Concept map on the relationship between advanced sociology to urban and rural community

ADVANCED
SOCIOLOGY RURAL COMMUNITY
URBAN COMMUNITY

SMALL SIZE AND

LARGE SIZE AND LOW DENSITY OF
POPULATION POPULATION
HIGH DENSITY OF
POPULATION

HIGHLY
AGRICULTURAL
INDUSTRIALIZED/
OCCUPATION
COMMERCIALIZED

HOMOGENEOUS
HETEROGENEOUS SOCIAL MORE ON CASTE BASIS
MORE ON CLASS BASIS STRATIFICATION

LIFE IS DYNAMIC PEOPLE MOVE FROM

MOVES FROM CITY MOBILTY VILLAGE TO VILLAGE
TO CITY

PREDOMINANTLY
RELATIVELY PERSONAL
DURABLE SYSTEM
INTERACTION

SURROUNDED BY
MAN-MADE CLOSE TO NATURE
ENVIRONMENT AND
ISOLATED FROM ENVIRONMENT
NATURE
 Strands (Advance Sociology) Urban Community Rural Community
Population Size Smaller size and lower
density of population
Heterogeneity Homogenous

Anonymity

Mobility and transiency

Formality of relations
Social distance
Regimentation

Segmentation of
personality

Rural-Urban Differences: Demographic and Socio-Cultural

Characteristics
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Rural-Urban Differences: Demographic and Socio-Cultural Characteristics!

Rural and urban communities may be distinguished from each other on the basis of
several criteria like occupation, size, and density of population, environment,
homogeneity-heterogeneity, social stratification, mobility and system of interaction:
The term ‘community’ is used by sociologists to describe a quality of relationship which
produces a strong sense of shared identity among persons living in a fixed geographical
area. They describe ‘rural’ as a community and ‘urban’ as a society. When sociologists
hold that a society moves from traditional to modern, they in fact contrast pre-
industrial, largely rural, traditional society with industrial, largely urban, modern
society.

While American sociologist Louis Wirth had used the terms ‘rural and urban’ for
contrasting communities, German sociologist Ferdinand Toennies used the terms
‘gemeinschaft and gessellschaft’, M. Durkheim ‘mechanical and organic’ solidarity, and
Talcott Parsons ‘traditional and modern’ societies.

Wirth (1938) distinguishing urban from rural society, defined city in terms of three
fundamental features: population size, density, and heterogeneity. These characteristics
meant that though the city-dweller would experience more human contacts than the
rural inhabitant, he would also feel more isolated because of their (contacts)
’emotionally empty’ nature.

According to Wirth, social interactions, typical of city, are impersonal, segmental

(narrow in scope), superficial, transitory, and usually of a purely practical or
‘instrumental’ kind. He describes these as ‘secondary’ contacts which are totally
different from ‘primary’ contacts in rural areas. According to Max Weber, the most
fundamental feature of a city is that it functions as a market-place and it displays a
relative predominance of trading-commercial relations.

Rural and urban communities may be distinguished from each other on the
basis of several criteria like occupation, size, and density of population,
environment, homogeneity-heterogeneity, social stratification, mobility
and system of interaction:
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(1) The main occupation of people in rural community is agriculture though a few people
are engaged in non- agricultural pursuits also. People in urban community are mainly
engaged in non-agricultural pursuits like manufacturing, trade and commerce, service
and professions.

(2) Rural communities are of small size while urban communities are of larger size. In
India, according to the 1991 census figures, of the 74.27 per cent population living in
villages, 36.57 per cent villages have population of less than 2,000, 21.37 per cent
between 2,000 and 5,000, and 13.33 per cent more than 5,000. On the other hand, of
the 25.73 per cent population in urban areas, 0.72 per cent urban areas have less than
10,000 population 5.27 per cent between 10,000 and 50,000, 2.75 percent between
50,000 and one lakh, and 16.4 per cent above 1 lakh (These figures exclude population
of Assam and Jammu and Kashmir). The averse size of a household in rural areas in
1991 was 4.9 and in urban areas it was 4.4 members.

(3) Density of population in rural community is low (200 to 1,000 persons per square
mile) while in urban community, it is high (more than 1,000 persons per square mile).
(4) People in rural areas are close to nature while people in urban areas are surrounded
more by man-made environment and are isolated from nature.

(5) Rural communities are more homogeneous while urban communities are more
heterogeneous.

(6) While rural communities are stratified more on caste and less on class basis, urban
communities are stratified more on class basis.

(7) Mobility in rural areas is more from villages to villages and villages to cities, while
mobility in urban areas is more from one city to an other city. In 1991, of the 225 million
migrants in the country, 17.7 per cent had migrated from rural to urban areas, 11.8 per
cent from urban to urban areas, 64.5 per cent from rural to rural areas, and 6 per cent
from urban to rural areas.

(8) Relations amongst people in rural areas are predominantly personal and relatively
durable while in urban areas, relations are more secondary, impersonal, casual and
short-lived.

