Question No. 3Concept and types of social communities.

The social system can be represented in three aspects. The first aspect is as a set of individuals whose interaction is based on certain general circumstances (city, village, work collective, etc.); the second - as a hierarchy of social positions (statuses) occupied by individuals included in the activities of a given system, and social functions(roles) they perform based on given social positions; the third - as a set of norms and values ​​that determine the nature and content of the behavior of the elements of a given system. The first aspect is associated with the concept of social community, the second - with the concept social organization and the third - with the concept of culture. The social system, thus, acts as an organic unity of three parties - social community, social organization and culture.

A characteristic feature of a social community (city, village, work collective, family, etc.) is that social systems develop precisely on its basis. A social community is a collection of people characterized by the conditions of their life (economic, socio-status, level of professional training and education, interests and needs, etc.) common to a given group of interacting individuals (nation classes, socio-professional groups, labor collectives, etc.); belonging to historically established territorial entities (city, village, region), belonging of the studied group of interacting individuals to certain social institutions (family, education, science, politics, religion, etc.).

Main types of social communities.

The functioning of social relations, control institutions and organizations gives rise to complex system social connections that manage the needs, interests and goals of people. This system unites individuals and their groups into a single whole - a social community and, through it, into a social system. The nature of social connections determines both the external structure of social communities and its functions. The external structure of a community can be determined, for example, by its objective data: information O the demographic structure of the community, professional structure, educational characteristics of its members, etc.

Functionally, social communities direct the actions of their members to achieve group goals. The social community ensures the coordination of these actions, which leads to an increase in its internal cohesion. The latter is possible thanks to patterns of behavior, norms that define relationships within this community, as well as socio-psychological mechanisms that guide the behavior of its members.

Among many types of social communities special meaning from the point of view of influence on behavior have such as family, work collective, groups of joint leisure activities, as well as various socio-territorial communities (village, small town, large cities, region, etc.). Within the framework of this topic, we will consider this type of community in more detail.

The socio-territorial structure of society constitutes a unique social network, each cell of which (one or another type of settlement - city, village, town and community living in it) appears as a kind of microcosm of society as a whole. In this network, two components are organically intertwined. The first of them - city, village, region, etc., which is a territorial-subject set of dwellings, transport and other communications - is the immediate spatial environment of life of individuals and social groups. The second is the population of a certain territorial structure, forming a social community that turns out to be immediate social environment formation, development and daily life of individuals.

The population of a certain territorial-settlement structure is called a settlement community. Settlement community- a collection of people who have a common permanent place of residence and depend on each other for Everyday life and implement various types activities to meet their economic, social and cultural needs.

the entire set of life activities of individuals and social groups in a certain territorial settlement structure is determined by the interaction of diverse factors, can be grouped by four types.

1. Production activity (environment).

2. Non-production environment.

3. Natural environment a habitat.

4. Man-made environment.

Of these four interrelated components, in most cases the city has an advantage over other types of settlements in three of the four named components:

Working conditions;

Non-production conditions;

The artificial environment and its amenities are inferior to the village only in one thing - in the favorableness of the natural environment.

In this regard, the dichotomous division of socio-territorial communities into two main types according to the method of organizing the settlement structure and the characteristics of its functioning - city and village - is of great social and cultural significance.

The city is a historically established socio-territorial community with polystructure, the dominance of a highly developed artificial material and material environment over the natural, concentrated type of socio-spatial organization of people, which is characterized by the diversity of labor and non-productive activities of the population, the specifics of its composition and way of life.

The city is characterized by:

1. Variety labor activity population - industry, transport, communications, services, etc.

2. Variety of non-productive activities - education, healthcare, culture, science.

3. Social and professional heterogeneity of the population: workers, engineers, teachers, doctors, professors, actors, writers, musicians, entrepreneurs, business managers, police officers, judges, lawyers, management workers, etc.

4. Powerful development of transport, telephone and other means of communication.

5. The presence of bodies performing power, management and executive functions - the mayor's office, the city council of deputies, city (rai) police departments, the court, the prosecutor's office, banks, various institutions.

