Page 489 - Essencials of Sociology

462 CHAPTER 14 Population and Urbanization

some black churches and businesses in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, California,
are making the switch to a white clientele. In another reversal of patterns, some black
churches are fleeing the city, following their parishioners to the suburbs.
Smaller Centers. Another trend is the development of micropolitan areas. A micro-
polis is a city of 10,000 to 50,000 residents that is not a suburb (McCarthy 2004), such
as Gallup, New Mexico, or Carbondale, Illinois. Most micropolises are located “next to
nowhere.” They are fairly self-contained in terms of providing work, housing, and enter-
tainment, and few of their residents commute to urban centers for work. Micropolises
are growing, as residents of both rural and urban areas find their cultural attractions and
conveniences appealing, especially less crime and pollution.
The Rural Rebound
The desire to retreat to a safe haven has led to a migration to rural areas that is without
precedent in the history of the United States. Some small farming towns are making a
comeback, their boarded-up stores and schools once again open for business and learn-
ing. Some towns have even become too expensive for families that had lived there for
decades (Dougherty 2008).
The “push” factors for this fundamental shift are fears of urban crime and violence.
The “pull” factors are safety, lower cost of living, and more living space. Interstate high-
ways have made airports—and the city itself—accessible from longer distances. With
satellite communications, cell phones, fax machines, and the Internet, people can be
“plugged in”—connected with others around the world—even though they live in what
just a short time ago were remote areas.
Listen to the wife of one of my former students as she explains why she and her hus-
band moved to a rural area, three hours from the international airport that they fly out
of each week:
I work for a Canadian company. Paul works for a French company, with headquarters in
Paris. He flies around the country doing computer consulting. I give motivational semi-
nars to businesses. When we can, we drive to the airport together, but we often leave on dif-
ferent days. I try to go with my husband to Paris once a year.
We almost always are home together on the weekends. We often arrange three- and four-
day weekends, because I can plan seminars at home, and Paul does some of his consulting
from here.
Sometimes shopping is inconvenient, but we don’t have to lock our car doors when we
drive, and the new Wal-Mart superstore has most of what we need. E-commerce is a big
part of it. I just type in www—whatever, and they ship it right to my door. I get make-up
and books online. I even bought a part for my stove.
Why do we live here? Look at the lake. It’s beautiful. We enjoy boating and swimming.
We love to walk in this parklike setting. We see deer and wild turkeys. We love the sunsets
over the lake. (author’s files)
She added, “I think we’re ahead of the learning curve,” referring to the idea that
their lifestyle is a wave of the future.

Models of Urban Growth
Compare the models of
14.4
urban growth.
In the 1920s, Chicago was a vivid mosaic of immigrants, gangsters, prostitutes, the
homeless, the rich, and the poor—much as it is today. Sociologists at the University of
human ecology Robert Park’s Chicago studied these contrasting ways of life. One of these sociologists, Robert Park,
term for the relationship between coined the term human ecology to describe how people adapt to their environments
people and their environment (such (Park and Burgess 1921; Park 1936). (This concept is also known as urban ecology.)
as land and structures); also known The process of urban growth is of special interest to sociologists. Let’s look at four main
as urban ecology
models they developed.