occupations, a high degree of specialization resulting from complex division of labour, and a formal system of local government. Urban communities are characterized by diversity of population, prevalence of impersonal and secondary relationships and dependence on formal social control. ,
On the basis of the above definitions, it can be concluded that the meaning of urban community is – excess of population, division of labor and specialisation, formal and secondary relations, dominance of formal means of control and people engaged in non-agricultural activities. According to the Indian census report, the additional society whose population is more than 5 thousand and the density of population is 400 persons.
If there is more than substance, it is called an urban society.
Features of urban community.
Along with the high population in the cities, the population density is also found high. , Followers of many faiths and religions, people of different sects, classes, castes, races, languages and provinces live in cities. All the facilities related to health are available to the person in the cities.
- Means of entertainment and means of sports and facilities are easily available in the cities. People of different economic classes, many types of occupations, division of labor and specialization are seen in cities.
- Due to the abundance of population and diversity in cities, there are more formal relations. • Mobility is found more in cities.
- Stratification is more in cities, a person tries to strengthen his social status according to his ability, skill and ability.
- The life of the cities is more of show off, people live a pompous and artificial life. , Today, cities have become centers of social problems like corruption, class-struggle, juvenile delinquency, crime, unemployment, poverty, prostitution, alcoholism, malnutrition, pollution, youth-stress, disease etc. There are different types of schools, colleges, universities in the cities, schools and colleges of engineering, medicine, arts, music, technology, vocational training etc., in which admission is given according to the interest of the students.
- In urban life there are individualistic and centers of competition and political activities. Cities are centers of transport and communication facilities.
- Due to the increasing influence of education in the cities, their attitude has become rational.
- Police Police in cities. There are courts etc. by which a person gets protection from threats like looting, theft, murder.