6. The development of a specific urban way of life, which is most often characterized by the absence of personal plots, isolation from the land, the predominance of anonymous, business, short-term contacts in interpersonal communication, the attenuation of neighborly connections, the relative isolation of families and individuals not only spatially, but also socially. The latter, in particular, is characterized by such features as the “elevator effect,” when neighbors, even meeting in the elevator, do not know each other, or “loneliness in a crowd.”

Unlike the city, the village as a specific socio-territorial community is characterized by dominance natural conditions over the artificial material and material environment, the dispersed type of socio-spatial organization of people, the significant monotony of their production activities, concentrated mainly in the field of agriculture. A village also differs from a city in the length of time it takes for the same functions to be consolidated, and in the limited and poor opportunities for sociocultural development.

The social identity of the village is expressed in the following features:

1) the subordination of labor activity to the rhythms and cycles of nature, the associated unevenness of employment at different times of the year, more difficult working conditions due to the lower power supply and technical equipment of agricultural production compared to urban enterprises;

2) a lower degree of socio-economic development than in the city;

3) predominantly low population density and a small number of inhabitants;

4) the relative small number of types of labor activity and the resulting social and professional homogeneity of the population, which is much greater than in the city;

5) much smaller conditions and opportunities for educational and sociocultural development;

6) fairly high population stability - about 60 % rural residents of Belarus live in villages continuously (of course, with short trips to the city) from the day of birth;

7) related specific features of the rural way of life: the close connection of all life activities with the land, the presence of a household plot, greater integration of work and life, poorly developed labor mobility, simpler norms of communication between people, the important role of traditions, customs, local authorities, public opinions and value orientations of village residents.

Having clarified the social essence of the two main types of socio-territorial structure of society - city and village, the unique features of each of them, we can more definitely and specifically imagine the content and social role of urbanization.

Urbanization (from Latin urban)- the process of concentration of population, economic, political and cultural life in large cities and the associated increase in the role of cities in the development of society, in the spread of features and characteristics characteristic of the urban way of life to the entire society, including in rural areas.

Signs of urbanization:

Increasing share of the urban population;

High density and degree of distribution of a network of cities throughout the country;

Transport and other accessibility of large cities for the population of other settlement structures;

Increasing variety of types of work and leisure activities of the population.

In addition to urban and rural settlement structures and changes in the relationship between them as a result of urbanization, regions play an important role in the dynamics of socio-territorial communities. Region- This is a certain part of the country, distinguished by a combination of natural and historical features. The more extensive a country is in its territory or the more different natural and climatic zones it has, the more diverse the regions it contains.

If we summarize the totality of distinctive features and living conditions of people in settlements of various types and different regions, then we can say that the specifics of a socio-territorial community are determined by:

1) historical features of the development of a given community: its past and present, its characteristic traditions, customs, relationships, characteristics of work and life, etc.;

2) economic conditions - the structure of the economy, the characteristics of the division of labor, the professional composition of the population, its labor mobility and so on.;

3) socio-political conditions - the degree of involvement of the population in the adoption management decisions, the characteristics and effectiveness of management and self-government, the attitude of the population towards government and management structures;

4) sociocultural conditions - the presence or absence of educational, cultural, scientific institutions, relevant groups of the intelligentsia, etc.;

5) environmental conditions - features of the natural landscape environment, damage caused to it, the efficiency of its reproduction, protection, etc.

