Development of Urban Sociology in India:
The field of urban sociology was recognized within the formal discipline of sociology in the United States in the late 19th century. Till 1921 there was no less effort to make it a discipline. A systematic discipline of urban sociology came into existence only in the 20th century. Specialties of Urban Sociology
A lot of intensive work has been done in the area. Several books have been published on classification of towns and cities, development of towns, urban environment, social disorganization in cities, demographic trends, family, marriage, divorce etc.
Apart from this, a lot of work has also been done on the improvement and development of urban life. In this regard, special mention should be made of the mechanisms of social welfare, the proper use of leisure, religious, cultural and educational institutions in cities, and intensive research in town planning and rehabilitation. But, however, it is a matter of regret that very little work has been done in India on the above mentioned aspects of urban life.
Development of Urban Sociology in India
Urban studies was first introduced in 1915 by Patrick Geddes, a popular social scientist at the University of Bombay. Later, urban problems were also studied by geographers and sociologists in the 1920s. However, substantial progress in research on urban problems was made in 1915. India in the post-independence period. During the 1960s, significant contributions were made by city planners. The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) sponsored research on urban problems in the fields of geography, sociology, economics, public administration, etc.
Early urban studies followed a pattern already well established by social anthropologists in their study of Indian rural communities. Beginning in the 1920s, attempts were made to assess the similarities and differences between rural and urban society in India. A comparison of social institutions and customs between rural and urban communities showed a remarkably parallel development of social hierarchy in the two regions. Joint family, caste system, jajmani system etc. were some of the aspects which were included under urban studies. Considerable emphasis was placed on the study on aspects of sociology of education, sociology of medicine and industrial sociology. Popular movements in urban areas and urban unrest were also examined.
In the 1950s, several economists conducted economic surveys of individual cities or cities on aspects such as household income, spending, employment, unemployment, etc. Political scientists also probed the depth of urban politics and the impact of colonial and post-independence conditions on city development and city planning.
The pioneer of socio-economic survey in India was Dr. Gadgil who conducted the survey of Pune in 1936. Victor D’Souza has conducted a study of Chandigarh to examine the impact of land use policies on the emerging social structure of a new city.
By the early 1960s, the focus of urban research in India shifted from the study of individual cities to problems of classification of the urban.
Center in a regional and national perspective. In the early 1970s, planners focused on the relationship between urban centers and rural development. These studies provided valuable data on the movement of people within a city, housing characteristics and other studies focusing on rural-urban fringes etc. Several studies related to the metropolitan cities of Hyderabad, Kolkata and Delhi were also conducted.
During the 1960s, the impact of urbanization on social institutions was the subject of study by some scholars. Gore (1960) studied the changing characteristics of the family in Bombay.
Ross’s (1973) study of the Hindu family in an urban setting and I.P. Desai’s (1964) study of family life in Mahuva is some of the more representative studies in this direction.
Important contributions have been made by urban geographers. In this connection, special mention may be made of a unique study conducted by Sinha (1970) of Sirsi Nagar in North Kanara district of Karnataka. Sinha makes extensive use of certain statistical formulas in the analysis and interpretation of data relating to the town. It seeks to provide a more accurate understanding of the city’s growth pattern. The National Geographic Journal of India published several papers related to the developed urban patterns in India.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the sociological literature dealing with urban life in India began primarily with grassroots origins.
Entries being prepared by the Census of India, and with the sponsorship of research organizations provided for studies in various regions of the country. As a result of these factors, a more positive approach to the study of urban process and urban institutions developed.
The studies conducted during the 1970s were not very cumulative as they were based on diverse interests. Government interest in seeking definite areas of inquiry in the field of urbanization and the consequent problems arising from the process dominate most studies.
The 1971 census outlines the pattern of urbanization in India, pointing out that larger cities were growing faster than smaller cities and towns. Large cities were able to spend more money on civic amenities because civic interests were better expressed there than in smaller cities and towns. Thus, larger cities attracted more migrant population than smaller towns. As migrant populations with very few skills and little formal education grew in large cities, this increased the form of overcrowding and the development of slums. This is how slum development is done
closely related to migration. Big cities are facing the problem of slum development and slum improvement. City governments have not been able to meet such a dire situation of slum development. They are seeking governments’ assistance in implementing programs of low-cost housing, especially for slum dwellers. Venkatarayapa (1972), Wiebe (1975), Desai and Pillai (1972) in their studies have brought out the deplorable condition of slums in Indian cities.
In the face of rapid urban and industrial development, the Government of India had become acutely aware of the problem of overcrowding in Indian cities. Seminars were organized in Delhi and Mumbai to suggest suitable remedial measures. Such open discussions as an urban expression have resulted in slum being defined in more specific terms.
Between 1961–1971, four new cities in the million-range were added to the existing million-cities, giving rise to eleven million-cities in 1971. each of these eleven cities.
Alfred D’Souza’s (1978) edited work on Indian cities covers a wide range of topics such as nutrition, slums and urban housing, the relation to the inner city and issues related to migration. RC Sarikwal (1978) tried to highlight some of the problems faced by the growing industrial city of Ghaziabad near Delhi. The study provided an understanding of the growth pattern of industrial townships.
