Which of the problems with urbanization is the greatest challenge for cities? Explain the issue in terms of either the functionalist or conflict perspective of sociology.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• Conflict analysts do not believe that cities grow or decline by chance. Members of the capitalist class and political elites make far-reaching decisions about land use and urban development that benefit some people at the expense of others.
• In examining urban problems, most functionalists focus on three processes that have contributed to social disorganization and the disruption of social institutions.
o First, mass migration from rural areas to urban areas during the Industrial Revolution contributed to social disorganization by weakening personal ties in the family, religion, education, and other institutions.
o Second, large-scale immigration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was more than most cities could absorb, and many individuals
were never fully assimilated into the cultural mainstream
o Third, mass suburbanization created additional social disorganization,
and most cities have been unable to reach equilibrium since the mass exodus to the suburbs following World War II