This paper explains how urbanculture and society impacted and shaped achievement in science and in technology, especially as discussed by Lewis Mumford.
Abstract This paper examines the role of the urban ecosystem in expediting the exchange of ideas, in creating vast local markets for new products, in forcing urban planners and engineers to look at new ways of meeting the pressing exigencies brought about by dynamic growth, and in concentrating human and productive resources in a geographically discrete location so that they can be exploited fully. The author points out that Lewis Mumford relates that, in the early American towns, businesses, in ceaseless competition, sought innovations to stay "one step ahead". The paper states that Mumford argues that the essential "garden city", which incorporates nature into the urban world and vice versa, actually existed in the colonial America of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
From the Paper "One of the more controversial items Mumford raises in his work is the view that the urban community and the culture springing from it are not simply phenomena intrinsically designed to build human wealth and/or to fulfill basic human needs. Perhaps, at one time, that was indeed the case, but Mumford insists that the modern urban society is pre-eminently one in which the "conquest" of nature and the "control of life" are the chief aims of those who wield power over the productive appendages of the mega-machine."
Abstract This paper takes a look at the hip-hop culture that still perpetuates society today even though it began in the early 1970s. The author describes the primary components that sets the hip hop culture apart from other urbancultures, such as rapping and beat-boxing and discusses why hip hop has been able to hold its popularity till today. With the provision of several examples of famous disc jockeys, the author also explains how, through this unique urbanculture that an entire generation of music, literature, artwork, and fashion has evolved.
From the Paper "Two inter-related types of rap music emerged in the 1980s: gangsta rap and political or protest rap. Where political rap often finds lyrics taking a stand against drugs, poverty, sexism, racism, and the judicial system, gangsta rap focuses on violence, misogyny, and gun play, rife with profane language and anti-social messages. Both facets sprung forth from the poor ghetto communities, as a means of speaking out against the violence, crime, and high mortality rates surrounding the artists."
Abstract This comparison is limited to England, and does not consider the other regions of Great Britain—Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This paper concentrates on urbanculture, and refers to lifestyles, outlooks and social environments in the urban areas of cities such as London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool. Rural culture, as the term is used in this comparison, refers to lifestyles, outlooks, and social environments not only in the villages and farm country of England but also to the same factors prevalent in smaller cities and towns located outside the urban rings surrounding England’s larger cities.
Introduction
The Approach to Comparing and Contrasting Urban and Rural Cultures The Myth of England's Rural Edens
Issues and Factors Differentiating Urban and Rural Cultures Land Use and Control
The Animal Dichotomy
Roaming the Land
Social Factors
Conclusion
From the Paper "Neither the differences nor the similarities between urban and rural cultures in England may be fully appreciated through the recitation of masses of statistics concerning the proportions of school leavers, the underemployed, the poorly housed, or any of the other macro-statistical of which economists and politicians are so enamoured. Rather, the variations in outlooks on life that drive frequently conflicting goals between urban and rural populations, the intrusion of modern social ills that threaten to engulf urban and rural culture alike, and mythology about the realities of urban and rural life are the more meaningful contexts within which urban and rural cultures in England may be compared and contrasted."
Tags: great, britain, community, city, country, social
Abstract The paper deals with the impact of external forces of developmental innovation on the management strategies and processes of oil companies. The paper highlights how adoption of new innovation strategies can be difficult to apply for a major industry like the oil industry at the same time as highlighting the advantages that the oil industry could have by adopting the newer innovation strategies. The paper also deals with the appropriateness of the timing, speed and application of the innovation strategies within the oil industry.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Introduction
Analyzing Industry Environment through Innovative Business Management
Analyzing Competition within the Industry
Timing of Innovation Innovation Speed
The Impact of Corporate Culture on Innovation The Use of Core Competence as an Innovation Method
Internal Innovation Research and Development
The Speed of Marketing the Innovated Product
The Relationship between Innovation and Organizational Success
The Impact of Innovation on Organizational Capabilities
The Relationship between Experience and Innovation Strategic Planning and Innovation The Strategic Planning Model Developed by Bryson
Conclusion
From the Paper "The production of ethanol also leads to the release of aldehydes and alcohol in the environment which is harmful as they are cancer-causing chemicals. After the production of ethanol was inspected, the chemicals and gases released into the atmosphere were found to be quite detrimental for the environment. As even the plowing, planting, cultivation and transportation of corn takes up petroleum energy, ethanol can not be considered to be a safe alternate energy source and neither is it environmentally friendly as it contributes to a lot of environmental pollution."
Abstract The paper discusses how the urban areas of Ontario and Toronto are experiencing urban sprawl. The paper describes the characteristics of urban sprawl and how it can be measured. The paper looks at urban sprawl's negative impacts on the environment, taxpayers and on the population's cultural and social life. The paper offers recommendations for future land-use development that will sustainably manage growth and discourage urban sprawl.