In accordance with the structure of the socio-territorial organization of life, a certain hierarchy (subordination) of socio-territorial communities is formed of different ranks. For Belarus they are:

1. Highest - the entire population of the Republic of Belarus as a specific socio-territorial community.

2. Regional socio-territorial communities.

3. District (city) socio-territorial communities.

4. Village and rural socio-territorial communities.

But no matter what hierarchical rank or what type (urban or rural) of settlement structure we consider, the population of a country, region, city, district, town, or village always and everywhere comes to the fore in sociological research. Population is understood as the totality of people carrying out their life activities within certain socio-territorial communities - country, region, city, village, etc. When sociologists talk about socio-territorial communities, they do not forget that these territorial settlement structures include complexes of buildings, structures, Vehicle etc., but the main role in these communities is played by people who create such buildings and structures, inhabit certain territories, build cities and villages on them, create the life support structure necessary for life in them - factories, schools, hospitals, shops, etc. .P. And the highest ranking structure in all these socio-territorial communities is the people. People- This is the totality of all social communities, layers and groups engaged in various types of activities in the system of social division of labor, having a common historical destiny, essential features of a similar way of life, as well as a sense of belonging to a single socio-historical community. The people act as the bearer of centuries-old collective experience, sociocultural values ​​- language, culture, historical memory and statehood, the main creator of material and spiritual values, the arbiter of his own destiny.

A socio-territorial community is a collection of people permanently residing in a certain territory and carrying out joint activities to satisfy their economic and social needs.

Socio-territorial communities have system-forming characteristics, the main ones of which are stable economic, social, political, spiritual and ideological ties and relationships. This allows us to distinguish a socio-territorial community as independent system spatial organization of human life.

Social-territorial communities include the population of a city, village, town, village, or a separate district of a large city. More complex territorial-administrative entities - district, region, region, state, province, etc. - also act as such communities.

When studying socio-territorial communities, sociologists focus on studying the city (sociology of the city) and the countryside (sociology of the village).

City - it is a large populated area whose residents are engaged in non-agricultural labor. The city is characterized by a variety of labor and non-productive activities of the population, the specifics of its social composition and way of life.

Identification of a city as a territorial unit in different countries has its own characteristics. Thus, in a number of countries, settlements with a population of several hundred people are considered cities, although the generally accepted figure is from 3 to 10 thousand inhabitants. IN Russian Federation A city is considered to be a populated area with a population of over 12 thousand people, of which at least 85% are employed outside the agricultural sector. Cities are divided into small (with a population of up to 50 thousand people), medium (50-100 thousand people) and large (over 100 thousand people). Cities with a population of over 1 million people are especially highlighted. At the same time, cities with a population of over 2 million people are considered to be megacities.

The development of cities is associated with urbanization, the main social content of which lies in special “urban relations”, covering the socio-professional and demographic structure of the population, its way of life, culture, distribution of productive forces, and resettlement. Urbanization is characterized by an influx of rural population into cities, an increase in the share of the urban population, an increase in the number of large cities, an increase in the accessibility of large cities for the entire population, etc.

An important moment in the development of urbanization was the transition from “point” to “areal” settlement structure. This meant the expansion not of the city itself, but of its zone of influence to increasingly distant territories. A complex complex of social space, including a city, suburbs, and settlements, is called agglomeration. Agglomeration becomes the main element of “areal” settlement. On this basis, a new phenomenon arises in the socio-demographic structure of the area - pendulum migration of the population, associated with the increasing mobility of residents of the city and its peripheral environment.

The urbanization process has both positive and Negative consequences. Among the first are the spread of new, more advanced forms of lifestyle and social organization; creation of favorable conditions for the development of science, technology, culture; choice various types education and professional activities; ample opportunities for more interesting leisure time, etc.; among the second is the aggravation of environmental problems; increased morbidity; increase in social disorganization, crime, deviation, etc.

According to some experts, the growth of large cities requires the establishment of certain restrictions. This applies to planning residential development, placement industrial enterprises, expansion of park areas, relationship with nature, etc.

Village - This is a small settlement whose residents are engaged in agricultural work. This form of socio-territorial community is characterized by a direct connection between residents and the land, seasonal cyclical work, a small variety of occupations, relative social and professional homogeneity of the population and a specific rural way of life.

