Author: Eminent Contributors
Editor(s): Ranvinder Singh Sandhu
Publisher: Sage Publications
Year: 2003
Language: English
Pages: 258
ISBN/UPC (if available): 0761998012
Description
The later half of the twentieth century has witnessed unprecedented urbanization throughout the world, especially in developing countries. Even though India currently has the second largest urban population in the world, it is still one of the least urbanized countries. Further, in the last fifty years, the process of urbanization in India has ushered in numerous changes unlike those witnessed during earlier periods, both in terms of degree and quality.
This volume brings together papers by well-known scholars that look at various aspects of the urbanization phenomenon in India, including:
The folk-urban continuum
Social Stratification
Neighbourhood and family
Slum-dwellers and migrants
These aspects of urbanization are discussed in four sections. The first section details the various perspectives through which urbanization can be understood more comprehensively. The second section discusses how caste and class behaviour are modified in an urban setting. Section three looks at how society (the neighbourhood community, the rural joint family) adapts to both urbanization and industrialization (for instance, the influx of migrants). The last section deals with slum-dwellers and discusses the labour characteristics of migrants as also the question of their cultural assimilation.
Focusing on the complex and increasingly important socio-economic processes of urbanization, this volume offers significant hypotheses for further exploration, while highlighting the emerging problems. It will be widely welcomed by students of urban studies, sociology, town planning and human settlements.
REVIEW
Because of its uncommonly long history, Indian urbanization reflects the ancient, medieval and modern characteristics in its culture and social structure. The sociological studies included in this volume dwell, on the change and continuity of urban society in India. They throw up significant hypotheses for further probing as well as some of the emerging problems.
-Victor S D'Souza
(From the Foreword)
Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures and Maps
Series Note
Foreword by Victor s D'Souza
Acknowledgements
INTRODUCTION
SECTION I
Urbanization: Some Perspectives
SECTION II
Social Stratification: Caste and Class
SECTION III
Neighbourhood and Family
SECTION IV
Slum Dwellers/Migrants in Urban Setting
About the Editor
About the Contributors
Index