Outline:
Issue
Analysis
Recommendations
From the Paper "Urban sprawl is not easy to define. "To paraphrase the United States Supreme Court's long-ago ruling on pornography, most people can't define sprawl--but they know it when they see it" (Fulton et al, 2001). Urban sprawl is a phenomenon that occurs around metropolitan areas, usually represented by suburbs, and it involved the spread of cities and the urbanization or areas around it previously undeveloped, used for agriculture or green fields and forests.
"There are several characteristics of urban sprawl by which it can be recognized. First, the land-use is segregated and usually entails single use zoning. This means that residential, commercial and industrial areas are separated from one another. Often there are large undeveloped, empty areas between them. Because these areas are separated, traveling from one to the other can only be done with a car."
Tags: suburbs, cities, urbanization, fields, low-density, development
Abstract The paper explains why the contemporary refugee situation in most areas of the world is indeed related to urban features and residence. The paper looks at Southern Africa, Ukraine and Canada and discusses the multitude of problems caused by the influx of refugees into already heavily populated urban areas. The paper then shows how the urban nature of the refugee situation has necessitated the development of management strategies and solutions.
Outline:
Introduction
Overview and Causative Factors
The Urban Refugee Phenomenon
Urban Integration and Management Issues
Conclusion
From the Paper "The problem and the phenomenon of refugees in the world have become increasingly related to urban areas and the urban environment. This is particularly problematic in regions such as Southern Africa where refugees tend to gravitate towards the urban area. In many cases, the urban management systems and cultural context cannot cope with the influx of refugees. This has resulted in a particular set of problems in Africa as well as in other regions of the world where refugees exist in the urban context. However, as will be discussed, these problems are not ubiquitous and different situations exist in developed countries and regions."
Abstract The subject of this paper is the creation and administration of regional and national innovation systems. The paper assumes that the results of such systems, whether formal or informal, are key in determining their effectiveness. Since it is not possible to separate cultural from governmental or natural advantages, the primary focus of this paper is to find success and deconstruct it, wherever it occurs.
Table of Contents:
Innovation: Most Oppose it, and it is Politically Difficult
State-Sponsored Innovation Support Efforts
Science Parks, Incentives to Move Manufacturing
Definition of Successful Innovation Whither Innovation and National or Regional Systems?
From the Paper "The general record of such state funds has been poor. The State of Ohio closed down its fund-of-funds investments after several scandals. The State of New Mexico, which had intended to invest over $200 million of state pension money, closed down its effort with an outside fund-of-funds manager due to differences between the managers (who wanted to focus on financial returns) and employees of the state (who wanted to direct money to political favorites)."
Abstract This paper focuses on the urban immigrant in the United States. It further discusses the sociological aspects of the urban immigrant. The paper discusses the issues of industrialization, culture, assimilation within society, the loss of jobs and discrimination against native minorities in the United States. It also discusses the changing sphere of sociological beliefs in relation to urban immigrants.
From the Paper "The lives of immigrants in the United States, and how those lives relate to the American society, is dependant upon several factors that culminate before and after arrival in this country. Sociologists perceive that there is a difference in an immigrant's survival in the United States if they elect to come here, or if they were brought here by force because of issues that were life threatening, or placed in exile by their homelands. The possibility of success for immigrants is further weighed against factors such as education, ability to speak English, connection to family, and the economic resources available. With the greatest number of immigrants to the United States selecting urban areas as home, these factors become significant within American cities."
Abstract The paper discusses how the innovationculture at Nypro is based on its highly competitive characteristics. The paper explains that this competitive character is devoid of most of the negative aspects that can arise in organizations that typically depend on unbridled competition to fuel growth and expansion. The paper also includes a conference activity that discusses an article related to transformational leadership.
Outline:
Abstract
Nypro Overview
Innovation at Nypro
Outcome
Conference Activity
From the Paper "Nypro is a leading global manufacturer of customized injection molded plastics with a concentration on primarily three market segments. These segments consist of consumer and industrial sales which constitutes approximately 32% of sales, healthcare products which amounts to approximately 46% of total sales, and communications and electronics which accounts for approximately 21% of total revenues (Voorheis, 1998, p.1). Nypro is a strong performing company with good revenues and a diverse customer base that allows it to avoid over-reliance on a single market segment. However, the data provided seems somewhat confused. The researchers make the comment that Nypro's revenues, in 1995, figured on a per customer average were in excess of $4m (Voorheis, 1998, p.2)."
Abstract The paper outlines the ideas of Geert Hofstede, Deal and Kennedy and Edgar Schein on corporate culture and focuses on how management can enhance and change corporate culture. The paper discusses how positive cultures encourage cooperation, innovation, corporate solidarity and communication and emphasizes how a strong corporate culture is the key to an organization's success.
From the Paper "Companies, like countries, possess their own cultures, their own individual sets of norms, procedures, goals, and techniques. Much as a particular people praises certain behaviors, a given company will reward actions that in another organization might be looked on as unnecessary or undesirable. Structures and institution, even chains of command, respond to the specific circumstances of a business enterprise. Corporate culture also reflects the outer culture of the society with which that organization interacts. The market shapes this culture, determining many of the factors that gain weight within a business paradigm. Industries that depend on innovation will likely engender corporate cultures that prize risk-taking and change. Companies operating in a more stable environment will typically favor a more conservative approach."
