Welcome to the Built Human Environment!
Hello! Today, we are going to explore a fascinating part of Sociology: The Built Human Environment. This chapter is all about the "man-made" world we live in—our cities, towns, and neighborhoods—and how these spaces change the way we behave, interact, and organize our families.
Don't worry if this seems a bit "geographical" at first. In Sociology, we aren't just looking at map coordinates; we are looking at how where you live affects who you are and how you relate to others. Let’s dive in!
1. What is the "Built Human Environment"?
In simple terms, the built environment refers to any part of our physical surroundings that has been constructed by humans. This includes houses, skyscrapers, roads, parks, and even the pipes under the ground.
Sociologists are interested in this because humans don't just live in nature; we live in spaces we have designed. These designs can encourage us to be friendly with neighbors, or they can make us feel isolated and alone.
Key Concept: Urbanisation
Urbanisation is the process where an increasing percentage of a population lives in cities and large towns rather than in rural (countryside) areas. As you saw in the syllabus section on Social Change (3.1.1.3), urbanisation is closely linked to the move from extended families to nuclear families.
Quick Review: Why do people move to cities?
Sociologists use the "Push and Pull" model to explain why the built environment grows:
- Push Factors (The "Bad" things about the countryside): Lack of jobs, poor schools, or lack of healthcare.
- Pull Factors (The "Good" things about the city): Better-paid jobs, "bright lights" (entertainment), and better services.
Memory Aid: Think of a vacuum cleaner. Push factors are the dirt being kicked away; Pull factors are the vacuum sucking you into the city!
Key Takeaway: The built environment isn't just "buildings"—it represents the shift from rural, traditional life to modern, industrial life.
2. Urbanism as a Way of Life
When people move into the built environment of a city, their personality and social life change. A famous sociologist named Louis Wirth argued that "Urbanism" is a specific way of life.
Wirth identified three things that make city life different from village life:
- Size: In a city, you can't know everyone. Most interactions are with strangers.
- Density: Lots of people live in a small space. This can lead to stress or a "blasé" (unfazed) attitude.
- Heterogeneity (Diversity): Cities are "melting pots" where people from different backgrounds live together.
Real-World Example: Think about walking down a busy street in a major city like London, New York, or Dubai. You might walk past 100 people without saying "hello." In a tiny village, that would be considered very rude! The built environment forces us to be more reserved to protect our privacy.
Key Takeaway: Living in a large, dense built environment leads to secondary relationships (short, goal-oriented interactions) rather than the primary relationships (close, personal) found in small towns.
3. Perspectives on the Built Environment
Just like with the family or socialisation, sociologists have different "glasses" through which they view the built environment.
Functionalism: The City as an Organism
Functionalists view the built environment like a human body. Every part of the city (the residential areas, the industrial zones, the parks) has a "function" that helps society run smoothly.
Analogy: The city center is the "heart" (pumping business and money), and the roads are the "veins" (transporting people).
Marxism: The City as a Tool for Profit
Marxists disagree. They argue the built environment is designed to serve the Bourgeoisie (the ruling class).
They point out that:
- Luxury apartments are built for the rich while the poor live in decaying social housing.
- Cities are designed to make people consume (malls, advertisements).
- Space is used to control the Proletariat (working class).
Did you know? Some sociologists talk about "defensive architecture." Have you ever seen benches with bars in the middle to stop people from lying down? Marxists argue this is the built environment being used to exclude the most vulnerable people in society.
Key Takeaway: Functionalists see the built environment as a helpful system; Marxists see it as a place of inequality and social control.
4. The Family and the Built Environment
In your syllabus (3.1.1.3), you are asked to look at the relationship between families and urbanisation. The built environment directly impacts family life in these ways:
1. Housing Size: In cities, houses are often smaller (apartments). This makes it harder for large extended families to live together, encouraging the nuclear family (parents and children only).
2. The "Privatised" Family: Modern built environments often focus on the "home" as a place of private leisure. Instead of socializing in the street, families stay inside to watch TV or use the internet. This is sometimes called Symmetrical Family life (as studied by Young and Willmott).
3. Distance: In the built environment, work is often far from home. This led to the "breadwinner" role (usually the male) leaving the home for long hours, which changed gender roles within the family (3.1.1.4).
Quick Review: Common Mistake to Avoid Don't assume that urbanisation *destroyed* the extended family. While it made it harder for them to live in the same house, many families became "Modified Extended Families," where they live in different parts of the city but stay in touch via phone or internet!
5. Modern Issues: Gentrification
One of the most important concepts in the study of the built environment today is Gentrification.
Definition: Gentrification is when a "run-down" urban area is improved by wealthy people moving in, leading to rising property values and the displacement of the original, poorer residents.
Step-by-Step Explanation of Gentrification:
- An area has low rents and old buildings.
- Artists and young professionals move in because it's cheap and "cool."
- New businesses (like expensive coffee shops) open to serve them.
- Property prices and rents go up.
- The original working-class residents can no longer afford to live there and are forced to move out.
Key Takeaway: While the built environment might look "prettier" after gentrification, it often increases social inequality and breaks up long-standing communities.
Final Summary Checklist
Before you move on, make sure you can answer these:
- Can I define Urbanisation?
- Do I understand Louis Wirth’s three characteristics of urban life?
- Can I explain the Marxist view of why cities are built the way they are?
- Do I know how the built environment contributed to the rise of the nuclear family?
- Can I explain one way Gentrification affects a community?
Don't worry if this seems tricky at first! Just remember: Sociology is about looking behind the "bricks and mortar" to see the human stories and power struggles underneath. You've got this!