The New Urban Paradigm

As economic, political, and cultural centers, cities are at the heart of most contemporary societies, as they have been for millennia. In spite of the Cassandras who periodically lament their demise or imminent death, cities have a way of coming back from their low points--of surviving economic crises, outmigration, and vexing social dilemmas. Today, many large US cities once thought to be dying have rebounded not only because of economic restructuring or high-tech industries but also because of the vigor of new migrants coming into the urban system. Significantly, the ongoing boom-bust cycles in the cities are linked ultimately to major decisions made by those at the helm of the now globalized system of contemporary capitalism. In this book, Joe R. Feagin assesses urban questions from the 'new urban sociology' perspective that has developed since the 1980s. One of the leading figures in this tradition of thought, Feagin places class and racial domination at the heart of the analysis of city life, change, and development. His approach takes into account political-economic histories and the rise and fall of their social institutions; the character and impact of their underlying systems of capitalism, racism, and patriarchy; and how these dynamics play out in the everyday lives of contemporary urbanites. Framing urban questions this way not only puts the actions of elites at the forefront of analysis, but also raises questions about their ill-gotten privileges. It features the historical conditions and institutions that protect class and racial privileges--making it clear why people in cities rebel and why we as social scientists must take a lesson from these urban rebellions, focusing future research on large-scale urban transformation.