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GRE - To understand the most important characteristics of a society, one must study its major cities.

 

Is it really possible to study main characteristics of a society without study of the cities that are part of that? Sociologist have a wide variety of technics that help them to find main features of a society such as study major cities, study works of literature and study monuments. There can be no doubt that study major cities of a society can make a significant help to understand that society. In my view, study major cities is not necessary for discover important characters of a society.

 

 

First and foremost reason why study major cites does not make help is that a territories if a society my be spread among many countries and sometimes many continents. For instance, Western society is spread between North America and Europe therefore study a city such as New York City and Paris not help us but also distract sociologist. For example in New York City people always in hurry and usually eat fast foods on the other hand in Paris people pay more attention to their mealtime so eat their food in peace and some times take more than an hour to eat their main course. Thus who only studies these two cities cannot understand whether people in Western society have their meal in a hurry or peace.

 

 

A second instance in which study a major city is not necessary is that it takes long time for a society to form, so study a city only shows the contemporary situation of that city. For instance, study a current situation of Beijing - capital city of China - does not help us to understand important characteristics of East society. These days modern cities are changing dramatically and it is very hard to find static characters in them. In Eastern society people usually spend their time with their family at home but these days in a city like Beijing new recreation facilities motivate people to spend their times in night clubs rather than stay home with their families.

 

 

Last but not least reason why we should study more important factors instead of cities is that these days cities are full of people from different cultures and nationalities so it is very hard to find the similar attributes between them. For instance, It is very hard to find a Western society characteristics in a cosmopolitan like New York city because in that city you can find more than 25 different nationalities live together and each have their own specific culture.

 

 

In conclusion, it is clear that study major cities in a society does not help us to find important characteristics. These days cities are mixture of people with different thoughts, cultures and ideas and each of them belongs to a specific society. Ultimately, there are better ways rather than cities that help sociologist to discover most important characteristics of a society.

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  • 1 month later...

I think first para should be more stronger, it should not start with a question and it should deliver more emphatic definition of the topic.

 

" To understand the most important characteristics of a society one should study its deep rooted traditions which have been preserved for centuries. Only studying major cities which are almost always subjected to outside influences, is not a good reference of the society because it does not clearly reflect the inherent spirit. So I do not agree with the statement that one must study major cities to understand a society"

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If I wrote the essay it would be like this, please rate this essay

 

To understand the most important characteristics of a society one should study its deep rooted traditions which have been preserved for centuries. Only studying major cities which are almost always subjected to outside influences, is not a good reference of the society because it does not clearly reflect the inherent spirit. So I do not agree with the statement that one must study major cities to understand a society.

 

Major cities are a societies gateway to out side world. So any new traditions, fashions, styles first establish in a city society and then slowly infiltrate in to more distinct areas. For example Colombo is the economic hub of Sri Lanka. Most of the major industries, Businesses, Business owners, Government institutions are located here. Most people living here are not inherent land owners but tenants. They spent a whole different life style which is a combination of western culture and eastern culture than there relatives who is living few hundred kilometers away from the capital leads a more traditional life style. so if one comes to a conclusion about the whole society just by studying a major city it will be a huge deviation from the truth.

 

The study about the society should starts with the micro element; the family, how a family fit together, there interactions among each other. But in a big city the interactions are vague among parents and children. In terms of religion city and rural area has lots of differences. In a city, religious activities are more economized. Best example is the difference in how Christmas is celebrated in a big city and in a rural church. City tends to have the technological edge than a rural area. Many people interact with each other using social networking web sites.And other activities are vastly different from the way how there distant counterparts do.

 

In conclusion, It is not possible to unearth the abstract of a society just by studying major cities. As a sociologist who studies a society one should study the stem of the society which holds every thing together, the religion of the majority and minority, different traditions and ethics, auspicious activities, beliefs . It is not possible to do a correct study of a society just by analyzing a major city.

Edited by chathura
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good work chathura...