Historically, the name “village” originated in the northeast of Rus', from where it spread to other regions of the country. Another typical type of settlement was the village, which differed from the village in its larger size and the presence of a landowner's estate or church. Smaller settlements were called vyselki, khutori, pochinki, zaimki, etc. On the Don and Kuban, large rural settlements are called stanitsas. In Central Asia, the main type of settlement is the kishlak, and in mountainous areas North Caucasus- aul.

Currently, in accordance with the town planning code, rural settlements include villages, villages, villages, hamlets, kishlaks, auls, camps, villages and other similar socio-territorial communities. All these settlements can be generally defined by the concept of “village,” which reflects a specific complex of socio-economic, cultural, everyday and natural conditions of rural life.

Within the framework of rural sociology, the patterns of emergence, development and functioning of rural socio-territorial communities are studied. Special attention is devoted to the study of such issues as employment of the population, its professional and socio-demographic structure, organization of leisure in rural areas, lifestyle, culture and spiritual interests of rural residents.

Rice. 21. Social-territorial structure of the Russian Federation

Social-settlement substructure is formed on the basis of the following type-forming characteristics of the settlement.

Population , or crowded . On the one hand, the population size of a settlement predetermines the degree of spatial concentration of human masses, wealth information environment, a measure of formalization of social contacts, opportunities for friendly and professional communication, family formation, etc. On the other hand, it serves as the basis for determining the normative level of development of social infrastructure. The more people live in a settlement, the wider range of service institutions it can, in principle, have and the higher their rank can be. Thus, according to existing standards, a settlement with at least 500 inhabitants, a cinema - at least 3 thousand, an opera and ballet theater - at least a million inhabitants - can apply for the construction of a kindergarten.

Socio-demographic composition The settlement group reflects its balance in gender and age, the ability for natural self-reproduction (or, on the contrary, the need for systematic replenishment from outside due to migration), the family composition of the population, its structure in terms of education, qualifications, the ratio of people of different nationalities and different cultural traditions. The qualitative composition of the residents is determined by the socio-psychological climate in the settlement, the prevailing norms of behavior, traditions, and way of life. On this basis, for example, cities of different sizes (large or small) and unequal specialization (for example, scientific or mining) differ. Large differences are also observed between urban and rural areas.

Administrative status , assigned to each settlement, separates, firstly, villages and cities, and secondly, their specific types. Cities are divided into categories depending on which government bodies they are subordinate to: district, regional, republican, or federal. The administrative status of villages is determined by whether they are district centers or do not perform centrality functions. The scale of capital investments in the development of the production and social infrastructure of settlements, as well as the pace and efficiency of their socio-economic development depend on the administrative status. For example, the capitals of the republics are developing much faster than regional centers with a similar population.

Production profile settlements reflect the capacity and professional-industrial structure of the system of jobs in public production, as well as the social value of these places (the level of wages, its conditions, severity, the possibility of obtaining housing, places in child care institutions, etc.). This feature differentiates, in first, multifunctional settlements with a high capacity and a large industrial diversity of workers, and diversified settlements with demand for labor in a limited range of professions; second, industrial settlements of various profiles (agricultural, logging, mining, construction, scientific, etc.). Provision of different settlement groups with jobs in social production varies greatly. In the largest cities, you can, in principle, find work in any specialty; accordingly, the range of professions chosen by young people here is very wide. On the contrary, in small cities, towns and rural areas, the choice of jobs is in some cases limited to a few professions. So in small villages that do not have regular transport links with larger centers, almost all men become tractor drivers, machine operators or cattlemen, almost all women become milkmaids, calf workers or field workers. The production sphere of some settlements is fixed primarily on the consumption of male labor (for example, military settlements, separately stationed combat units, outposts, etc.), others - on the consumption of female labor (for example, the famous “cities of brides” based on weaving production, etc. .). Finally, there are settlements whose production sector is not at all capable of providing year-round employment for its population, so that the latter is forced to either work in other settlements or “not work” at all, often engaging in so-called subsistence farming.

