sociology and its planning

1. Sociology and its
relation to planning
Th eor y of S oc ial S c ien c e,
M ig ration , Urb an Poverty,
Gen d er In eq u ality, S oc ial cap ital
BY
AR. RIA KAPOOR
M.PLA
N
SUBJECT NAME
SOCIAL ECONOMIC ENV

2. SOCIOLOGY
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-introtosociology/chapter/sociological-perspectives/ 2
• Sociology is the study of individuals in a social setting that includes
groups, organizations, cultures and societies.
• Sociologists study the interrelationships between individuals ,
organizations, cultures and societies.
• Macro-level theories relate to large-scale issues and large groups of
people, while micro-level theories look at very specific relationships
between individuals or small groups. Grand theories attempt to
explain large-scale relationships and answer fundamental questions
such as why societies form and why they change. Sociological
theory is constantly evolving and should never be considered
complete. Classic sociological theories are still considered important
and current, but new sociological theories build upon the work of
their predecessors and add to them

3. THEORIES
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-introtosociology/chapter/sociological-perspectives/ 3
• Macro-level theories relate to large-scale
issues and large groups of people, while
micro-level theories look at very specific
relationships between individuals or small
groups. Grand theories attempt to explain
large-scale relationships and answer
fundamental questions such as why societies
form and why they change. Sociological
theory is constantly evolving and should
never be considered complete. Classic
sociological theories are still considered
important and current, but new sociological
theories build upon the work of their
predecessors and add to them

4. ELEMENTS
In sociology, a few theories provide broad perspectives that help explain many different
aspects of social life, and these are called paradigms. Paradigms are philosophical and
theoretical frameworks used within a discipline to formulate theories, generalizations,
and the experiments performed in support of them. Three paradigms have come to
dominate sociological thinking, because they provide useful explanations: structural
functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism.
4
https://youtu.be/DbTt_ySTjaY
Watch this video

5. Structural-functional theory
Structural-functional theory, also called functionalism, sees society as a structure with
interrelated parts designed to meet the biological and social needs of the individuals in
that society.
Functionalism grew out of the writings of English philosopher and biologist, Hebert
Spencer (1820–1903), who saw similarities between society and the human body. He
argued that just as the various organs of the body work together to keep the body
functioning, the various parts of society work together to keep society functioning
(Spencer 1898).
The parts of society that Spencer referred to were the social institutions, or patterns of
beliefs and behaviors focused on meeting social needs, such as government, education,
family, healthcare, religion, and the economy.
5
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-introtosociology/chapter/sociological-perspectives/

6. Conflict theory
Conflict theory looks at society as a competition for limited resources.
This perspective is a macro-level approach most identified with the writings of German
philosopher and sociologist Karl Marx (1818–1883), who saw society as being made up
of two classes, the bourgeoisie (capitalist) and the proletariat (workers), who must
compete for social, material, and political resources such as food and housing,
employment, education, and leisure time.
Social institutions like government, education, and religion reflect this competition in
their inherent inequalities and help maintain the unequal social structure.
In the economic sphere, Marx focused on the “mode of production” (e.g., the industrial
factory) and “relations of production” (e.g., unequal power between workers and factory
owners). The bourgeoisie owns and controls the means of production, which leads to
exploitation due to the profit motive. In this arrangement, proletarians have only their
labor to sell, and do not own or control capital.
6
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-introtosociology/chapter/sociological-perspectives/
https://youtu.be/gR3igiwaeyc
Watch this video

7. FR
MIGRATION
The International Organization for
Migration (The United Nations
Migration Agency) defines a migrant
as any person who is moving or has
moved across an international border
or within a state away from his/her
habitual place of residence,
regardless of :
• Person’s legal status
• Whether the movement is
voluntary or involuntary
• What the causes for the movement
are
• What the length of the stay is

8. FR
MIGRATION
Rural-urban migration continues to attract much interest, but also growing concern.
Migrants are often blamed for increasing urban poverty, but not all migrants are poor. In
many cities, however, migrants form a large proportion of the urban poor with whom
they share income and non-income disadvantages, including difficulties in finding
adequate housing and in accessing services.
Like the majority of the urban poor, they work long hours in low-paid, insecure and
unsafe jobs and are exposed to a wide range of environmental hazards because most
low-income and informal settlements lack basic infrastructure. In many cases when
urban governments try to reduce or control rural–urban migration, this also affects low-
income residents and not just migrants.
Source: Urbanisation, rural–urban migration and urban poverty Cecilia Tacoli, Gordon McGranahan and David Satterthwaite/

9. URBAN POVERTY
9
Poverty can be defined as a condition in which an individual
or household lacks the financial resources to afford a basic
minimum standard of living. However, the perception
regarding what constitutes poverty may vary over time and
across countries.
The conventional approach to measuring poverty is to specify
a minimum expenditure (or income) required to purchase a
basket of goods and services necessary to satisfy basic human
needs. This expenditure is called the poverty line.
Poverty can be measured in terms of the number of people
living below this line (with the incidence of poverty
expressed as the head count ratio (HCR) or the poverty ratio -
number of poor to the total population expressed as
percentage).
POVERTY MEASUREMENT IN INDIA: A STATUS UPDATE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

10. URBAN POVERTY
10

11. GENDER INEQUALITY
11
Women migrate to urban centres in increasing numbers
and as the proportion of women-headed households is
typically higher in urban areas, gender is an important
dimension of migrants’ vulnerability in the cities.
In many cases, migration means greater independence
for women, with for paid employment outside the
family, better access to services, and lower fertility
rates, as well as less rigid social norms and values.
But while migration and urbanisation involve often
profound changes in gender relations, benefits can be
minimal for the large number of women living in low-
income settlements and working in low-paid, insecure
jobs.
Source: Urbanisation, rural–urban migration and urban poverty Cecilia Tacoli, Gordon McGranahan and David Satterthwaite/

