City dwellers are a kind of social community based on socio-territorial characteristics. Citizens are people living in cities and leading an urban lifestyle characterized by mobility, active social interaction, a variety of work activities and cultural manifestations.
The concept of townspeople as a social community
Social community is the source of social activity. The townspeople carry out such joint social activities as living in a compact area, the implementation of non-agricultural production (technological, innovation, service), the creation of a comfortable infrastructure, large-scale consumption of material goods and information.
Citizens as a social community can be viewed from three positions:
- from the perspective of a city dweller as a separate member of society - the problem of human life in an urban environment, his opportunities for development and implementation;
- from the perspective of the townspeople in group interaction - the features of urban labor, types of leisure, the level of culture;
- from the perspective of the townspeople, depending on the specific place of residence in the city - differences in the social conditions of residents of the central part of the city, outskirts, poor or fashionable areas.
The social structure of the city acts as a model of society and as a spatial and infrastructural organization.
Features of the urban lifestyle
The concept of the urban way of life appeared as a result of such a historical, geographical and social process as urbanization, which is identified with the increasing role of cities in the structure and development of society. Urbanization is based on the territorial division of labor and an extensive management structure.
Characteristic features of social urban culture:
- multi-structure;
- high concentration of various types of labor activity;
- high rates of vital activity;
- a large number of public organizations and government agencies;
- tolerance;
- focus on innovation and progress;
- a variety of subcultures, styles of art and ways of self-expression;
- isolation of the individual from the city of his residence.
The following trends are social problems of the urban lifestyle:
- short-term and superficial contacts in interpersonal communication;
- anonymity;
- low involvement in the lives of people around them - neighbors, employees;
- weakening of traditions.
In general, the social conditions of the urban way of life carry both the possibilities of versatile development of the personality and self-expression, and the danger of depersonalization and detachment of the individual from society.