Level of social development settlements is expressed, first of all, in the security the most important elements social infrastructure, as a public service to the population. The following groups can be distinguished as the main characteristics of this level: provision of housing for the population; provision of the population with food and industrial goods; development of everyday and socio-cultural services for the population; development of the education system.

Location of settlements in relation to transport communications and socio-political centers . Area of ​​real activity of the majority modern people is not limited to the boundaries of its settlement (even if it is a multimillion-dollar city). People travel to work, to educational institutions, to make purchases, receive medical services, etc. Meanwhile, the spatial arsenal of transport accessibility for a certain time (for example, one hour, ten hours or a day) for settlement structures is very different. If you can get to Vladivostok from Moscow in 10-12 hours, then from a regional city or village in another region it will take much longer. Accordingly, the possibilities of meeting the needs of the population outside their own populated areas are also differentiated.

Complex of environmental conditions - climatic conditions, degree of air and land pollution with harmful chemicals, radiation level, quality drinking water, the presence of recreation areas on the shores of seas, lakes and rivers, near forests, etc. The combination of these conditions directly affects health, life expectancy, ability to work, etc. relevant population groups.

Features of social policy of local authorities . Although the provisions of this policy are mainly determined by the highest echelons of power, that is, they are of an all-Russian nature, their specific implementation on the ground is not the same.

Socio-territorial groups participate in the implementation of such relations as the distribution of productive forces, territorial division of labor and exchange of results, territorial cooperation of labor, location of non-production sectors, distribution of consumer goods and socio-cultural services, territorial redistribution of national income, etc. Taking into account the above, three main functions performed by the socio-territorial system.

The first is creating territorial conditions for the efficient use of production resources- mineral deposits, agricultural lands, work force population, etc.

The second function is ensuring normal spatial living conditions- job creation, development housing stock, social infrastructure, supply of food and consumer industrial goods, etc.

The third function is expressed in social control of the living space of society, as well as in the economic development of territories that do not have a permanent population (taiga, steppes, etc.). Currently, there is a tendency towards a greater “pulling” of the population towards transport routes and into the zones of influence of large cities, which from the point of view of the function under consideration should be assessed negatively.

Territorial groups have three main ways to satisfy your interests:

The first is the initiative of local authorities and their consideration of the requests and demands of the population;

The second is the independent (individual or collective) satisfaction of urgent needs based on the initiative behavior of the population (with the permission of the authorities or independently of them and even contrary to their position);

The third way of behavior is to change the place of residence, that is, to migrate. Convinced that it is impossible to satisfy their interests within the framework of a given territorial community, people move from villages to cities, from small towns to large ones, from northern and eastern regions to central ones, etc.

The great social significance of the socio-territorial substructure necessitates the management of its development, which presupposes knowledge of the social mechanism of this process.

For more details, see: Zaslavskaya T.I. Theoretical issues in the study of socio-territorial structure Soviet society// Methodological problems of complex research. Novosibirsk: Science. Sib. department, 1983. pp. 215-217.

According to some scientists, the concepts of territorial community and territorial group are synonymous, although this position is not widespread (see: Tkachenko A.A. Territorial community in the system of concepts of population geography // Proceedings of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Sergius geogr. 1982. N 4. With .94-97).

Social-territorial structure of the city and village: (Experience of typological analysis) / Ed. T.I.Zaslavskaya and E.E.Goryachenko; IE and EPP SB AN USSR. Novosibirsk, 1982.

See: Development of rural settlements: (Linguistic method of typological analysis of social objects) Edited by T.I. Zaslavskaya and I.B. Muchnik. M.: Statistics, 1977. Chapter 4. P. 74-92.

Social-territorial communities

The nature and social division of labor are closely related to the place of life. Groups of people living compactly form socio-territorial communities.

In sociology socio-territorial communitiesare defined as social groups, having a unified attitude towards a certain economically developed territory. The signs of such communities are stable economic, social, political, spiritual-ideological and environmental connections, which make it possible to distinguish them as independent social subjects of the spatial organization of life. Revealing the social essence various types settlements, sociologists reveal the social conditionality of the emergence of human settlement, determine its functions and their changes during the transition from one social system to another, and clarify the influence of settlement on the productive activities of people and on the environment.

