Urban Social Problems: Slums and Segregation

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What is the main argument laid out in Engels’ work on slums in nineteenth-century Great Britain? How does his work relate to modern-day work on the slum?

The 19^th century was the period of the industrial revolution in Britain. During the industrial revolution, human labour was replaced by the use of machines. Before then, most of the people in Britain depended on Agriculture, and most of the goods were made manually. Factories were established mainly in urban areas where most of the goods were manufactured. It is during this period that Engels wrote his book to examine the living conditions of the labourers in the factories (Engels and Wischnewetzky 5).

According to Engel’s work, slum dwelling in Britain was because of the huge numbers of people who moved from rural areas to the urban areas in search of jobs. Other reasons behind rural-urban migration were adventure and search for better living ways. Huge migration led to overcrowding in the towns. In addition, labourers were paid low wages so that they could not afford themselves good houses. Lack of enough houses to accommodate the large population led to the creation of slums.

Living conditions in the slum areas were very pathetic. The houses were poorly ventilated while sanitation facilities, as well as drainage facilities, were poor. For instance, some houses did not have toilets. Diseases such as cholera and dysentery were very common among slum dwellers. The rate of crime in the slum areas also increased (Engels and Wischnewetzky 5).

The works of Engel is important in the modern world. Even today, people living in urban slums are the less paid people who cannot afford to live in a decent house. The houses they live in are cheap but pathetic. The government should ensure that projects are established in slum areas to improve the living standards of the people living there (Engels and Wischnewetzky 26).

What are the major factors that explain the high levels of segregation in metropolitan regions in the United States? What solutions do scholars such as Wilson and Denton & Massey offer for reducing urban segregation?

Discrimination based on race is still common in the United States of America. The idea of racial discrimination was inherited from the colonial period during which blacks were discriminated against by the whites. Even today, the black community is the most segregated community in the United States of America. Other races include Indians, Asians and communities from the Latin origin. Individual’s race is the main determinant of where to look for a job, where to live, schools to join, health amenities and other facilities.

Some factors contributing to racial segregation in the United States include superiority. The whites have a feeling that they are superior to other communities. They, therefore, want to have their own facilities separate from other people so that they do not interact with them. They think that other people are lesser communities. Whites have the perception that other communities, especially blacks, are meant to serve them. They, therefore, believe that they should be given the lower positions that usually involve manual labour. The schools for blacks and other races are not as equipped as schools for the whites. The same thing applies to hospitals (Engels and Wischnewetzky, 95).

According to William Wilsons, economic support among the blacks was undermined by the structural change in the economy of the urban areas. Racial discrimination caused the unequal distribution of resources in various geographical regions. In addition, the fact those middle-class blacks were allowed by the civil rights revolution to vacate ghettos contributed to poverty in the region. Scholars such as Wilson, assert that racial segregation can only be eliminated if equality is enhanced among all the races in the state. The whites should understand that other races are as important as they are and that they play an important role in the development of the country. The races should learn to interact with each other, live, learn and work in the same environments.

Explain the Broken Windows theory. What some of the benefits and drawbacks of utilizing this approach to control crime?

James Wilson, a social scientist with the assistance of Kelling and Coles, put the broken window theory forward in 1982. The theory was meant to explain the high levels of crimes and urban moral decay observed mainly in the cities. The theory was a form of metaphor basing on the assumption that if a house was found with a broken window, it showed that the house was not well constructed and the chances are that the building could collapse. In the same way, close monitoring and maintenance of the environment in urban areas to be in good condition reduce vandalism and other crimes. According to the theory, failure to give punishments to minor mistakes may lead to a commitment to greater crimes. Punishment is seen as a way of preventing crimes in society (Kelling and Coles, 21).

Using the approach has its own advantages as well as disadvantages. The rate of crime rates in urban areas is usually high because of the lack of sufficient employment for the large numbers of people in urban centres. If people are caught in crimes and left unpunished, the rate of crimes will increase. This makes it a good way of reducing crimes. Punishing wrongdoers creates fear among other subjects with intentions of committing crimes.

Punishing wrongdoers does not, however, mean that law is enforced. Some criminals will continue to commit crimes even after heavy punishments has been imposed on them. In addition to punishment, criminals should be advised on the importance of abiding by the law. Determining the kind of punishment that best fits a particular crime is a difficult task because people commit different crimes (Kelling and Coles 8).

How do political and economic factors contribute to issues such as slum formation, segregation and racial discrimination, inequalities in education, employment opportunities in urban settings, and the formation of gangs? In your opinion, are these factors more or less powerful than cultural factors, such as behavioural influences of other people in poor urban settings?

Factors relating to the production and distribution of goods and services in a community are economic factors. People obtain their income through these factors. Such factors include growth in the economic systems, taxation rates, inflation and exchange rates. On the other hand, political factors are concerned with the political organization of the society, or else the structure of the government. Political factors help the government in intervening in the economy of the country.

