Cities are complex systems. But they are incomplete systems. In this incompleteness lies the possibility of making--making the urban, the political, the civic, a history. The urban is not alone in having these characteristics, but these characteristics are a necessary part of the DNA of the urban. Every city is distinct and so is every discipline…

This article examines the opportunities and limitations presented by organizing an undergraduate field research methods class as a policy think tank working for a government client. Organized as such, the course had both the learning objectives of a traditional undergraduate methods class and the corporate objectives of a policy think tank (i.e.,…

Divides the history of urban sociology in France into three periods: (1) functionalism, which lasted from 1910 until the 1960s, (2) neo-Marxist socioeconomics lasting from 1968 until 1979, and (3) anthropological approach which is still dominant. Reviews theoretical perspectives and research characteristic of each period. (JDH)

Sociological production is a situated and embodied activity carried out by individuals inserted in actual social relations. Considering that this feature has an influence upon the content of scholarly literature and that it can be revealed in the scientific text itself, I propound a new interpretation of the writing process of Robert E. Park's…

This glossary identifies and defines approximately a thousand words, terms, and slang applied to city life. Three goals exist for this limited glossary: 1) identifying some of the most relevant urban terms for the expert and layman; 2) defining them simply and accurately, expanding on the definition where clarification is necessary; and, 3) adding…

Discusses the theoretical orientation of Alinsky's community organization strategies, which recognize the fragmented, partial, and multiple levels of community social structure; that communitywide identification is a conscious response to perceived adversaries; and that the task of community organization is to represent the community in…

Special issue on Black Dialect: Historical and Descriptive Issues'' edited by William A. Stewart. (RS)

Discusses the objectives, characteristics, and outcomes associated with a joint "sociology-urban studies, travel-study, minicourse program." Describes how students in a four-day, two-credit-hour course travel to cities such as Washington, DC and Toronto to be exposed to different cultures, organizational structures, and social arrangements.…

Examines the proposition that metropolitan functional differentiation is related to levels of industrial conflict. Differentiation was measured by specialization of metropolitan areas in particular types of production. Findings indicate that metropolitan functional specialization provides insight into the number of disputes that occur rather than…

A high school-level course utilizing a model from Constantine A. Doxiadis' study, Ekistics: The Science of Human Settlements, is discussed. The model is interdisciplinary and can be adapted for a wide variety of teaching techniques and social studies curricula. (Author/MB)

The article presents a brief historical account of the emergence of urban social sciences from 1900 to the 1930s in Chicago (centered at the University of Chicago) and assesses how these developments influenced contemporary social science research on urban social life. A major legacy of early Chicago social scientists is identified as…

A melding of community professionals, graduate students, and sociology faculty to identify and study urban community problems proved to be a viable technique for an experimental seminar program. (Author/KM)

Attempts to delineate some grounds for expansion of the knowledge base within the field of minority studies and more generally within sociology: minority research is seen as one acute instance of a general malaise in sociology. (Author/JM)

Using a tour of Detroit as a case study, this article explains how a well-designed urban tour can make large-scale processes visible to students. Information is presented on ways in which the Detroit tour helped students think analytically about large-scale processes and about how teachers can adapt the Detroit format to tours of other cities. (DB)