“The Lyon-Driskell text combines classical community sociology materials with contemporary works. It provides a strong basis for designing an undergrad or graduate sociology class.” —William Holt, Southern Connecticut State University
“Finally! An update to this classic! Thank you Waveland Press.” Michael Walker, Fort Hays State University
282 pages, $39.95 list
1-57766-741-7
978-1-57766-741-4
© 2012
paperback
eBook availability
The Community in Urban Society
Second Edition
The community is more than an abstract object of theoretical inquiry. It is also a place where people live. It is difficult to determine where community research and theory merge, because the community is a unique place where theory and the “real” world come together. Local conditions change and new research techniques emerge. In the second edition of The Community in Urban Society, the authors solve this problem by distilling the historic and foundational theories of community, applying traditional approaches (typology, ecology, systems theory, and conflict theory) to current conditions, and exploring new and relevant theories that impact today’s communities. The latest edition also examines recent and emerging technologies that facilitate examination and evaluation of the modern community condition.
Updated coverage includes topics such as New Urbanism, modern network analysis methods, the urban political economy approach to community, the growth machine approach, GIS mapping, recent holistic studies, cyberspace communities, and up-to-date discussions of community indicator studies, quality of life, community power, and regime politics.
Updated coverage includes topics such as New Urbanism, modern network analysis methods, the urban political economy approach to community, the growth machine approach, GIS mapping, recent holistic studies, cyberspace communities, and up-to-date discussions of community indicator studies, quality of life, community power, and regime politics.
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Section I: BASIC APPROACHES TO THE COMMUNITY
1. The Concept of Community
Definitions of Community / The Origins of Community Theory: Tönnies's Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft / The Rise of Community Theory and Research in American Sociology / The Decline of Community and the Rise of the Mass Society / The Revival of Community as a Topic of Sociological Inquiry: Bellah, Putnam, and Tönnies
2. The Typological Approach: Community on a Rural/Urban Continuum
Classic Typologies / Innovations in the Typological Approach / Why Was There Movement toward Gesellschaft? / Evaluating the Typological Approach: Is That All There Is?
3. The Ecological Approach: Community as a Spatial Phenomenon
The Chicago School: Classical Ecology / Sociocultural Ecology / Neo-Orthodox Ecology / Social Area Analysis (SAA), Factorial Ecology, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) / Suburbanization: An Application of the Ecological Approach
4. The Community as a Social Network
General Systems Theory / Applications of Systems Theory to the Community
5. The Conflict Approach: Marx Finally Comes to the City
Classic Statements: Marx and Engels / Non-Marxist Conflict Approaches / Neo-Marxist Conflict Approaches
6. The Multiple Approaches to Community
Multiple Definitions Yield Multiple Approaches: Examples with Area, Common Ties, and Social Interaction / Sociology as a Multiparadigmatic Science / Reflections in Community Sociology / Choosing the Best Approach
Section II: COMMUNITY AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE
7. The Quest for Community
Losing Community / Finding Community / Finding Psychological Community / Net Effects of the Internet on Community
8. Community Development
An Overview of Community Development / Approaches to Community Development
9. Planned Communities
The Origins of Planned Communities: Gemeinschaft/Gesellschaft, Conflict Sociology, and Ebenezer Howard / Early Attempts at Planning Communities / Planned Communities in the United States / New Urbanism / Evaluating Planned Communities
Section III: STUDYING THE COMMUNITY
10. Community Indicators
The Origins and Types of Community Indicators / Securing Local Indicators / Which Indicates What: Choosing the Correct Indicators / Interpreting Local Indicators: The Necessity for Comparisons / Conclusion: Community Indicators and the Quality of Life
11. Community Surveys
Designing a Community Survey / Choosing the Sample / Administering the Survey and Analyzing the Results
12. Community Politics
Floyd Hunter's Community Power Structure: The Reputational Approach to Measuring the Distribution of Community Power / Robert Dahl's Who Governs? The Decisional Approach to Measuring the Distribution of Community Power / Methodological Debate and Compromise / Comparative Research: The Causes, Characteristics, and Consequences of Community Power / The Community as a Growth Machine / From Comparative Research Back to Case Studies / A Case Study of Atlanta and the Emergence of Regime Politics / Community Cultures / From Community Power to Community Culture
13. Measuring Local Power
Step One: Community Overview / Step Two: Choosing the Positional Informants / Step Three: Interviewing the Positional Informants / Step Four: Choosing the Reputational Leaders / Step Five: Interviewing the Reputational Leaders / Step Six: Choosing the "Top" Leaders / Step Seven: Analyzing the Top Leadership / Step Eight: Applying the Analysis toward Community Change and Development
14. Field Research: Holistic Studies and Methods
The Classic Community Studies / Why Are the Classics Classic? / More Recent Holistic Studies / Streetwise and Slim's Table
15. The Quality of Life and the Quality of Communities
Why Focus on the Community? / What Constitutes a Good Community?