Historical study of individual towns and cities provides insight into the process of urbanization in historical perspective. Several such urban studies conducted in the 1970s and earlier decades have aroused interest from a historical and comparative perspective. The works of Crane (1955) and Ghurye (1962) were pioneering studies in this direction. Crane’s work provided an insight into the development of cities during the pre-British period, in the light of which the development of cities during British rule is discussed. Ghurye in his work compared urban development in colonial settings with urban development since independence.
In his study of Ahmedabad, Kenneth Gillian (1968) analyzed the colonial situation under the British as it prevailed on the west coast. The British were successful in reducing the influence of centuries-old customs and traditions in this city, a traditional stronghold of the Gujarati trading community. Ahmedabad thus turned into a major center of textile manufacturing.
In her study of Mumbai in the mid-nineteenth century, Christine Dobbins (1972) highlighted the speed and variability with which different local communities, generally receptive to new ideas introduced by the British, responded to new opportunities. Took advantage of This has been done by identifying the elites who merged with Mumbai in the mid-nineteenth century. Bailey (1975) noted the rise of an urban elite in the city of Allahabad. The new elite provided the much needed leadership to the nascent nationalist sentiments. Its members were instrumental in shaping the early policies of the Congress Party.
Pradeep Sinha (1978) traces the growth of the metropolitan city of Kolkata from a cluster of villages during the time of Job Charnock, when it assumed the status of India’s capital city. In this study, Sinha also highlights the emergence of an urban middle class and a class of Western-oriented wealthy residents with the advantage of Western education.
In the Serampore study by Pranabanjan Ray (1971) taking account of the colonial situation, first under Danish settlers, and then under British rule, Ray pointed to the fact that
Serampore’s trading community flourished under foreign rule, establishing it as a prosperous commercial town.
In his study of Indian society, Milton Singer (1972) emphasized the process of transition of an older culture, which he named as the Great Tradition, to a complex modern culture (the Little Tradition). Singer, in his study of the city of Madras, saw the rise of a new culture as a result of contact with the West. He pointed out that the demands of modern occupations to be followed in urban areas are such that even the most conservative of city dwellers are not entirely free from such influences.
Sociological literature on migration during the 1960s and 1970s by M.S.A. Rao on types of migration, problems of rural-urban migration such as urban caste tensions, development of slums and their entry into informal sectors of the urban economy A comprehensive review has been done in the context of Etcetera.
Some other relevant studies include –
(1) Delhi study by Nangia (1976).
(2) Study of demographic aspects of urbanization by Vatsala Narayan
(3) Study of hyper-urbanization by Victor D’Souza.
(4) The work of Subhash Chandra (1977) “Social Participation in an Urban Neighbourhood.”
(5) The study of urban housing in the Third World by Geoffrey K. Payne (1977) stated that there is an urgent need to deal with the vast magnitude of housing problems in urban areas.
(6) T.K.Oomen (1982) suggests a typology of urban households, nature of authority, ecology and value orientation within the urban mile. Apart from this, some new thinking on urban poverty, housing etc. has also been discussed.
Finally, it can be concluded
Urban studies is an area of research that has grown greatly from its multi-disciplinary nature.
Case study of Mumbai regarding urban social structure: –
Urban studies was first introduced in 1915 by Patrick Geddes, a popular social scientist at the University of Bombay. Later, urban problems were also studied by geographers and sociologists in the 1920s.
However, in the post-independence period substantial progress was made in research on urban problems in India.
Coming to the case study of Mumbai with regard to urban social rigidity, it can be said that Mumbai is the most populous city in India and the second most populous city in the world. Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment capital of India. Mumbai is home to important financial institutions. Mumbai was ranked among India’s fastest cities for business startups in 2009. Mumbai has seen a finance boom in the mid-nineties and an IT, export, services and outsourcing boom in the 2000s.
Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. With a population of around 14 million, it is the most populous city in India and the second most populous city in the world. Along with neighboring urban areas including the cities of Navi Mumbai and Thane, it is one of the most populous urban areas in the world. Mumbai is located on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. As of 2009, Mumbai was named Alpha World City. Mumbai is also the richest city in India and has the highest GDP of any city in South, West or Central Asia.
The seven islands that constitute Mumbai were home to communities of fishing colonies. Over the centuries the islands came under the control of successive indigenous kingdoms before being handed over to the Portuguese and later to the British East India Company. Mumbai arose due to new direct maritime trade between Europe and India, and was originally peripheral to political developments in the country. The growth of Mumbai depended on imperial interests and specific economic factors fueled its growth. During the mid-18th century, Mumbai was largely redesigned by the British with civil engineering projects, and
Emerged as an important trading city. The British takeover of political power coincided with the introduction of Western education and Mumbai became not only the political capital of Western India, but also its major educational centre. In the late 19th century, industrial technology was applied to textile and other manufacturing in Mumbai. Thus, by the end of the 19th century, Mumbai had become a truly multifunctional city. The city was characterized by economic and educational growth during the 19th century. It became a stronghold of the Indian independence movement in the early 20th century.
