1. Ethnicity and Power in Contested Cities: the Historical Experience
- Author:
- A.C. Hepburn
- Publication Date:
- 02-2006
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Wilson Center
- Abstract:
- Cities are frequently seen as the cutting edge of human achievement, as cosmopolitan sites where new identities may develop and flourish. In this view, traditional barriers are eroded through proximity of living and working. But many modern cities are made up of communities that regard themselves or are regarded by others as distinct in terms of language, religious belief, skin color or culture. In this context, the question becomes "how have cities sought to mitigate their potential for dysfunctionality?" The rapidly growing British industrial cities of the nineteenth century, for instance, drew their populations mainly from nearby hinterlands, so that while the challenges of acculturation to urban living and the discipline of the factory may have been great, the challenge of acculturation to new neighbors was substantially reduced.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, International Relations, Civil Society, and Development