Urban Sociology, Capitalism and Modernity

Urban Sociology, Capitalism and Modernity

SOCIOLOGY FOR A CHANGING WORLD Series Editors: Janet Finch and Graham Allan Founding Editor: Roger King This series, published in conjunction with the British Sociological Association, evaluates and reflects major developments in contemporary sociology. The books focus on key changes in social and economic life in recent years and on the ways in which the discipline of sociology has analysed those changes. They reflect the state of the art in contemporary British sociology, while at the same time drawing upon comparative material to set debates in an international perspective. Published Rosamund Billington, Annette Fitzsimons, Lenore Greensides and Sheelagh Strawbridge, Culture and Society Lois Bryson, Welfare and the State Frances Heidensohn, Crime and Society Glenn Morgan, Organizations in Society Mike Savage and Alan Warde, Urban Sociology, Capitalism and Modernity Andrew Webster, Science, Technology and Society Forthcoming Prue Chamberlayne, Brian Darling and Michael Rustin, A Sociology cif Contemporary Europe Angela Glasner, Life and Labour in Contemporary Society Marilyn Porter, Gender Relations John Solomos and Les Back, Racism in Society Claire Wallace, Youth and Society Series Standing Order If you would like to receive future tides in this series as they are published, you can make use of our standing order facility. To place a standing order please contact your bookseller or, in case of difficulty, write to us at the address below with your name and address and the name of the series. Please state with which tide you wish to begin your standing order. (If you live outside the United Kingdom we may not have the rights for your area, in which case we will forward your order to the publisher concerned.) Customer Services Department, Macmillan Distribution Ltd Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 2XS, England

URBAN SOCIOLOGY, CAPITALISM AND MODERNITY Mike Savage and Alan Warde!50th YEAR M MACMILLAN

Mike Savage and Alan Warde 1993 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P 9HE. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. First published 1993 by THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 2XS and London Companies and representatives throughout the world ISBN 978-0-333-49164-5 DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-22991-8 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 978-1-349-22991-8 (ebook)

Contents Acknowledgements Vll 1 Introduction 1 2 The Roots of Urban Sociology 7 2.1 The development of urban sociology, 1900-30 8 2.2 The decline of urban sociology: the post-war years 22 2.3 The 'new urban sociology' 27 2.4 Conclusion 31 3 Cities and Uneven Economic Development 34 3.1 Evolutionary theories of cities 35 3.2 Competing theories of uneven development 40 3.3 Conclusion 61 4 Inequality and Social Organisation in the City 63 4.1 Urban space and segregation 64 4.2 Labour markets and housing markets 68 4.3 The production of social space: suburbanisation and gentrification 75 4.4 Changing inequalities? Polarisation and survival strategies 86 4.5 Conclusion 93 5 Perspectives on Urban Culture 96 5.1 Louis Wirth and the 'urban way of life' 97 5.2 Simmel and metropolitan culture 110 5.3 The culture of modernity 114 5.4 Conclusion 120 v

vi Contents 6 Modernity, Post-modernity and Urban Culture 6.1 Architecture and urban meaning 6.2 The social construction of urban meaning 6.3 Urban meaning and 'aura' 6.4 Urban culture and post-modernity 6.5 Conclusion 7 Urban Politics 7.1 States, markets and welfare 7.2 Local states and economic development 7.3 Place and political identification 7.4 Urban participation and social order 7.5 Conclusion 8 Conclusion: Urban Sociology, Capitalism and Modernity 122 123 129 132 138 145 147 152 163 174 182 186 188 Bibliography Index 194 211

Acknowledgements It is extremely rewarding, though also frustrating, to write a book when the field is changing so fast. This is a book that changed many times in the making, and which made us read and think until the last minute. Many thanks to all those who have helped us by talking to us, making comments, and giving general advice. In particular Mike Savage would like to thank students on his workshop at Keele University on urban sociology in 1990 for helping him to realise some of the limitations of existing work (and textbooks!) in the field. Frances Arnold, our publishing editor, has been very supportive. Janet Finch helped to commission the volume, and she and Graham Allan commented helpfully on drafts. The following people have commented on the whole or parts: Peter Dickens; Helen Hills; Brian Longhurst; Chris Pickvance; Greg Smith; Gerry Stoker; Adam Tickell; John Urry; and Paul Watt. Versions of Chapter 2 were presented by Mike Savage to the Urban and Regional Studies Seminar, University of Sussex, December 1990, and by Alan Warde to the Department ofsociology, University of Melbourne, at Easter 1991. Versions of Chapter 6 were presented by Mike Savage to the Urban Change and Conflict Conference at Lancaster University, September 1991, and to the Department ofsociology, University of Salford, May 1992. Many thanks for the comments received. Finally, on a personal note, Mike Savage would like to thank Helen Hills for her love and support. Virtually our first conversation was about our mutual interest in urbanism, and it led to fine things. Mnrn SAvAGE ALAN WARDE The authors and publishers are grateful to the following for permission to reproduce copyright material: Urban Studies for a table from G. Bentham, 'Socio-tenurial polarisation', vol. 23, no. 2 (April 1986); The University vii

vm Acknowledgements of Chicago Press for a diagram from R. E. Park, E. W. Burgess and R. D. McKenzie, The City (1967); Pergamon Press Ltd for a table from A. Heath eta/., Understanding Political Change (1991); HMSO for Central Statistical Office material from Soda/ Trends, Crowa copyright 1989. Every effort has been made to contact all the copyright-holders, but if any have been inadvertendy omitted the publisher will be pleased to make the necessary arrangement at the earliest opportunity.