Some political factors include taxation policies, laws concerning labour, as well as trade restrictions. Political and economic factors work together in enhancing the economic development of the country. Economic changes brought by industrialization brought about many changes that affected the lives of common people. Before industrialization, most of the goods were manufactured manually in the local society. After the invention of machines, manual labour was replaced by mechanical labour that required skills for an individual to operate the machine. Many people lost jobs because of industrialization. This forced people to migrate in large numbers from rural areas to urban areas in search of jobs (Wilson 26).

Political and economic factors are responsible for the formation of slums in many cities. Since industries and factories are mainly located in urban areas, large numbers of people migrate from rural to urban areas in search of jobs.

This leads to overcrowding in towns so that housing facilities in the cities are not enough for the large numbers of people. Due to increase in demand, house rent also increases. Slums are therefore formed to house minority groups whose wages are usually low. Life in slum areas is not the best. Even though the houses are cheap, they are very poor. The rate of crimes is very high in the slums because many of the slum dwellers do not have jobs (Wilson 36).

Some political and economic factors contribute to segregation and racial discrimination among society members. In the modern era of technology, knowledge and skills are needed in order to acquire a good job. Education is, therefore, an economic factor that is taken seriously in all communities. Educated people get themselves good and well-paying jobs after which they can afford to live in good but expensive houses.

They can also afford to take their children to good schools. Education can, therefore lead to segregation because the rich will have their own residential houses and schools that cannot be afforded by the poor. The rich take their meals inexpensive hotels. This is some kind of segregation caused by education as an economic factor. In the United States of America, there are schools established for each race. There are schools for the blacks, Asians, Indians and whites. The system of education is very different in these schools (Engels and Wischnewetzky 9).

The quality of education offered to students should be equal among all students regardless of their race. Students should be free to join schools of their choice in the country. The curriculum should be the same, and teachers should be trained in the same colleges. This will prevent the problem of inequality in educational matters. Some societies do not value education because of the nature of their economic system.

These are mainly nomads whose economic system is rearing animals. Because of the extreme love for livestock (cattle complex), they do not take their children to schools; instead, they introduce them to livestock keeping. Nomadic communities have few educated individuals. They should be taught the importance of education so that they can as well get white-collar jobs that are well paying (Engels and Wischnewetzky 10).

Corruption is very common in the modern-day activities that have contributed to problems associated with employment. Nepotism and racism dominate most organizations so that the organization considers individuals from a particular race or individual’s friends and close relatives. Because of corruption, individuals who lack qualifications hold big positions in organizations. Some cannot carry out their expected duties making the organization inefficient. Lack of employment in urban centres contributes to the increased rates of vandalism and other crimes. Gangs, which are dangerous groups that cause a lot of destruction, are mainly formed in urban areas.

They visit places where huge sums of money are expected, like banks and big shops. Apart from robbing, they may cause injuries and death to people found in those areas. Young people who are expected to build the nation by engaging in activities that benefit the society mainly from gangs. The law is against theft, and gangs are not spared once got in the act. The government should ensure that it initiates programs that create job opportunities for the youth to avoid idleness that encourages membership in bad companies (Engels and Wischnewetzky 17).

Economic factors such as education and employment contribute more to the increased rate of crime in urban areas than cultural factors. The environment in which an individual is brought up contributes to his behaviour. Children born of educated parents get encouragement from their parents, who also act as role models to them. Those children see the value of education in their parents. In the same case, a society with well-established systems of law and order brings up morally upright people.

People in urban areas come from different social backgrounds, and the conditions in which an individual grew up are different. By the time they move to the towns, they are already adults and have developed their personality (Engels and Wischnewetzky 19). The chances of being lured into committing crimes are very low. It is good to choose the company in which to belong, but all the same, most urban dwellers forming gangs are adults who can make a sound decision about what to do. However, it is a good idea to keep away from bad company. This is because bad company destroys an individual’s good behaviour. Economic factors contribute more to evils and crimes in urban areas.

Conclusion

The population in urban centres is high because of employment opportunities and high living standards. Large numbers of people migrate to towns in search of employment. An increase in the rate of crimes as well as slum formation is some of the outcomes. Waterborne and airborne diseases are very high due to overcrowding which has increased mortality rate in urban centres. The problem of crime can be eradicated by creating programs that create job opportunities for the jobless. Slums should be improved to make living conditions better. In so doing life in the urban areas will be enjoyable. Discrimination based on tribe or race should be abolished (Wilson and Schuck 421).

Works Cited

Engels, Friedrich and Wischnewetzky, Florence. The Condition of the Working-Class in England in 1844: With Preface Written in 1892. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2010. Print.

Kelling, George and Coles, Catherine. Fixing Broken Windows: Restoring Order and Reducing Crime in Our Communities. Simon & Schuster. 1998. Print.

Wilsom, James and Schuck, Peter. Understanding America: The Anatomy of an Exceptional Nation. London: Public Affairs, 2009. Print.

Wilson, James. On Character: Essays. London: American Enterprise Institute. 1995. Print.

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