Two types of settlements are the focus of sociologists' attention: city ​​and village, differing in the degree of concentration of production and population, and, consequently, differences in access to social benefits and institutions, and opportunities for personal development.

The settlement is a form of inclusion of an individual in public life, an environment for his socialization. The heterogeneity of social living conditions leads to significant social inequality. Opportunities for socialization in the village are limited by such economic factors as profitability of the service sector and industry. There is no point in building an academic opera and ballet theater here, and not even a hairdresser in every village will be able to feed himself. The average number of inhabitants of one village in Russia does not exceed one hundred people. It is not necessary to create a school in every village, but one in every three or four. The quality of education in rural schools is lower than in urban ones.

Comparing urban and rural lifestyles, sociologists document the following important social differences and inequalities:

Ø In cities, the population is engaged primarily in industrial and mental labor with a predominance in the social structure of workers, intellectuals, employees, and entrepreneurs, while the structure of the village is dominated by peasants, a few intelligentsia and a large number of pensioners;

Ø In villages, private low-rise housing stock predominates and the role of personal subsidiary plots is significant, while in cities, state multi-storey housing stock dominates and there is a significant distance between the place of work and housing. The average Moscow resident spends about two hours a day moving from home to work and back;

Ø The city has high density population and high formalization, anonymity of social contacts; in the village, communication is, as a rule, personal in nature;

Ø The city is characterized by significantly greater stratification and a high decile coefficient (the difference in the current incomes of the richest 10% and the poorest 10%). The Russian village is more homogeneous in terms of income. In 2000, the income of agricultural workers

accounted for 37% of the income level of hired workers in cities;

Ø The urban type of settlement creates a complex role structure, leading to a weakening of group control, deviant behavior, and crime. According to statistics, three times fewer crimes per unit of population are committed in villages than in cities;

Ø Life expectancy in Russian villages is lower than in cities, and this gap continues to widen. The gender and age structure of the village is clearly dominated by women.

There are other differences as well. However, the historically inevitable path of development of civilization and the socio-territorial structure of the population is urbanization.

Urbanization - it's a process of improvement specific gravity and the role of cities in the development of society, causing changes in the social structure of society, culture and lifestyle of the population.

The village is gradually losing its inhabitants, and the cities tend to enlarge. Millionaire cities are turning into megacities, becoming one of the manifestations of the planetary crisis. Man is an element of the biosphere and can only develop in a developing biosphere. Meanwhile, cities are increasingly removing people from nature, emitting huge amounts of gases, industrial and municipal waste, etc. Stopping the supply of electricity, water, and garbage collection in a metropolis for a couple of days can lead to a colossal social catastrophe.

Sociologists also identify other socio-territorial communities that require sociological attention. For example, urban areas and agglomerations. An urban agglomeration includes narrowly functional settlements and enterprises located within the daily pendulum migration from its center. An urbanized zone is a territory in which, as a result of urbanization, the rural population gradually assimilates and begins to lead an urban lifestyle.

K. Popper classified both urban and rural communities as settlement communities. The social problems of these communities are varied. Between people living in different types settlements (primarily in cities or villages) there are very significant social networks. differences in terms of opportunities for professional activity, comfort of life, prestige. Since they live in different settlements from generation to generation long time, then a community of people living there gradually develops, who have a close connection with the natural, climatic, economic and social conditions common traditions and values ​​are formed, the specifics of language and culture are formed. A settlement community is being formed that unites people with these common qualities. The most important system-forming features of a community are stable economic, social, political, spiritual, etc. ties.

It is these connections and relationships that distinguish this spatial organization of people and distinguish it from others. Relationships and connections between people in various fields(economic, political and social) differ significantly, for example, in the city and the village, in the capital big city and a small provincial town, i.e. territorial community is determined by the form of human settlement. In sociology, such forms of settlement as a city and a village act as complex territorial formations that unite a natural, material complex and a territorial community of people.

