Urbanization: Global Trends, Inequality, and Challenges - Prof. Penny A. Green, Study notes of Introduction to Sociology

Download Urbanization: Global Trends, Inequality, and Challenges - Prof. Penny A. Green and more Study notes Introduction to Sociology in PDF only on Docsity! Urbanization I. Overview A. Definition: the movement of people from rural areas into cities B. Global Statistics 1. 1975 35% of the world’s population lived in cities 2. In the year 2008, we crossed the 50% mark 3. In 2025, projected to have 63% of the world’s population will live in cities 4. In 2000 75% of the population in the developed countries lived in urban centers 5. In the U.S. in 2008, the percentage was 81% 6. It’s projected that in 2030 83% of the developed world will live in urban centers 7. About 40% of the population in the developing world lives in urban centers 8. By 2030, projected to be about 56% II. Suburbanization in the U.S. 1. After WW2, we started building developing suburbs, but mostly white 2. Government subsided white people while they neglected people of color i. Allowed loans for g.I.’s who were white ii. Most of people’s wealth lies in the value of their home ( home equity)  Equity is the appraised value of the house minus the mortgage)  In 2004, median value of assets of home owners was $184,000  The median net worth for renters was $7500  Home owners equity, people use houses as collateral for note payables  FHA loans were available for white veterans from WWII  Median net worth of colored ppl was $12,000 III. Global Cities A. Definition: very large cities that are the headquarters for transnational; corporations  These companies can develop anywhere B. A Hierarchy of Cities: some are considered more important than others Ex. New York, London, Tokyo--3 most important global cities in the world 2nd tier China, Singapore, los Angeles, Chicago, Frankfurt(germany), Milan(Italy), osaksa(japan) Regional and found in countries in the developing world: Madrid, chikarta, sao paolo, Buenos aires, Moscow, sol 1. Relative deprivation: I feel deprived in relation to you 2. Improved means of communication 3. The perception of a common source of their problems C. Inequality 1. Political Consequences IV. Challenges of Urbanization in the Developing World A. Economic  Informal economy B. Environmental C. Social Globalization I. Conceptualization A. Definition: a social process through the which geographical constraints on economic, political, and cultural exchanges diminish, people are aware that these geographical constraints are diminishing and they act accordingly o AWHO is given the responsibility of handling global public health  The growth of international non-governmental organizations(NGOs) o Doctor’s without borders, international redcross o Hard power: military power o Soft power: the ability to get ppl to do what you want them to do and like it o National governments have lost power II. The Effects of Globalization on Our Lives A. Rise of ‘individualism’  People in both the developing and developed countries have way more choices  Individualism is spreading around the world at the same time nation states and territories are bcomiing more connected to each other B. Disruptions of Patterns of Work  C. Spread of Popular Culture 1. Western culture is ‘energy expensive’ and relys _______ on a finite resource Global Inequality I. Introduction A. Globalization has produced “winners” amd “losers” B. The gap between the world’s richest and poorest people (and national)  Has been widening steadily and is now the highest point ever  The top 20% is receiving 82.7% of the world income  Poorest 20% gets 1.4% of the world income  In 2002 the richest 1% collectively made as much money as the bottom 57%  Globalization has made things more unstable C. There are rapidly diverging life chances for men and women II. Life in Rich and Poor Countries A. Hunger  About a third of the world’s poor are chronically hungry and malnourished  950 million who are chronically hungry in the world  Right at ¾ of the world’s malnourished children who are under the age of 5 live in countries that have a food surplus Global Population Growth estimated 9.2 billion people in 2050 (we are at 6 billion now) -economic development particularly in China and India As people become affluent, there is a greater demand for meat The increased demand of energy The increased cost of fuel More immediate causes: Internal largely ethic conflicts (civil wars) The AIDS epidemic mostly affects prime age workers (the people who grow and harvest the crops) Farmers in poor countries typically don’t have enough money to purchase the high yield seeds that would increase their output Corruption in the countries (people hoarding their crops; holding them longer for a higher price)