Sociological Theory & Urban Change Patrick J. Kennealy

Urban Sociology Social order of cities – Poverty – Homeownership – Capital Human, Social, Financial, and Built Spatial inequalities – Who has access to what? – Gentrification? – Environmental Racism & Class struggle? – Segregation?

Functionalism Society as a series of interrelated parts – like a machine Neighborhoods, streets, homes, businesses, etc. “function” to serve the good of people Fails to explain oppression and exploitation – Or are they explained as functions?

Chicago School & Concentric Zones Park, Burgess, and McKenzie, in The City. Published 1925 Ecological (functionalist?) explanation of urban development

Park, Burgess, and McKenzie The City. Concentric Zones model. Downloaded 10/1/08 from:

Hoyt, Homer diagram Downloaded from: 10/1/08.

Harris and Ullman Downloaded from Wikipedia: 10/9/2008

Conflict Theory Power is at the core of social relationships Constant struggle for scarce resources Those who have vs. those who don’t have Marxism often comes to mind – Economic determinism & division of labor

Conflict or Marxist Approach Conclusions about capital and condition of worker – Capitalist exploits labor resources – Economic Determinism What you have determines what you get – Eventually labor unites and revolts – Communal system ensues

Marxism & Urban Change City is like a production system – Renters as laborers – David Harvey 1985 “The Urban Experience”

City as a “Growth Machine” Logan and Molotch in 1987 published “Urban Fortunes: The Political Economy of Place” University of California Press – Exchange & Use Value of place – Entrepreneurs control city space

Interactionist Micro Focus on individual perceptions Concept of “Self” and personal identity

Capital Social Human Financial Built Cultural More info & reference: Green, Gary Paul and Anna Haines Asset Building & Community Development. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Community Capacity Community ability to direct positive change Forms of capital… human, social, financial, built, etc. Low-income housing rehab & development Business development More info & reference: Chaskin, Robert J., Prudence Brown, Sudhir Venkatesh, and Avis Vidal Building Community Capacity. New York: Aldine De Gruyter.

Capacity Building Develop affordable homeownership opportunities Develop & encourage community base stakeholders Homeownership education Address or eliminate public policy supportive of abusive & predatory lending

Habitat for Humanity Local funding Local volunteers Local capital Good example of capacity building

Asset Based Development Kretzmann & McKnight in 1993 published “Building Communities from the Inside Out: A Path Toward Mobilizing Community Assets” Northwestern University – Emphasis on capacity development instead of sweeping government/private endeavors

Government, Planners, Developers, & Investors InfrastructureHousingCommerceTransportation Traditional Development

Community Stakeholders & Residents InvestorsCommerceGovernment Community Centered Approach