I got the same task in my paper... Its good to write few issues to understand and practice but, when the same topic comes, it may sometimes do less good than bad. I was trying to recall what i had written previously and wasted a lot of my time thinking about that. So my advice is never try to recall what u had written previously, just take it extemporaneously . I had a terrible essay, with no coherence.

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  • 5 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Characteristics of a society can be determined by analyzing the behaviour of the individuals and working your way up to obtain an overall bird’s eye perspective. It a society characteristic cannot however be truly signified or generalized for that matter based on a study of its major cities.

 

A society is formed of individuals whose thinking is influenced by a plethora of stimuli. Few of these include geographic location, traditional customs, languages and even economic factors. A society formed of a collection of major cities may for that matter be varied in these criteria and it would thus be difficult to juxtapose them and provide a suitable comparison.

 

Analyzing a society from the point of an individual and moving up the populace and then in-turn compare two such studies will itself surmount to a great feat. As the perception of individuals may vary greatly and may also be affected by age groups. The common practices of certain families belonging to the same religion or society can vary greatly based on lineage and traditions carried down from ancestors.

 

For example if we consider a marriage in the Hindu society in two major cities, one of Chennai and the other of Ranchi, the customs are very much apart. The wastage of food by the grooms’ family for example, in Ranchi, shows that brides’ family has provided food in surfeit, whereas, a clean plate would serve as a mark of displeasure. The same act of wastage of food in a similar marriage in Chennai however, signifies that the family is dissatisfied with the food and or its taste and is considered as an insult to the brides’ family. This shows how a geographical distance and a variance in traditions are components modelling the characteristics of a society. As it can be noticed, how multifaceted a matter as common as marriage can be in a society separated and influenced by different stimuli. Hence it could be quite difficult comparing societies in major cities.

 

However, the modern times are bridging the geographical and communicational gaps that separate different cities thus bringing about intermingling of different cultures, thus will allow us to draw broad generalizations keeping in mind that these must be based on similar attributes.

 

 

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plz comment and suggest improvements

Edited by destrov
typo
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  • 3 weeks later...

Could someone please rate my essay? It would mean a lot to me. Im working on my AWA skills, my last GRE exam saw me getting a 3/6 (EEPS!)

 

 

There are many factors which contribute to the characteristics of society- economic, cultural, social, etc. It is also

 

 

widely known that these factors play different roles when comparing urban, sub-urban and rural areas. Hence, I believe that

 

 

to studying the major cities alone is not sufficient when understanding a society.

 

 

 

Todays world has become smaller, with immigrants from all over the world settling in different places. For instance, there

 

 

are a large number of immigrants in the US today. One could describe the US as a 'melting pot' of different cultures. So,

 

 

even if such a society was analyzed, the results would be far from accurate- you're not analyzing one society alone.

 

 

 

Furthermore, it can be agreed that cities have a much more fast paced lifestyle. A vast majority of people eat from fast

 

 

food restaurants, spend their nights at nightclubs, go shopping at malls. Nights are much more eventful in cities. People

 

 

residing in rural or sub-urban areas spend their evenings at home, or at family gatherings. There is a vast difference when

 

 

comparing the lifestyles between cities and other areas.

 

 

 

In addition, different cities have different lifestyles. For example, Bangalore is known for its population crowding pubs

 

 

and bars at night, whereas Cochin shuts down by 10pm. The lifestyle between these two cities are poles apart!

 

 

 

Finally, studying the major cities alone to understand the characteristics of a society would bring about inaccurate

 

 

results- the study just reviews one side of the society. Cities may show high economic development, but it is often seen

 

 

that sub-urban and rural areas have higher levels of cultural and social development. With immigrants settling in different

 

 

parts of the world, a much different approach is required to analyze socities.

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  • 1 year later...

A society is made up of people, their culture, values, lifestyle, and political and economical conditions. To study a socity one has to study these aspects of society. A vast society is spread across cities and villages. Cites are further classified into minor and major cities. By studying these locations in a society one can figure out how this particular society works.

