Summary 2. Due 09/22/2011

Neema Khan

09/21/2011

Summary 2: p.101-118 & p.119-130

 Wirth talks about how city influences social organization, attitudes and personality of their inhabitants. In order to call a place a city, you have to take the following characteristics in account; size, density, transportation, communication, facilities, and cultural. All these characteristics make up an urban community. According to Wirth a city influences a person’s social life, because it is the “controlling center of economic, political and cultural influences.” Wirth also says, we meet new people all the time and the only reason we make friends is due our own selfish needs. Cities are a very competitive place; we compete for everything with each other. However people with the most money will obviously get better resources. Wirth also mentions that there is not enough trust in the cities and the only thing that keeps cities together are laws. Most people won’t brake the laws due to the consequences, which can disturb their daily lives. Wirth also talks about how city people are more reserved and protected and don’t have enough trust.

 In the Urban Dangers, Merry conducted her own research and chose a high-crime housing project in the Northeast to carry out her research. Merry studied many different culture and people in Northeast. Since she was researching on the dangers of the city, she studied how people in that community behaved towards their protection. Merry also interview people on how they handled the high rate of crime, which surrounded them.  According to Merry the borders between ethnic groups provide “opportunity for crimes.”

People only communicated with people from the same ethnic group and did not even bother getting to know other people.

 I agree a little with Wirth, it is true that people in the cities don’t trust easily; however, I also agree with Merry about once we get to know people there will be less crimes. if people just stayed and communicated to people in the same ethnic group, there will be no intercultural. Life would be boring. To me meeting new and different cultured people is what make life a little interesting. There are good and bad people in every ethnic group; however, the entire group should not be judged on what ONE person does or says.