Paper-20 Urban Sociology
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MA SOCIOLOGY P-20 URBAN SOCIOLOGY Author Dr. P.K.Kar 1 Unit-I: Evolution of Cities in History based on Major Functions:Growth of Urbanization in India, City type and functions in India, The Rural-Urban dichotomy and continum in India and Theories of Unrbanization Unit-II:Social Institutions in the Urban Milieu:Family and Marriage Caste, Religion, Economy, Polity Unit-III: The new Social Structures in Urban India:Informal Sector: Various Occupations , Formal Sector: Various Professions and Secondary Institutions: Educational, Leisure and Recreation, Voluntary Organizations. Unit-IV: Problems of Urban India: Housing, Transport, Communication, Pollution, Sanitation, And Crime. UNIT-I Evolution of Cities in History based on Major Functions: CONTENTS 1.0. OBJECTIVES 1.1. EVOLUTION OF CITIES IN HISTORY BASED ON FUCTIONS 1.1.1 Ancient Cities 1.1.2 Medieval cities 1.1.3 Modern Cities 1.1.4 Pre-lndustrial Cities 1.1.5 Industrial Cities 1.2. GROWTH OF URBANIZATION IN INDIA 1.3. REGIONAL URBANISATION PROCESS: 1.4. FORMATION OF URBAN AGGLOMERATION 2 1.5. TRENDS AND PATTERNS OF URBANIZATION IN INDIA 1.5.1 Demographic approach 1.5.2 Geographic approach 1.6. URBAN ECONOMIC GROWTH 1.6.1. Size of total NDP by sectors and per capita NDP 1.7. COMPOUND ANNUAL GROWTH 1.8. CITY TYPE AND FUCTIONS IN INDIA 1.9. RURAL URBAN DICHOTOMY AND CONTINUUM 1.10. DISTINCTION BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES 1.11. THEORIES OF URBAN GROWTH 1.11.1. Concentric zone model 1.11.2. Sectors model 1.11.3. Multiple nuclei model 1.11.4. Exploitative model 1.11.5. Mann’s model 1.11.6. Symbolic approach 1.12. KEY WORDS 1.13. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 1.14. REFERENCES 3 1.0. OBJECTIVES The main objectives of this unit are to acquaint the readers with the following: *Evolution of cities in history based on functions * Growth of urbanization in India * Rural- urban dichotomy and continuum * Theories of urbanization 1.1. EVOLUTION OF CITIES IN HISTORY BASED ON FUCTIONS Chronological factor has been considered significant in the evolution of different cities. While attempting on the historical analyses of cities, we refer to the changes experienced by a city through a period of time. A multiplicity of factors are held responsible for bringing about changes in the structure and functions of cities, The historians have identified the following factors that have led to the changes. i. social factor ii.economic factor iii.political factor iv.technological factor v.other factors During each period of history, may it be ancient or medieval or modern, we evince changes in the character of city. Another way of looking at the temporal analyses of city may be linked with the pre-industrial and industrial categories. Whereas the industrial city arises out of the process of industrialization, the pre-industrial one has arisen not due to the same factor. The cases of Rourkela and Varanasi may be taken as examples respectively in this regard. Although it has been assumed by scholars that the pre-industrial city pre-dates industrialization , the case 4 is not always the same. This dichotomy may be made time related only as they may exist at the same time in different parts of the country or the world. In real terms, different kinds of cities that have existed at different points of time performed different types of functions as per the requirement regional or national economy or social expectations. Notwithstanding the evolution of cities in history based on functions, temporal changes in cities along with their functional changes may be evinced in the forms: I. Ancient II. Medieval III. modern IV. pre industrial V. industrial 1.1.1 Ancient Cities Archaeology has always been useful in the study of ancient cities. Archeologists have identified cities on the basis of its size and from the scale of its remains. We will be examining the first cities that emerged in India. The cities first emerged during the Bronze Age and then the second phase of urbanisation took place during the 6th century B.C. First we will look at the Bronze Age cities: Bronze Age: The 'Bronze Age' may be construed as the perid relating to the earliest cities in india Indus civilisation that witnessed the emergence of well organised cities, planned and inhabited by specialists - such as carpenters and metal workers. Bronze Age refers to a period in history when there was an increased dependence on copper and copper alloys (when copper is mixed with other metals such as arsenic, tin or lead to manufacture bronze. V. Gordon Childe puts forward ten criteria based on archaeological data, to distinguish the earliest cities from older cities the villages found today. These are the ten features that he postulated: 1) In terms of size, the first cities should have had larger and more densely populated areas than any previous settlements, although 5 considerably smaller than many villages found today. 