 

 

Major cities are densely popullated, there lifestyle is always on the fast track and the economic condition are relatively better than other sectors of society. Whereas villages and minor cities are sparsly popullated, has different lifestyle as compared to major city and their ecomomics are also different. For e.g. consider a two stations in Maharashtra, India, one is a major city called Mumbai, and other is a village called pimpri. Mumbai popullation is in lakhs whereas pimpri's popullation is hardly ten thousand, though they both occupy equivalent area. Being a densely popullated city, people don't trust others, and hardly know each other. On the other hand, we can see great deal of social life and interaction in pimpri. There's a vast difference between the economic conditions of both stations. Mumbai carries millioners where as residents of pimpri are working hard just fullfill there basic needs. Cultural festicals are also celebrated with more passion and all rituals are obeyed in pimpri.

 

 

For studying a society, its important to understand its culture, ecomomics and lifestyle. These aspects depends a lot on location. In order to understand a society we need a broad survey covering major cities, minor cities, and villages.

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A society is made up of people, their culture, values, lifestyle, and political and economical conditions. To study a socity one has to study these aspects of society. A vast society is spread across cities and villages. Cites are further classified into minor and major cities. By studying these locations in a society one can figure out how this particular society works.

 

 

Major cities are densely popullated, there lifestyle is always on the fast track and the economic condition are relatively better than other sectors of society. Whereas villages and minor cities are sparsly popullated, has different lifestyle as compared to major city and their ecomomics are also different. For e.g. consider a two stations in Maharashtra, India, one is a major city called Mumbai, and other is a village called pimpri. Mumbai popullation is in lakhs whereas pimpri's popullation is hardly ten thousand, though they both occupy equivalent area. Being a densely popullated city, people don't trust others, and hardly know each other. On the other hand, we can see great deal of social life and interaction in pimpri. There's a vast difference between the economic conditions of both stations. Mumbai carries millioners where as residents of pimpri are working hard just fullfill there basic needs. Cultural festicals are also celebrated with more passion and all rituals are obeyed in pimpri.

 

 

For studying a society, its important to understand its culture, ecomomics and lifestyle. These aspects depends a lot on location. In order to understand a society we need a broad survey covering major cities, minor cities, and villages.

 

 

 

hello utkarsh!!

 

a trivial topic if you would agree but I wonder why you didn't have the time to type in some additional points...Remember that you have solid 30 min..

 

I would rate this as 2/6

 

Reason

 

!.>Not enough of arguments to support your argument...GRE expects that you write atleast 2-3 arguments supporting your claim and 1-2 counter arguments.

 

2>The question is not about comparison on whether cities are better or villages.It is more about 'to what source must our knowledge of the society be based upon' whether we must look at the smaller picture or a larger picture comprising of non-urban areas.Does a nation's perception depend on select few pockets.Is the pattern same through out or are there any seemingly contrasting stands which must be taken into account for...

 

3.>For studying a society, its important to understand its culture, ecomomics and lifestyle. These aspects depends a lot on location. In order to understand a society we need a broad survey covering major cities, minor cities, and villages.

 

Why is your conclusion different from what you intend in the a fore mentioned argument???

 

tips:go through bench-marked sample essays...Try analysing how the author covers the key concepts....

Read a lot...

 

All the best

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  • 3 months later...

To understand the most important characteristics of a society, one must study its major cities

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

 

The debate of whether the basic characteristics of a society; loyal to its essence can be associated with the major cities of that society or not has caught the attention of many pondering and thinking minds off late. While it may be true that majority would agree with this statement; I personally feel that making a generalization of an entire society based on the sample size of only the major cities of that society is a little overestimating; without considering the percentage of the population and diversity of cultures that resides in these major cities as compared to the overall population and cultural diversity.