IN modern conditions the city and the village exist as historically established territorial communities of people that have embodied enormous qualitative changes. A city is a historically specific socio-spatial form of existence of society that arose as a result of the social division of labor, i.e. separation of crafts from agriculture. The city has a concentrated population that is not employed agriculture, and in production and in the non-production sphere (health care, education, science, banking, etc.). As production develops, the population of cities becomes more diverse, increasing the number and density of population in a rather limited area. The urban community is considered as a complex structure of various social strata. The spatial organization of a city is most often presented in the form of concentrated zones, each of which belongs to a special social community, layer. In modern conditions, spatial analysis of the city is used to study social segregation, i.e. separation of part of the population, as well as various social strata and ethnic groups in cities ( vivid examples- the Harlem district, the place of residence of the black population of New York or the center of Moscow - a prestigious place of residence for high-ranking officials and businessmen). The American sociologist Wirth believed that the size, density and heterogeneity of the population are expressed in a special urban culture, which is characterized by:

• - the predominance of anonymous, business, short-term contacts in interpersonal communication;
• - decrease in the importance of the territorial community;
• - fading of neighborly connections;
• - decreasing role of families;
• - increasing social mobility.

A village (village) is a historically specific socio-spatial sphere of the existence of society, which arose as a result of the social division of labor, that is, the separation of crafts from agricultural production. The village, a place where the population is concentrated, mainly engaged in agricultural work, differs significantly from the city. The village is characterized by a predominantly low population density, a small number of residents in each locality. The village is characterized by the subordination of the nature and cycle of labor to the cycles of nature. The village is characterized by a small variety of work and leisure activities, uneven employment, more difficult working and living conditions, greater integration of work and life, intense and labor-intensive work at home and on subsidiary plots. Family ties are strong in the village, homogeneous families predominate, there is no anonymity of communication, social roles are poorly formalized, all people are controlled by the rural social community. In the life of rural residents, the role of traditions, customs, and local authorities is great. The rhythm is less stressful than in the city, a person experiences less psychological stress.

Sociology of the city is a branch of sociology that studies the genesis, essence and general patterns development and functioning of the city as an integral system. The subject of sociology is the city as a settlement community. Sociology of the city develops problems:

• - determining the city’s place in society and the settlement system,
• - the main reasons for the emergence and factors influencing the development of the city,
• - identification of the main subsystems of the city and establishment of their relationships,
• - social structure of the population,
• - features of the urban lifestyle,
• - features of urban culture,
• - nature, direction, cycles of reproduction of urban subsystems and the city as a whole,
• - connections with the environment,
• - social nature of urbanization,
• - social and cultural role of large cities.

Sociology views the city as a component of the social organism of the entire society, an integral part of a concrete historical society, an element of its structure.

Sociology of the city, within which there are also several sections that analyze the character of the city, determining its type and how this city influences the situation and life of the people in them. Cities are small (up to 100 thousand), medium (up to 500 thousand), and large. There are separate statistics on millionaire cities and giant cities (Moscow, New York, Tokyo). The larger the city, the wider the choice of work, leisure, and housing opportunities it provides. On the other hand, large cities increase the pace of life in them and become more intense. Transport problems are becoming more pressing, and the level of anonymity of residence is increasing. Cities are also divided into metropolitan and peripheral. Each type has its own characteristics. Capital cities are more oriented towards world standards of culture, housing, communications, and communication. Peripheral ones are more conservative and poor.

In modern society, migration from rural to urban areas predominates. As a result of moving to the city most of The rural population masters more complex specialties and moves into higher social strata. The study of settlement communities came to the conclusion that as social progress develops, the role of cities constantly increases and the process of urbanization increases. Urbanization is the process of increasing the role of the city in the development of society. The main content of urbanization consists of special urban relations, covering the socio-professional and demographic structure of the population, its way of life, culture, distribution of productive forces, and resettlement.