Urban and Rural Communities in Transition n Why Study Community? n Community is a significant social entity. u Community comprises our immediate physical and social environment u Community is where society is experienced u Community is the setting for socialization, social institutions, and development of norms and culture u We need to understand the organization and dynamics of community relationships

Urban and Rural Communities in Transition One Does not have to be particularly astute to detect that contemporary life in Philadelphia, Morristown, or York is quite different from that in Delta, Brogue, or Wellsboro.

Overview of These Notes n A brief history of communities n Settlement patterns in the U.S. n Theories of society, history, and community n Issues in studying community

History of Community n As far back as the archeological record goes, humans have lived in groups n Why did they band together?

Historical Economies and Settlement Patterns n Humans as hunters- gatherers u habitats were temporary u bands were small because land could not support many n Humans as agriculturists u could remain in place for generations u develop stable relationships, common norms, values and institutions u larger groups

Early Agricultural Villages n Entire population engaged in agriculture n Role differentiation based on gender and age n Agriculture responsible for the success of the species and cultural developments n Developed only about 8-10,000 years ago in the 500,000 years of human development n Still the most prevalent form on human settlement -- though still modern influences have intruded

Early Cities n Agriculture surpluses allowed the formation of cities as people were released from raising food n The first cities developed in the most fertile agricultural areas Tigris-Euphrates, Nile, and Indus Rivers n These cities were not simply large agricultural villages -- exchange good and services for food

Early Cities n Early division of labor n Marketplace for exchange n Written language and numerical notations arise from trade n Other institutions and norms n Cooperative tasks like temple building n The city was a place of wealth and needed protection from marauders and armies n Walled-cities were common through the middle ages n Cities became powerful seats of culture, trade, philosophy and military might

Early Cities in History

Manorial Communities n Following the collapse of the Roman Empire (500 A.D.) Europe enter a 1,000 year-long dark age n Commerce and trade nearly ceased, society reverted back to an agriculture base n Lord own the land, serfs lived on the land and paid tribute to the Lord n Serf rights (few) were dictated by custom or settled by manorial court presided by the lord

Towns in the Middle Ages n Towns in Northern Europe began to trade again n Merchants and artisans formed guilds n Traders established links among communities to support trade n Artisans gathered in trade cities to support merchants and to barter

Pre-Industrial Cities n Sharp division among classes, upper class is usually very small and dominated by extended families n These were often walled for protection, congestion is high, the center is often dominated by religious or government buildings (or both together) n The market place is usually near the town entrance and is smaller than government and religious buildings n Many cities still look like this today

Industrial Cities n The industrial revolution (1760s) brought great cultural change u technology and surplus resources (capital) made possible the large-scale production of goods u very densely populated because walking is the primary transportation u lack of infrastructure and coal burning make life nasty u no workers’ rights no child labor laws

“The most important and immediate cause of social change in the United States is technological innovations in agriculture.” Rodgers et al. 1987

Percent Population Rural

Percent Population Farmers

Persons Supported by 1 Farmer

Number of Florida Farms

Number of U.S. Farms

Average Farm Size in Acres

The Social Impacts of Agricultural Technology increased productivity increased appeal and quality low food prices decreased need for agricultural labor decreased vitality in farm-based communities increased rural to urban migration increased capital expenses increased start-up costs increase in farm size for efficiencies less smaller family farms environmental problems

Rural Settlement Patterns in the U.S. n New England Village u few distinctions between family, community and private and public u Central town square, common pasture, and shared institutions u Democratic rule n Plantation System u similar to manorial system u dependent upon slavery u South had fewer cities, plantations were mostly self- sufficient

Urban Settlement Patterns in the U.S. n Jefferson Vs. Hamilton n North Vs. South, Agriculture Vs. Industrialization n located on transportation hubs n Early Northern cities drew immigrants from Europe for labor n Massive rural to urban migration from 1920 on n African Americans replaced Europeans in the city

Urban Settlement Patterns in the U.S. n As personal transportation (cars) and other technology (phone, fax, , internet, etc.) have increased there is less need to live in the urban core n manufacturing and service sectors are being replaced by the information sectors in the economy n Silicon Valley (Santa Clara County) n People prefer to live in suburban settlements and will pay high costs to do so

Urban Settlement Patterns in the U.S. n Dispersion of the high density population n The Metropolitan Statistical Area n The Megalopolis u no single center of influence u difficult to perceive the whole as a community u huge urban/suburban conglomerates

Louis Wirth (1938) “Urbanism as a Way of Life” Richard Dewey (1960) “The Rural Urban Continuum” n Five Factors of Urbanism u Anonymity u Division of Labor u Heterogeneity of Population u Impersonal and Formally Prescribed Relationships u Symbols of Status Independent of Personal Acquaintance

Theories of Society, History, and Community: The Typology Tradition u Toennies: Gemeinschaft & Gesellschaft u Durkheim: Mechanical & Organic Solidarity u Weber: Traditional & Rational Society u Marx:Feudalism, Capitalism, & Socialism u The Rural-Urban Continuum

Ferdinand Toennies ( ) Social Relationships n Gemeinschaft (community) u interaction based upon tradition and loyalty u ascribed order u undifferentiated society and labor u family like groups bounded by localities n Gesellschaft (Society) u interaction based on ration weighing of ends and means u achieved status u impersonal u complex division of labor u meritocracy and bureaucracy

Emile Durkheim ( ) n Mechanical Solidarity u similarity in local beliefs and activities (usually agriculture) u Collective Conscious u individualism is curbed n Organic Solidarity u Complex division of labor in the economy and society u interdependence of individuals and institutions u organic model

Max Weber ( ) n Traditional Society u based upon tradition authority u close family-like relationships u religion u common symbols and activities n Rational Society u based upon rational-legal authority u efficiency over custom u scientific u impersonal and bureaucratic

Karl Marx ( ) n Stages of history n Feudalism Serfs and Lords n Capitalism Proletariat and Bourgeoises n Class Conflict and Exploitation and class consciousness n Power Analyses and Hegemonic Control

The Rural-Urban Continuum

Five Approaches to the Study of Community n The Ecological Approach n Typological Approach (ethnography and case study) n Social Systems Approach n Power Analysis n The Interaction Approach