Cities Small Guides to Big Issues

by Seabrook, Jeremy

• ISBN13: 9780745323084
• ISBN10: 0745323081
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-07-20
• Publisher: PLUTO PRESS (UK)

Summary

Small Guides to Big Issues is a new series of accessible introductions to the global challenges of the twenty-first century. The books in this series de-bunk myths and raise questions about the global economic and political system and how it works. They are designed for campaigners and activists, students and researchers, and anyone interested in looking behind the headlines. Produced in partnership with Oxfam, each book provides an informative and thought-provoking guide to current trends and debates, and what needs to happen in order to end poverty and injustice.Every year tens of millions of people abandon rural areas of the South for life in the city. With education, health care and even safe water in short supply, cities risk becoming sites of violent conflict for future generations. And yet world governments are doing little to address thesedemographic shifts.Jeremy Seabrook offers a vivid portrait of the lives of people who migrate from impoverished villages to towns and cities, the changes they face, and the impact these changes have on their psyche and well-being. Contrasting the attitudes of today's governments with those of the past, the book provides a sharp critique of global policies, and an ideal introduction to the impact of urbanisation on modern life.

Author Biography

Jeremy Seabrook is a distinguished writer, journalist and campaigner. He has authored over 30 books, including Travels in the Skin Trade (Pluto Press, 1995) and Children of Other Worlds (Pluto Press, 2001).

Table of Contents

Series preface	p. vi
List of boxes	p. viii
List of abbreviations	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
An urbanising world	p. 7
Cities of the past, cities of the present	p. 20
The global network	p. 31
Migrants to the city	p. 44
The spectre of the poor	p. 58
Slums	p. 66
Livelihoods	p. 83
Cities of fear	p. 99
Provision of basic services	p. 111
City borders	p. 127
The country and the city	p. 138
The triumph of the middle class	p. 149
Conclusion	p. 168
Resources	p. 180
Notes	p. 196
Index	p. 202
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.