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(9) The infant mortality rate in rural areas is one and a half time more than the rate
found in urban areas (80:49) ratio.

(10) Labour force participation rate in rural areas is more than three times than that
found in urban areas. In 1993-94, it was 294 million in rural areas against 85.7 million
in urban areas. Among males, it is little less than three times (189.3:67.3 million ratio).
While among females it is more than five times (104.7:18.4 million) Manpower Profile,
India, 1998:129).

(11) The number of working children in the rural areas is 10 times more than in the
urban areas (In 1991, it was 10.26 to 1.03 million).

If we follow Toennies’ terms gemeinschaft and gesellschaft (1887), it may be said that
gemeinschaft relationships are typical of rural life and gesellschaft relationships of
urban life. The gemenschaft type rural community is characterised by predominance of
intimate primary relationships and by emphasis upon tradition, consensus and
informality.
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Social bonds are based on close personal ties of kinship and friendship. On the other
hand, in the gesellschaft type urban society, social relationships are formal, contractual,
expedient and specialised. Urban society has weak family organisation and lays stress on
utilitarian goals and impersonal and competitive nature of social relationships.

Following Durkheim’s (1933) concepts of mechanical and organic solidarity, it may be

said that solidarity in rural community is mechanical and in urban community is
organic. The rural community based on mechanical solidarity is characterised by
homogeneity of values and behaviour (i.e., everybody sharing same religiously inspired
beliefs and habits), strong social constraint and loyalty to tradition and kinship. It is
further characterised by simple division of labour, very little specialisation of functions,
only a few social roles, and very little tolerance of individuality.

The urban community, based on organic solidarity, is characterised by unity based on

the interdependence of a very large number of highly specialised roles, and complex
division of labour that requires cooperation of almost all groups and individuals of the
society.

by Taboola
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Some of the most important characteristics of urban community are as
follows: 1. Large size and high density of population 2. Heterogeneity
3. Anonymity 4. Mobility and transiency 5. Formality of relations 6.
Social distance 7. Regimentation 8. Segmentation of personality.

Urban life and personality are affected by the physical and social
conditions of urban living—anonymity, social distance, speed and
tension, regimentation, impersonal social interaction, mobility and
transiency etc. These conditions produce impersonality, insecurity and
segmentation of personality, which appear to be universal
characteristics of urbanisation (or urban community) all over the
world.

Urban mode of life is quite contrary to traditional rural life, though it

has affected rural life which is also in the process of change. Its
characteristics are represented by the terms ‘urbanism’ and the
process of its expansion is called ‘urbanisation’.

1. Large size and high density of population:

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The size of the urban community is much larger than the rural
community. Not only this, in urban areas, there is high density of
population. Density increases the number of short-term, impersonal
and utilitarian social relationships a person is likely to have.

2. Heterogeneity:
Urban population is heterogeneous. It consists of various shades of
people—different castes, classes, ethnic groups, religions, etc. They are
not all alike. Urban community is noteworthy for its diversity.
3. Anonymity:
The sheer pressure of number marks for anonymity. Anonymity is a
loss of identity and sense of belongingness. The heterogeneity of city
life with its mixture of people of all races, castes, classes, creeds,
occupations and ethnic origins heightens the sense of anonymity.

4. Mobility and transiency:

Urban life is dynamic. Social relations are temporary. Therefore,
permanency does not develop in urban relations. There is a high rate
of geographical as well as social mobility in urban areas. In America,
on an average, a person changes his job (occupational mobility) within
six years.

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Consequently, his dwelling (changes of residence), also changes.

Different types of mobility usually mean transiency of contact. As
such, urban social relations continue for a very short time. Urban
dweller continually makes new social contacts.

5. Formality of relations:
In urban social life, relations are not intimate and kinship based. Most
routine social contacts in the city are impersonal and segmented.
Formal politeness takes the place of genuine friendliness. The
impersonality of urban life is a necessary and convenient way of urban
living.

6. Social distance:
City people are physically crowded but socially distant. Social distance
is a product of anonymity, impersonality and heterogeneity.
Occupational differences may be even more important sources of
social distance. Urbanites become nigh-dwellers, not neighbours.
Apartment dwellers may live for years without any acquaintance with
many of the other occupants.

7. Regimentation:
The city is always in hurry. The life (work and entertainment) in the
urban community becomes ‘clock regulated’. Order, regularity and the
punctuality are the characteristics of urban life. On the streets, his
movement is controlled by traffic lights, on railway stations and other
places by elevators and escalators.

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8. Segmentation of personality:
Most routine urban contacts are of secondary group rather than
primary group nature. Most contacts are instrumental, that is, we use
another person as a necessary functionary to fulfill our purposes. We
do not necessarily interact with entire persons but with people in
terms of their formal roles as postman, bus driver, office assistant,
policeman and other functionaries. We thus interact with only a
segment of the person, not with the whole person.
by Taboola