1. The Concept of Community
Definitions of Community / The Origins of Community Theory: Tönnies's Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft / The Rise of Community Theory and Research in American Sociology / The Decline of Community and the Rise of the Mass Society / The Revival of Community as a Topic of Sociological Inquiry: Bellah, Putnam, and Tönnies
2. The Typological Approach: Community on a Rural/Urban Continuum
Classic Typologies / Innovations in the Typological Approach / Why Was There Movement toward Gesellschaft? / Evaluating the Typological Approach: Is That All There Is?
3. The Ecological Approach: Community as a Spatial Phenomenon
The Chicago School: Classical Ecology / Sociocultural Ecology / Neo-Orthodox Ecology / Social Area Analysis (SAA), Factorial Ecology, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) / Suburbanization: An Application of the Ecological Approach
4. The Community as a Social Network
General Systems Theory / Applications of Systems Theory to the Community
5. The Conflict Approach: Marx Finally Comes to the City
Classic Statements: Marx and Engels / Non-Marxist Conflict Approaches / Neo-Marxist Conflict Approaches
6. The Multiple Approaches to Community
Multiple Definitions Yield Multiple Approaches: Examples with Area, Common Ties, and Social Interaction / Sociology as a Multiparadigmatic Science / Reflections in Community Sociology / Choosing the Best Approach
Section II: COMMUNITY AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE
7. The Quest for Community
Losing Community / Finding Community / Finding Psychological Community / Net Effects of the Internet on Community
8. Community Development
An Overview of Community Development / Approaches to Community Development
9. Planned Communities
The Origins of Planned Communities: Gemeinschaft/Gesellschaft, Conflict Sociology, and Ebenezer Howard / Early Attempts at Planning Communities / Planned Communities in the United States / New Urbanism / Evaluating Planned Communities
Section III: STUDYING THE COMMUNITY
10. Community Indicators
The Origins and Types of Community Indicators / Securing Local Indicators / Which Indicates What: Choosing the Correct Indicators / Interpreting Local Indicators: The Necessity for Comparisons / Conclusion: Community Indicators and the Quality of Life
11. Community Surveys
Designing a Community Survey / Choosing the Sample / Administering the Survey and Analyzing the Results
12. Community Politics
Floyd Hunter's Community Power Structure: The Reputational Approach to Measuring the Distribution of Community Power / Robert Dahl's Who Governs? The Decisional Approach to Measuring the Distribution of Community Power / Methodological Debate and Compromise / Comparative Research: The Causes, Characteristics, and Consequences of Community Power / The Community as a Growth Machine / From Comparative Research Back to Case Studies / A Case Study of Atlanta and the Emergence of Regime Politics / Community Cultures / From Community Power to Community Culture
13. Measuring Local Power
Step One: Community Overview / Step Two: Choosing the Positional Informants / Step Three: Interviewing the Positional Informants / Step Four: Choosing the Reputational Leaders / Step Five: Interviewing the Reputational Leaders / Step Six: Choosing the "Top" Leaders / Step Seven: Analyzing the Top Leadership / Step Eight: Applying the Analysis toward Community Change and Development
14. Field Research: Holistic Studies and Methods
The Classic Community Studies / Why Are the Classics Classic? / More Recent Holistic Studies / Streetwise and Slim's Table
15. The Quality of Life and the Quality of Communities
Why Focus on the Community? / What Constitutes a Good Community?