2) There were differences in composition and function of the urban population and that of a village. There may have been citizens who were cultivating land near the city. The city must have accommodated full-time specialist craftsmen, transport workers, merchants, officials and priests. 3) Each producer paid a tiny surplus as tax to an imaginary deity or a divine king and the surplus concentrated in his hands. Cities were distinguished on the basis of monumental public buildings from any village and also symbolized the concentration of the social surplus. The city of Harappa in the Indus valley was dominated by a citadel, rampart and baked bricks. Citadel is a term used for that part of the city that houses the important buildings and is higher than the other parts of the city. It is often walled by brick or stone as seen in the excavations of the Harappan cities. A rampart is an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes. Baked bricks are those bricks that have been manufactured in a brick kiln. 4) Those who were not engaged in food production were supported by the surplus accumulated in temples or royal granaries. The priests, civil and military leaders and officials absorbed a major share of the concentrated surplus and thus formed a "ruling class" who were exempt from all manual tasks. While the lower classes were not only guaranteed peace and security but were relieved from intellectual tasks. The ruling class did confer substantial benefits upon their subjects in the way of planning and organisation. 5) Out of compulsion, the ruling classes had to invent systems of recording. Writing is a significant mark of civilisation. The engraved seals from the Indus valley civilisation provide evidence of writing. 6 6) The clerks were enabled by the invention of writing or scripts who were now relatively free to engage in the sciences, arithmetic, geometry and astronomy. Calendrical and mathematical sciences are common features of the earliest civilisations. 7) The artistic expression got its direction from other specialists supported by the concentrated social surplus. The Bronze Age cities had artistscraftsmen, full-time sculptors, painters or seal-engravers who began to carve or draw likenesses of persons or things according to conceptualised and sophisticated styles which differ in each of the four Bronze Age civilisations. 8) A share of the concentrated surplus was used to pay for the import of raw materials needed for industry or cult and not available locally. Regular 'foreign trade' over quite long distances was a feature of all early civilisations. 9) The specialist-craftsmen were provided with raw materials needed for the employment of their skill in the city. Around 2500 B.C. , cities existed in and beyond the Indus Valley. The important cities have been located in Harappa in Punjab, Mohaenjodaro in Sind, and Lothal in Saurashtra. The city of Mohenjodaro clearly revealed many features of urbanism. It was a well planned city, with an efficient drainage system. The houses were well-planned with sanitation facilities. A large granary has been found, an assembly place and a ritual centre. The cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro had a citadel made up of mud and mud brick which was raised above the ground and demarcated from the rest of the city. The important buildings for administrative and ritual purpose were placed here. Thus, we see systematic town planning, administrative functions, military, agriculture and commercial economy, craft production and ritual organisation. Second Urbanisation 7 The 6th century B.C. witnessed the second phase of urbanisation in India. The Historians view that the second phase of urbanisation was ushered in due to several factors. It is also known as the early historical period in Indian history and we see the emergence of a definite system of coinage which was essential for organising trade and commerce. There was an abundance of silver punch-marked coins. There developed a system of writing and there is the reappearance of the baked brick which is used for monumental architecture, including fortification. There were different kinds of cities during the ancient period . The Vastu-Sastra talks about the science of town-planning and presents different categories of towns based on the kind of functions it performed such as trade, commerce, manufacturing, administration and military. Now we will discuss the different kinds of cities categorized on the basis of the functions they performed: I. Nagara: It was an ordinary fortified town where inland trade was an important activity. II. Pattana: It referred to a large commercial port situated on the bank of a river or sea. It was inhabited by the trading castes such as the Vaishyas and abounds in a lot of wealth and a large number of valuable luxury objects such as silk, perfumes and other articles.