Sociology of Cities and Urban Life - Essay Example

Sociology of cities and urban life Introduction Urban culture is the economical system and values followed by the population in the urban areas. The lifestyle and culture of the people surviving in cosmopolitan and metropolitan cities are way different from that of people in rural areas. Urban people have a very sophisticated and refined life compared to the people of remote areas and country side. Their life is more complex and fast, and things are at their finger tip if they are ready to pay the price. Where as People in rural areas lead a simple and peaceful life with minimum resources and comfort. The generation today is more drawn to the urban culture as they are eager to live a vibrant life. . “Many of todays youth and young adults share an urban lifestyle mindset. This mindset is fueled by Discovery, Expression, Diversity, and Connectivity. It transcends race, geography, and economic status” (Pettigrew 2009). The life in the city is of a materialistic nature and, they have an infrastructure which compliments their lifestyle. They have all the amenities and services they could imagine and dream of. They have a very mesmerizing infrastructure in which there is provision for all sorts of demands. Cities have huge shopping malls, movie theatres, casinos, night clubs, parks, museums and so on to entertain the people. Cities cater to every need of the residents and have all the services and facilities they could afford. For this very reason people form all corners of the world migrate to ultra modern cities to make their life better and comfortable. The communities of urban areas are very much varied, as it comprises of different ethnic groups and races. People in the cities live amicably and blend into the colorful diversity of its cultural background. The urban people are mostly highly educated and, hold high professional status. For the same reason, they draw a handsome salary too .Since the income is high, the quality of life is also very rich and attractive. The cosmopolitan cities also have a big population of elite and wealthy class. As the cities are head quarters for most of the corporate holdings, there is a presence of all the cream of the society in cities. Apart from the glitz and glamour of the urban life, there is also a dark side to it. Since the cities influence the people to live a luxurious life, people follow illegal means to acquire wealth. This leads to the elevation of the crime rate in the urban areas and, degrade the social infrastructure to a great level. The social security in the cities is very vulnerable, as the less privileged keep an eye on the possessions of rich. Nevertheless, urban culture continues to appeal the minds of people who live in poor and under developed countries. People in cities have a specific taste for every element of their life. They follow a fast paced life and look up to an ever changing life style to motivate their high spirits. In Short it can be described that, urban culture refers to the city’s sense in their fashion, food and entertainment style. Let us look into little depth about these three factors namely, Fashion, Food habit and entertainment style. Fashion Fashion has been the primary focus of the urban people, ever since cities formulated. City dwellers have an urge to impregnate fashion quotient in to every aspect of their life .The dynamics of fashion production and consumption has been a part and parcel of city life since decades. The rich and the upper class could be seen more attracted to fashion brands and designer pieces than other classes in urban areas. The reason could be the fact that, only the elite could afford the exorbitant prices of these luxurious products However, the middle classes have their own line of fashion products, which fit in to their budget. It can be seen that men and women in urban societies are equally fashion conscious. “Fashion now occupies the centre ground in popular understanding of modern culture. It enjoys unprecedented coverage in the western media and defines the tenor of urban life like no other visual medium”(Breward 2008 : 9).They continuously update their style, as and when the trend changes for clothing and accessories. All age group of cities have a sense of fashion in all the accessories and clothing they wear. For the knowledge of latest fashion, they take help of fashion magazines and also imitate dressing styles of celebrities. Even the people with low income are very much keen on fashion, especially in following latest trend in clothing and personal grooming. Women in all classes spend generously on cosmetics and make up products to maintain themselves the best. Cities are lined with stores which sell clothing, jewellery and accessories with various price and fashion label. “Nowadays what a person wears is more likely to be a reflection of their personal tastes and character, than wanting to imitate somebody else”(Machowska 2007).Sometimes it can be seen that people with very little money also chase around luxurious label because of the craze for fashion in urban societies. Another interesting thing which is popular in cities is the beauty salons for men and women. Most of the urbanites are regular visitors to these salons to keep themselves groomed and stylish. They spend lavishly on enhancing the beauty as it is an identity issue for them. The more fashionable one is, the more he is appreciated and noticed in the social circle. Food habit The food habit of urban people is very different when compared to rural perople.In cities there is a great demand for fast food, as it a very convenient source of food. Fast food chains have a big influence on the people in cities; especially among the young .As the house holders are working people, they prefer take away and fast food which reduce their work load. These people look for convenience when it comes to food, so prefer places which offer delicious food in minimum time. “Convenience is a major concern in food purchases, particularly by members of urbanized societies” (Kittler 2008 :15).For his very reason, they approach supermarkets and food stores where more of factory made food products are available. In the cities people buy a great quantity of pre- cooked and processed food, as they find less time for cooking. Since the food served in fast food outlets and other food counters are over sized and calorie rich, the people in cities mostly suffer bad health and obesity. In big cities