From the Publisher: CITIES, CHANGE, AND CONFLICT - A POLITICAL ECONOMY OF URBAN LIFE discusses the importance of cities for the economic, cultural, and political life of modern societies. The authors consistently use the political economy perspective to introduce students to the basic concepts and research in urban sociology, while also acknowledging the contributions of the human ecology perspective. Through the use of case studies, the presentation remains accessible and down-to-earth, engaging the user in the material.

Buy it here.

From the Publisher: Upstate New York is in a malaise, and this husband and wife team of sociologists wants to know why. In Upstate Down, Alexander Thomas and Polly Smith take the reader on a tour of New York in order to diagnose the problems affecting the state and what could be done to address the issues. New York built on the strengths of its strategic location and growing population to become the “Empire State” during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. But, a combination of unfortunate decisions and the creation of new technologies in which New York was no more competitive than other states translated into New York losing its dominant position in the world economy, and the result has been several decades of deindustrialization and population loss.  Written for a wide audience, the authors conclude not with recommendations for new policies, but ideas that can be further developed by the public.

Buy it here.

From the Publisher: On the night of October 18, 1925, fire raged through the downtown area of the tiny Catskill Mountain Village of Gilboa, New York. Firefighters came from miles around to fight the inferno while tourists sat on the hilltops to watch the show. By the end of it all, 18 buildings lie in smoldering ruins. Yet it was not the end of the town, but only a climax to a series of events that were razing the community more slowly. Gilboa was in the way of the Schoharie Reservoir, one of the numerous artificial lakes collecting water for thirsty New Yorkers. In order for New York City to continue as one of the fastest growing cities in human history, the people of Gilboa would be forced to move, and the town would need to be burned to the ground. In Gilboa, Alexander Thomas traces the evolving dynamics between New York and its hinterland, which eventually brought these two very different communities into such sharp conflict. Starting with the role of native inhabitants, their Dutch colonizers, and the role of British manor law, the professor examines the unique histories of both communities up to the building of the reservoir. He then traces the relationship in its aftermath, through pitched battles against a second reservoir in the 1970s and over environmental regulations in the 1990s. Gilboa is a must read for those interested in urban and rural issues, social conflict and social movements, and anyone who enjoys New York-state and city-history.

Buy it here.

In Gotham's Shadow: Globalization & Community Change in Central New York  SUNY Press

From the Publisher: In what may be the first explicitly comparative study of the effects of globalization on metropolitan and rural communities, In Gotham's Shadow examines how three central New York communities struggled over the last half century to survive in a global economy that seems to have forgotten them. Utica, formerly a city of one hundred thousand, experienced the same trends of suburbanization, deindustrialization, and urban renewal as nearly every American city, with the same mixed results. In Cooperstown and Hartwick, two small villages forty miles south of Utica, the same trends were at work, though with different outcomes. Hartwick may be seen as an example of how small towns have lost their core, while Cooperstown may be seen as an example of how a small town can survive by transforming itself into a tourist destination. Thomas provides extensive historical background mixed with newspaper excerpts and lively interviews that add a human dimension to the transformations these communities have experienced.

"Fascinating. A great study of what happens to communities over a period of time. In the context of the great debate over globalization in the early twenty-first century, this is a useful grounding in what happens on the micro level to cities that once thrived and now face great challenges with the exit of people and capital." — John Zogby, Zogby International

"Thomas combines sociological and cultural analyses to develop a compelling story about urban and rural restructuring. An important contribution to understanding how economic and political forces influence where and how people live and work." — Gordana Rabrenovic, author of Community Builders: A Tale of Neighborhood Mobilization in Two Cities

Buy it here

From the Publisher: This text/reader combines discussion of the most commonly used research methods with readings from research literature that serve as examples of those methods.
 

Features:

Buy it here