Routledge Images of the American City

Originally published in 1961, Images of the American City examines how Americans dealt with the rapid shock of urbanization as it evolved from an agricultural nation. Working from the framework of a social psychologist, Anselm L. Strauss offers a deeper look into the sociological, psychological, and historical perspectives of urban development. He describes how the cultural changes of a space ultimately develop urban imagery by looking towards the urbanization of America from peoples' views of the cities rather than how the cities are themselves. Urban imageries are contrasted with the context of an ideal city and visitors' perspectives of cities. Strauss takes a step back to ask questions about what Americans think and have thought of their cities. How do these cities compare to the image of an ideal city? What are the different perspectives between a city-dweller and a visitor? He contrasts the tension between those within the city and those outside of its urban limits. Strauss describes how space and time are major themes in the symbolic urbanization of a city. He offers a macroscopic view of the city as a whole and shows how urban imageries evolved from changes in lifestyles. He then provides historical breakdowns of different regions of the country and how they were urbanized. This book documents and illustrates the change in American symbolization from the growth of American cities to the union of urbanity and rurality. Review -Anselm Strauss has contributed a useful addition to the literature on American cities and what their images mean to their residents and interpreters. His work identifies major methods by which cities are symbolized, and how these configurations take form in mid-century America. His is an important contribution to urban studies, and no planner or urban sociologist should be without his volume for reference and historical reminder on the varying meanings of 'city.'- --Jon Van Til, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science -This study, originally undertaken by Professor Strauss and his late colleague Richard Wohl, is apparently the first full-scale sociological effort to describe the diverse images of American cities in popular literature. . . . [T]he study is suggestive, and it provides an entrEe for more systematic, explicitly theoretical work in this potentially important area. As it stands, the book should be of interest not only to social psychologists and sociologists but to urban historians as well.- --Ephraim Harold Mizruchi, American Sociological Review "Anselm Strauss has contributed a useful addition to the literature on American cities and what their images mean to their residents and interpreters. His work identifies major methods by which cities are symbolized, and how these configurations take form in mid-century America. His is an important contribution to urban studies, and no planner or urban sociologist should be without his volume for reference and historical reminder on the varying meanings of 'city.'" --Jon Van Til, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science "This study, originally undertaken by Professor Strauss and his late colleague Richard Wohl, is apparently the first full-scale sociological effort to describe the diverse images of American cities in popular literature. . . . [T]he study is suggestive, and it provides an entrEe for more systematic, explicitly theoretical work in this potentially important area. As it stands, the book should be of interest not only to social psychologists and sociologists but to urban historians as well." --Ephraim Harold Mizruchi, American Sociological Review "Anselm Strauss has contributed a useful addition to the literature on American cities and what their images mean to their residents and interpreters. His work identifies major methods by which cities are symbolized, and how these configurations take form in mid-century America. His is an important contribut