like America there is hardly any control on portion size and as a result the people tend consume more of oversized and greasy food. “As American eats out more and more frequently, they become accustomed to those oversized portion, and think that such portions are normal”(Murphy 2000). The cities also have an abundance of restaurants and hotels, which avail high quality dining facility. All classes of people in cities enjoy dining out and, it is a big part of their social life. The restaurants serve food of diverse cuisines, as people enjoy food of different regions unlike rural people. They spend extravagantly on social gatherings which take place at luxury hotels and restaurants. When it comes to food habits, urbanites are very hygiene conscious. As they live in sophisticated and modern infrastructure, their eating habits are also clean and hygienic. They have a supply of high quality food from around the world, which give them opportunity to maintain their high standards of food quality. Since most of urbanites are financially stable and highly educated their taste for food is very rich and unique. Entertainment style The urban crowd has varied sources to entertain themselves and indulge during spare time. The entertainment style differ according to the class and age group. But electronic entertainment always has the primary place in the list. “Most homes have an entertainment center where the family gathers for most of their electronic entertainment, such as television viewing, listening to music, etc.”(Romans 2010). Young people always adore watching television and movies .There are plenty of television channels available to them with the help of different cable networks services established in the city. These cables networks provide whole variety of programmers they could ever imagine. Movies are a huge craze among urbanites and there are number of movie theatres in the cities which showcase movies at different timings through out the day. Movies are enjoyed by all age group and it is a main entertainment point for all people in all classes. For this reason, Hollywood is a huge industry in U.S.A. and it produces numerous movies in a year’s time. Other entertainment sources which is a favorite among young and adults are nighclubs,bars and pubs. These are the places they spend time drinking and dancing whole night long. This is the spot, where they choose to relax and enjoy during their weekends. There are also lot of social clubs present in the cities where the individuals are members .They come to the club and enjoy various types of activities with like minded people . The urban people also are passionate about theatre shows and operas Casinos are one of the striking feature of cosmopolitan cities and, there can be seen an immense flow of crowd to these places. The style of music which is popular in cities are jazz, rock, hip hop, and so on. The young and adult prefer fast beat music as they live active and vibrant life. Pop music is a big inspiration for city dwellers and they spent much time in enjoying music. Conclusion Thus it can be seen that urban life is very creative, vibrant and colorful as opposed to rural life. The cities have a very diverse community and, people enjoy every minute of their life. They have all sorts of amenities and facilities to carry out a smooth and quality life .Their culture is different in every aspect as compared to that of people in downtown areas. The food, clothing, music, and entertainment ways of urbanites are unique and specific from others. They love to live a fast paced life and want everything in life to be of quality. But this does not mean that their life is perfect. The negative side of cities are namely; crime, bad health, stress and high expenditure. However, like everything else, urban culture also has its bad side, but still people love to move to cities in order to find greener pastures. References Breward, Christopher.2003.Fashion. Oxford: Oxford University Press. The author of this book has explored the fashion world and gives a wide picture of evolution of fashion. He states that fashion have immensely persuaded the urban culture and has foremost importance in their day to day lives. Kittler, Pamela Goyan. 2008 .Food And Culture. Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth. The book gives a good insight how urban areas influence the food pattern of the people living there. The author tries to claim that urban societies tend to eat processed food, as they opt for convenience when consuming food. People have a fast paced life in urban area and try to eat readymade food. Murphy, Jenny. 2000. The Super-sizing of America: Are Fast Food Chains to Blame for the Nations Obesity?. Retrieved August 01,2010, from http://www.speakout.com/activism/issue_briefs/1333b-1.html . In this writing an emphasis is made on the eccentric eating style of the urban people. The urban culture is very unhealthy when it comes to food habits and the article depicts it briefly. The writer tells that eating out is the main reason for unhealthy condition of urban people. Machowska, Tania.2007.What is Fashion?. Retrieved August 01,2010, from http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/what-is-fashion-172424.html . Fashion is a vibrant subject and this article details the reason for fashion emergence in city. The writer elaborates the idea behind the fashion mania and how it has taken an important place in the life of the people in the city. Pettigrew, Tru. 2009. Urban Lifestyle Demographic: Walking Through Colorblind Corridors With the 80s Babies . Retrieved August 01,2010, from http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/tru-pettigrew/alloy-access/urban-lifestyle-demographic-walking-through-colorblind-corridors-80s . The author in this article is stating the youth of the present generation is greatly influenced by the urban lifestyle. They are attracted to the diversifying element of the modern world. The articles show the powerful influence of the urban culture. Romans, Mary Ann. 2010. 10 Ways Your Entertainment Center Can Drain Your Money . Retrieved August 01,2010, from http://frugal.families.com/blog/10-ways-your-entertainment-center-can-drain-your-money-2. This article pinpoints the entertainment structure of the urban family. It allows us to know how a normal urban family spends their spare time on entertainment. This articles show the negative side of entertainment which also explains, the costly life style of cities. Read More