Every city is full of people who are not familiar with each other; they do not know who they came from or who their friends, family, employer, or teacher are. People are strangers to each other in a biographical sense because they cannot accurately identify those around them. Theorists, public figures, and reformers represented the city dweller (especially newcomers and passers-by) as cultured strangers. According to researchers, citizens do not know and do not share each other’s values and views regarding acceptable behavior, especially in public. The lack of personal acquaintance prevents the same from staying in this world and emphasizes individuality. This chapter examines how city dwellers and local authorities manage strangers and newcomers both in separate groups and individually. The control is either formal and complies with the law, or informal, complying with unspoken norms. Citizens in every city in the world solve problems with the help of social control, which reflects their cultural values in full.
The mechanisms of social control have had different forms of manifestation since the 18th century. It is most convenient to track control mechanism changes using the United States example. The first elements of the impact on the newcomers were violent and public, which often ended in death for the condemned (Monti et al. 122). Any behavior that contradicted the standards of the indigenous population was punished. It is worth noting that the repressive policy applied exclusively to persons committing deviant behavior (murder, theft, violence). As cities grow and society develops, violence becomes a thing of the past, and law enforcement agencies take their place (Monti et al. 125). People initially treated this control method, but later it found a response and became what is now commonly called the police.
Progress did not stop there and led to the formation of enclaves according to racial, religious, and ethnic principles. It was easier for newly arrived citizens to integrate into the city’s life and find help and support from people close in spirit. The next stage was the formation of municipalities that attracted immigrants to their work for better control of enclaves. It worked until patronage became too obvious, which caused a wave of discontent among the indigenous people. The electoral law reforms have restricted the enclaves from participating in political life but have not excluded them.
The next mechanism of social control is forming “third places,” which allow citizens to get acquainted and interact with each other. Citizens informally negotiate with newcomers about mutual assistance in emergencies in such places. “Third places” are usually parks, public spaces, or shopping malls, where every citizen feels comfortable and safe from marginal elements (Monti et al. 131). Such locations help newcomers integrate into the indigenous population’s life and not feel uncomfortable because of their social status. Additionally, such a control mechanism helps citizens interact with enclaves that prefer to live separately (Monti et al. 133). Cultural desegregation is taking place, which contributes to the familiarization of the indigenous population with the life and peculiarities of newcomers and eliminates the manifestation of discrimination.
Special attention should be paid to the model of suburbs, which is now characteristic of any city whose population exceeds a million people. Initially, the suburbs were considered to relieve the urban center and reduce social tension. They were usually inhabited by high-income citizens who could pay for “transportation costs, moving from the suburbs to the city” (Monti et al. 135). Subsequently, such places began to form their closed communities, which resembled enclaves, but they were more isolated from the rest of the population.
Suburbs are only now becoming an inoculation that brings people closer together and helps them interact with each other. Life in remote areas has ceased to be exclusive, which means it has become accessible to a wide range of citizens. Society is bridging the gap between the indigenous population and newcomers. Suburbs turn seemingly different people into good acquaintances, less often friends. Such districts form one big “third place” where citizens enjoy spending time talking and working together.
Work Cited
Monti, Daniel Joseph, et al. “Among Kin, Friends, and Strangers: Social Control in Cities, Suburbs, and Towns.” Urban People and Places: The Sociology of Cities, Suburbs, and Towns, edited by Daniel Joseph Monti, et al., SAGE Publications, 2015, pp. 119-136.