When India became independent in 1947, the city was incorporated into Bombay State. In 1960, a new state of Maharashtra was formed with Bombay as the capital following the Samyukta Maharashtra movement. Its name was changed to Mumbai in 1995.
From the 1930s to the 1990s the city’s social and economic character changed from a labor-intensive orientation to capital-intensive production, and more recently financial services, a parallel move from nationalist and trade unionist politics to the local to the nation-state. and then by transitioning from a regional to a global context to the mobilization of citizens.
Mumbai is the commercial and entertainment capital of India, generating 5% of India’s GDP, and accounts for 25% of industrial production, 70% of maritime trade in India, and 70% of capital transactions in India’s economy. Mumbai is home to important financial institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India, the Bombay Stock Exchange, the National Stock Exchange of India and the corporate headquarters of many Indian companies and multinational corporations. It has major nuclear institutes of India like BARC, NPC
L, IREL, TIFR, AERB, AECI and Department of Atomic Energy. The city is also home to India’s Hindi and Marathi film and television industries, known as Bollywood. Mumbai’s business opportunities, as well as its ability to offer a high standard of living, attract migrants from all over India and, in turn, make the city a potpourri of many communities and cultures. Mumbai is the fourth most expensive office market in the world. Mumbai was ranked among the fastest cities in India for business startups in 2009.
State and central government employees make up a large percentage of the city’s workforce. Mumbai also has a large unskilled and semi-employed self-employed population who earn their livelihood mainly as hawkers, taxi drivers, mechanics and other such blue collar occupations. The port and shipping industry is well established, with Mumbai Port being one of the oldest and most important ports in India. In Dharavi, in central Mumbai, there is an increasingly large recycling industry, processing
Recyclable waste from other parts of the city There are an estimated 15000 single room factories in the district.
Along with the rest of India, Mumbai, its commercial capital, has seen an economic boom since the 1991 liberalisation, a finance boom in the mid-nineties and a boom in IT, exports, services and outsourcing in the 2000s.
Mumbai, from Colaba in the south to Mulund in the north and
To the south Dahisar and to the east Mankhurd, is administered by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The BMC Tower is in charge of the civic and infrastructure needs of the metropolis. The mayor is usually elected through indirect election by councilors for a term of two and a half years.
Public transport systems in Mumbai include the Mumbai Suburban Railway, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) buses, black and yellow metered taxis, black and yellow metered taxis, auto rickshaws and ferries.
As of 2001 India census, Mumbai had a population of 11,914,398. As per the 2001 census, the area under the administration of Greater Mumbai, BMC has a literacy rate of 77.45%, higher than the national average of 64.8%. The population density is estimated to be around 22,000 persons per km². The sex ratio in the island lands was 774 (females per 1000 males), 826 in the suburbs, and 811 in Greater Mumbai overall, all numbers higher than the national average of 933 females per 1000 males. The reason for the low sex ratio is the large number of male migrants who come to work in the city.
Marathi, the official language of the state of Maharashtra, is widely spoken and understood in the city. 16 major languages of India are also spoken in Mumbai, with the most common being Marathi, Gujarati and English. English is widely spoken and is the dominant language of the city’s white-collar workers. The colloquial form of Hindi spoken on the streets, known as Bambaiya – is a mixture of Marathi, Hindi, Indian English and some invented words.
Mumbai suffers from major urbanization problems seen in many rapidly growing cities in developing countries. Widespread poverty and unemployment, poor public health and poor civic and educational standards for a large section of the population. With available space at a premium, residents of Mumbai often live in cramped, relatively expensive housing, usually far from workplaces and therefore requiring long commutes.
Travels on crowded public transport or on crowded roads. Many of them live close to bus or train stations, although suburban residents spend a significant amount of time traveling south to the main commercial district. Two factors, concentration of ownership and property price, reinforce inequalities in land and housing. They also create imaginary scarcity, speculation and capital accumulation through rent.
The number of migrants to Mumbai from outside Maharashtra during the decade 1991–2001 was 1.12 million, accounting for 54.8% of the total increase in Mumbai’s population.
Religions represented in Mumbai include Hindu (67.39%), Muslim (18.56%), Buddhist (5.22%), Jain (3.99%), Christian (4.2%), Sikh (0.58%), Parsi and Jewish. population.
Mumbai’s culture is a mix of traditional festivals, food, music and theatre. The city offers a cosmopolitan and diverse lifestyle, with a variety of dining, entertainment and nightlife in a form and abundance comparable to that of other world capitals.
The lack of legal ownership of the space where people live and work has made the issue of rights to land and physical space an important issue in the city, and in recent years, has fundamentally changed public politics. Have given. A large portion of the population struggles to obtain and then maintain a place to live and amenities are sparse. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the majority of workers and laborers lead a life of marginality, figuratively and figuratively. This situation
has given birth to a culture of scarcity. Being part of informal modes of construction and/or services means an unstable, insecure and irregular working life. Neither work nor access to housing integrates them into the rhythm of organized discipline. The instability associated with cultural and economic deprivation rules their lives.