Introduction: Towards understanding the social dynamics of the urban

Abstract

This chapter delineates the central theme of the volume, namely, the social dynamics of the urban, and emphasises the importance of trans-disciplinary perspective in the analysis of the urban phenomenon in contemporary times. Mounting infrastructural deficits, decaying urban services, collapse of civic administration, etc., resulting from mass urbanisation have attracted the attention of scholars and policy makers. A review of the literature generated on the subject suggests that, while much has been written on the demographic dynamics of urbanisation and its implications for the urban as a physical place, not much attention has been given to social dynamics taking place in the urban areas, that is, the urban as a social space. After explaining the origin of the volume in an international seminar held at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, this chapter introduces and weaves together the 11 substantive chapters in the volume.