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First published in 1993, this book provides an overview of issues and debates in contemporary urban sociology. It reviews critically each of the major theoretical orientations in the field, providing a brief historical introduction to each approach but emphasising the current theoretical debate. Flanagan juxtaposes the approaches of classical urbanism and urban community theory, the urban ecology approach and the postmodern approach and explains their lasting contribution to the field. Adherents of each of these methodologies contribute to debates within the field, making an overview volume all the more necessary.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Introduction
• 1 Contemporary theories of urbanism and community
• 2 Urban ecology and its critics
• 3 Urban political economy and its critics
• 4 The third world and the world system
• 5 Agency, structure, and urban sociology
• Bibliography

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CHOICE Review

Flanagan has written an excellent introduction to the theoretical debates of contemporary urban sociology. He thoroughly discusses the conceptual tools social scientists use to explain how cities grow and change, how urban conditions are both affected by and affect the global political economy, and how living in urban settings shapes people's thinking and interaction. Flanagan devotes chapters to classic urbanism and urban community theory, urban ecology, urban political economy in industrial societies, Third World urban sociology, and postmodern urban sociology. Flanagan's presentations of the theories, their historical background, and the major criticisms of each are first rate, especially his chapter on the Third World, which stresses the impact of the global economy on Third World cities. His comments on agency, structure, spatial organization, and the future of urban sociology are provocative and worth careful consideration. Although he underestimates the continuing influence of neo-Marxist urban political economy, Flanagan presents a trenchant and thorough treatment of the field. The book may be too difficult for beginning undergraduates, but advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and urban sociologists will find it worthwhile.