Abstract This paper explores the reasons for the surge in African-American migration from the rural south to the urban north of America in the early part of the 20th century. It continues to discuss the economic opportunities, oppression, injustices and denial of social equality experienced by the migrants. The author further explores the African-American culture which emerged within the cities and their unique socialization.
From the Paper "The tale of the great black migration, their hardships and struggles to establish a life amongst the urban sprawl, was but another root forming a firm foundation upon which could be built a great future. Allen Ballard, a black professor of political science at New York University who lived during this period, expressed these ideas when he stated: "there was dirt, unemployment, sickness, and death all around our community. Yet, through it all, and out of the very depths of human degradation, came a triumphant sense of certitude about the Southern Blacks' ability to survive the city, as they had surmounted oppression..." "
Tags: racism, world, war, 1, democracy, equality, culture
Abstract The paper discusses how Wirth contends that rural dwellers were the first individuals to inhabit the city. The paper examines the variations in the cultures that exist within the city. The paper further examines how the rise of technology has impacted both rural and urban society.
From the Paper "Wirth contends that rural dwellers were the first individuals to inhabit the city. As the author analyses the variations in the cultures that exist within the city, therefore, Wirth suggests that they are not as comparatively different from one another because both the urban and rural societies have a basis in the same cultural system of belief. In addition to this correlation between urban and rural societies, Wirth stipulates that the rise of technology within the urban world has created advances that serve both societies, and create a stronger bond between the connections that exist between them. For example, Wirth explains that technology has significantly affected both urban and rural communities through communications systems, radio, theatre, transportation, and health care. While these technological developments may have been empowered by the urban culture, they have become necessary inclusions in the rural society."
Abstract This paper discusses gentrification and urban renewal. It looks at the reasons for gentrification of a region and its advantages. The paper then demonstrates that while gentrification of an area is done to reconstruct the image of a region as acceptable to the public at large, it does so at the expense of those persons whom defined the original character of the region.
From the Paper "Both of these scenarios reflect an absolute lack of consideration for the persons and the socio-cultural setting involved. The decision to enter into an area and apply gentrification does so at the expense of a population that is considered to have less inherent value than members of the mainstream population. Moreover, it is difficult to present arguments in the favor of the displaced communities that reach the mainstream population and policy members without implying that the conditions within these communities are beneficial. After all, no one could sensibly argue that keeping children in impoverished conditions with high crime rates and allowing drug use and the overt sale of sexuality are beneficial outcomes. Doing so, however, is a simplified argument that does not get at the heart of the issues involved: the decision to gentrify an area is the decision to destroy a unique culture, but it is instead framed as the appropriate decision to bring new vitality back into the community. It is rarely taken into consideration that the community that exists will be gone and that its participants will be forced to relocate, or that the relocation phase can make their lives worse than before."
Abstract In 1938, Louis Wirth wrote an article about his observations and critiques of urbanization. While many of his observations are held to be true today, nobody can clearly define what makes up a city or an urban area. The paper argues that whether urbanization and industrialization are good is all a matter of personal opinion. While urbanization poses a threat to certain social classes and even the environment, it has also helped to evolve the way goods and services are made available to a broad area. The paper argues that ,if urbanization continues on the path that it is currently on, guidelines and boundaries will have to be put in place to prevent the destruction of all that urbanization has helped us achieve.
From the Paper "Alan Booth raised an issue of concern about overpopulation and crowding in urban areas. Urban crowding can affect a number of factors. First, the more people there are in an area, the more space people will desire due to the need for privacy. This can cause rapid expansion in what was a small crowded area. When an area expands rapidly, it can cause great environmental damage. It crowds wildlife populations and often destroys useful and fertile farm land or forests. Wildlife ecosystems respond with biological controls on fertility and birth rates that reduce populations and can lead species to become endangered in certain areas. The destruction of farm land is becoming more and more of an issue, especially in the mid-west where many of the United States' crops are grown. Land in the mid-west is fairly plentiful and peoples' desire for more personal space is leading real-estate developers to buy up land in the central U.S. and clear it for housing developments. This also applies to the metropolitan areas and some suburban areas within which the government provides housing (Booth 1976:1-10)."
Abstract This paper describes Ebenezer Howard's role in the advancement of urban planning. The author points out that Howard understood the necessity of asserting control over urban development. The paper further describes Howard's belief that controlling urban development improves city life, enhances productivity, increases efficiency and reduces the socioeconomic and political problems that uncontrolled urbanization produced. The paper relates that Howard believed that the negative aspects of urbanization could be minimized and eventually eliminated through logical urban planning to which he devoted his life.
From the Paper "In analyzing the advancement of urban planning, it is evident that innovative urban thinkers, like Ebenezer Howard, understood the vital importance of promoting and achieving effective urban development. Throughout the centuries, most cities expanded outward from their central core in a haphazard fashion in response to a variety of short-term economic, social and geographical factors. As this random process unfolded, cities became sprawling urban areas in which the quality of human life steadily declined, economic productivity suffered, and social and political tensions became chronic problems. "
