The first aspect of American cities mentioned in chapter three of “Cities and Urban Life” by Macionis and Parillo is that they were founded when medieval Europe was experiencing industrialization. I believe that industrialization has truly shaped cities in the United States from the very beginning, which shaped the capitalist economy that we have now. American urban dwellers often inhabit crowded, bustling cities because they seek better jobs or to further their education. Gaining higher education would enhance a person’s skills, which he or she would need in order to compete in today’s job market. Therefore, this sense of competition is definitely a factor that shapes the city and perhaps, even caused the gap between the rich and poor to expand. But where did this competing spirit come from? I think it rooted in industrialization when job specialization was taking place at a rapid rate, and people were paid different wages in relation to how skilled their occupations were. Most of the cities were first founded on the basis that they would allow for freedom of religion, but they were actually “unabashed trading centers bent on profit and growth” (Macionis and Parillo, 65). The text also pointed out New York City in particular, which was first named “New Amsterdam.” It was interesting that the population of this city was much smaller when it was first founded, which resulted in a more collective social life. I feel that this is a different picture of New York than the one we have today. In today’s world, the city is separated into communities based on ethnicity and people’s cultures. Those communities may be tight-knit, but the city as a whole is not collectivistic anymore. There might be too much diversity between New Yorkers to have a truly collective society in the city. I believe that this diversity also shapes the city because tensions often arise between white Americans and minority groups. Therefore, the way racism is addressed and how individuals have stereotypes about others based on where they come from is a huge factor that shapes the city’s social policies and laws. Although there is a fighting spirit in New York to change the attitudes people have about race, action must take place from a legal position as well. If protests and rallies for ending the “broken windows” policy and quality of life policing are ignored by the government, there will be more social unrest, which will shape the city.

Another interesting point brought up in the text was that in the 1950s, decentralization began, which means that people started to move away from cities. I feel that the migration of populations certainly shapes the city. For example, if a majority of the people who live in New York today decided to move to other states to live in suburban houses rather than in apartments, but continued to travel to the city for work, we would be living in a very different New York. This city is always alive and not as mechanistic as it may have been when industrialization was first taking place. During industrialization, there were many factories, but today, there are numerous tourist attractions as well as businesses and industries. Furthermore, housing shapes the city because it determines which people congregate in which neighborhoods and what is available to one community varies from the stores and goods that are available for another. Political and economic corruption shapes the city as well. The text brought up William “Boss” Tweed, who stole millions of dollars in 1870 and felt invincible afterwards. This type of corruption continues to exist today, but in a smaller scale. Therefore, it is important to consider how much the public is informed about politics and how aware people are of corruption because when the city loses money, it impacts the inhabitants of the city who have to work hard to make a living.

Discussion questions: How would present-day North American cities look different if they were founded many years before Europe began industrializing? Could the United States have become such a great force in the international arena without the development of cities? How may people’s awareness of corruption and knowledge of American politics shape the city?