Cities and Urban Life, 8th edition

Published by Pearson (January 25, 2024) © 2025

  • John J. Macionis Kenyon College
  • Vincent N. Parrillo William Paterson University

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In this eTextbook — More ways to learn

  • More flexible. Start learning right away, on any device.
  • More supportive. Get AI explanations and practice questions (select titles).
  • More interactive. Bring learning to life with audio, videos, and diagrams.
  • More memorable. Make concepts stick with highlights, search, notes, and flashcards.
  • More understandable. Translate text into 100+ languages with one tap.

In this eTextbook — More ways to learn

  • More flexible. Start learning right away, on any device.
  • More supportive. Get AI explanations and practice questions (select titles).
  • More interactive. Bring learning to life with audio, videos, and diagrams.
  • More memorable. Make concepts stick with highlights, search, notes, and flashcards.
  • More understandable. Translate text into 100+ languages with one tap.

Title overview

Cities and Urban Life provides an overview of urban environments around the world. Authors John Macionis and Vincent Parrillo utilize an approach that is multidisciplinary but fundamentally sociological. Throughout this accessible text, they explore how cities have evolved over time, how cities reflect culture, and where the urban story may take us next.

The 8th Edition offers fresh coverage of relevant topics such as the pandemic's impact upon cities, the variety of approaches to the greening of cities, and how changing lifestyles affect residence and work choices. New profiles of Berlin, Buenos Aires and Caracas and updated profiles of Denver, Singapore, Paris, London and St. Louis show key concepts in contemporary contexts.

Table of contents

Part 1: Understanding the City

  1. Exploring the City
  2. Evolution of the World's Cities
  3. Development of Canadian and US Cities
  4. Today's Cities and Suburbs

Part 2: Disciplinary Perspectives

  1. Urban Sociology
  2. Spatial Perspectives
  3. Critical Urban Theory
  4. The Context of Cities
  5. Comparative Urbanism

Part 3: The Structure of the City

  1. Stratification and Social Class
  2. Urban Diversity
  3. Urban Problems
  4. Global Urbanization
  5. The Future of Cities

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