12. GENDER INEQUALITY
12
In urban areas, gender-selective rural–urban migration is
a significant factor affecting urban sex ratios, and one
that is influenced by both socioeconomic and cultural
transformations. While rural–urban movement has long
been male-dominated, a growing number of women have
moved to urban areas in recent decades, looking for
employment, better health care or as a result of conflict.
The concentration of employment opportunities in the
industrial and service sectors in urban areas is the root
cause of urbanisation and rural–urban migration.
Employment in these sectors is also deeply gendered:
women constitute a high proportion of workers in
export-oriented manufacturing and domestic services,.
Source: Urbanisation, rural–urban migration and urban poverty Cecilia Tacoli, Gordon McGranahan and David Satterthwaite/

13. PERI-URBAN AREAS
13
The outward expansion of larger metros, gradual
changes in land use and occupations have
transformed the rural hinterland into semi-urban or
‘peri-urban’ areas.
Inhabitants of these ‘peri-urban’ regions are
increasingly threatened by a deteriorating quality of
life prompted by deforestation, water depletion and
pollution as well as by the poor or almost non-
existent mechanisms for sewage disposal.
The unsatisfactory state of the environmental
situation in most peri-urban areas is largely due to
official neglect and non-recognition of these areas as
deserving of urban civic status.
Source: Peri-Urban Interface of Indian Cities, ANNAPURNA SHAW

14. 14
In the last 20 years, there has been a considerable shift in
thinking on how to solve the problems of cities in
developing countries and make them more liveable,
equitable and environmentally sustainable.
Dissatisfaction with government has given way to a
concern with governance.
The need for cooperation rather than competition
between the different stakeholders of the urban people.
Also, given the current capacity constraints of many local
bodies, it is important to look beyond dependence on
government and attempting to solve problems through
community or local involvement.
Source: Peri-Urban Interface of Indian Cities, ANNAPURNA SHAW
Governance, Social Capital and Role of Local Initiative

15. 15
In many developing countries, the
1980s and the early 1990s saw the adoption of structural
adjustment policies, privatisation and deregulation which have
reduced the scope or changed the nature of government
intervention on
behalf of the poor. With the state retreating from several
traditional
areas, other actors emerged to take its place, for instance,
non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community-based
organisations (CBOs) or grass roots organisations (GROs) and
the private sector. A critical question is whether the focus on
governance, which highlights the importance of these other
actors
vis-à-vis the state, has been justified by the actual performance
of these groups in the delivery of better environmental services
to the ordinary citizen.
Source: Peri-Urban Interface of Indian Cities, ANNAPURNA SHAW
Governance, Social Capital and Role of Local Initiative

16. 16
CLASS DISCUSSION on these case studies.
• Ahmedabad,
• Bangalore,
• Cebu City
• (Philippines),
• Colombo,
• Johannesburg,
• Kumasi (Ghana),
• Mombasa (Kenya),
• Santiago (Chile) and
• Vishakapatnam.
• Refer to the paper
•
http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/peri
%20urban.pdf
Source: Peri-Urban Interface of Indian Cities, ANNAPURNA SHAW
Governance, Social Capital and Role of Local Initiative

17. 17
The formation of neighbourhood committees and
community development forums to involve citizens
in problem identification, prioritization of needs and
delivery of local services.
Observation: “the social capital framework is
underpinned by an implicit rationale that allows for
the unburdening of fiscal responsibility onto lower-
order institutions and citizens themselves.”
In this sense, social capital has a narrow and
functionalist connotation. It has an instrumental
value as the means to achieve development rather
than an intrinsic value where a rich associational life
is one of the goals of development itself.
Source: Peri-Urban Interface of Indian Cities, ANNAPURNA SHAW
Social Capital

18. 18
Findings on the nine cities reveal that
1. While family and kin remain important in urban areas, poverty and
insecurity reduce the social resources of the poor
2. The existence of ‘anti-social capital’ in the form of crime and violence
related to inequalities and economic conditions.
3. Some informal community-level organisations for addressing immediately
felt needs exist but there is no formal public action.
4. The mixed results of state initiated formal community organisations.
5. In the absence of a strong associational life, people in poor communities
assigned a high value to external agents such as NGOs and “liaison forged
between organisations representing the urban poor and local government
has evolved into a serious partnership”.
6. Responsive government creating an enabling environment for public
action is very important.
Source: Peri-Urban Interface of Indian Cities, ANNAPURNA SHAW
Social Capital

19. 19
Relying on the local community to take action to improve critical
environmental infrastructure has many limitations and could well mean the
continued deprivation of outlying urban areas in key basic services. Yet, there
is a role for the community, a constructive role, the effectiveness of which will
vary from place to place.
Source: Peri-Urban Interface of Indian Cities, ANNAPURNA SHAW
Conclusion
Case study on Chennai and Ahmedabad

20. 20
The Mid Term Appraisal of 11th Five Year Plan of the Ministry of Housing and
Urban Poverty Alleviation has pointed out, and the experience of JNNURM has
demonstrated, the need for adopting a process of change management that
will ensure the sustainability of urban transformation.
It highlights the need for an inclusionary approach to prevent delays in
implementation.
Source: Peri-Urban Interface of Indian Cities, ANNAPURNA SHAW
Slum Free Development with NGO & CBO
Case study on RAY Guidelines
https://mohua.gov.in/upload/uploadfile
s/files/RAYGuidelinesGCP.pdf