Without a doubt the world has witnessed and has been abode to many different societies; each rich with its own characteristic flavor; but differing substantially from the other in certain aspects. Now these defining characteristics of a society may not all be evident in only its major cities; and neither can the characteristics that are evident in these major cities define the society entirely. For example in a country like India that is so rich and diverse in its culture and content; major cities contribute to only about 15-25% of the total population. In addition, the ethnic diversity of India; ranging from the seven sisters in the East to the Himalayas of the North; and from the Gujaratis of the West to the Dravidians of the South; cannot be appropriately reflected in only the major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Agra, Kanpur, Chandigarh etc.

Further complexity is added by the difference in incomes, taxes and lifestyles of the denizens of non-major cities and major cities. According to a recent survey, only about 31% of the total population of India is living in urban areas. The rest 69% still lies in rural areas where there is a paucity of resources like education facilities, road connectivity; medical facilities etc. But the picture in major cities may lead us to believe quite the contrary, because most of the major cities are mostly urban or on the road to complete urbanization within near future. Similarly the average per capita income of India as a whole and the per capita income of only these major cities is unsurprisingly different. The same can be said of the healthcare & educational facilities.

While some may argue that such rich and varied diversity may be found in only a select few societies; the fact remains that no society can be homogenous throughout its composition and existence. In some societies where the major cities account for more than 70 percent of the total population; one may be tempted to generalize it in terms of its major cities. But then again there is a huge question mark as to how many such societies actually subsist in this present world, to which the answer is self explanatory. Even if we find any such odd example; one may ignore it as an anomaly on account of the bigger picture.

Also this world at present has become so old and antediluvian that it is very difficult to come across a society that is absolutely pure and pristine. The advent of European Powers that wreaked and enforced Colonization in the second half of the last 1000 years ensured that most of the societies of the World either got mixed with their own or got completely lost in the transformation.

While the principle of sampling may be applicable on a number of scientific models in the field of technology and statistical process or quality control where it can be used to generalize the findings of the sample set to the entire range of populations; similar hypothesis falls short when we talk about societies. The set of rules or characteristics that define the outlook of the major cities of a society may be different from those that define or characterize it as a whole. Hence the characteristics of a society cannot be generalized by looking at only the major cities.

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Judging by most of the responses, I think people are missing out the main crux of the issue. It asks whether one must study the major cities, and not whether one must study them alone. I hope you folks see the difference, As imperative it might be to study the major cities, it would be parochial to base the analysis solely on that.
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  • 9 months later...

Hi, guys,

 

Please find my draft essay below. It would be much appreciated if you could send me your comments on it.

 

 

A statement: To understand the most important characteristics of a society, one must study its major cities.

 

A Society can be determined by its people, their way of life, culture, language, history, politics, and economy and so on as a whole. The more you get to know such basic elements of a society, the better you can understand a society. In fact, an exploration of a society is a time-consuming and life-long learning process for expatriates and visitors. Nowadays, people tend to be busier day by day so that studying its big cities could be a best and efficient way to understand a society, since a metropolis is (i) a place where political, cultural and commercial centres are located; (ii) a place where national identities are placed for tourism; and (iii) a place where representatives from almost every parts of a society are gathered together. The big cities can allow you take an overall glance of must-know items of a society.

 

First and foremost, a metropolis is a place where political, cultural and commercial centres are located. As we know, the government, parliament, and ministries of any country are normally located in its capital cities. Besides, main concert halls, opera house, theatre, museums and other cultural centres are located in the big cities where they can reach to many people at once. Similarly, there are big shopping centres where items with traditional elements are sold in the populous cities which are a big market for businessmen. In this context, the big cities can allow you to visit all these places and understand a society better.

 

The important thing you should know about a society is its national identities, including national heros, traditional masterpieces, national animals and so on. The capital city is the right a place where you can find about knowledge and information about those things. Generally speaking, the countries tend to build a monuments of its national heros, run a museum holding its masterpieces and unique things, and a zoo showing off its national animals and animals in danger of disappearing. For instance, if you go to France, you must visit a museum of Louvre in Paris to see a Mona Lisa which is an symbol of Paris and the palace of Versailles where you can find out the lifestyles of the kings who ruled France in the past.

 

Last but not least, you can meet different kind of people from all around a country and experience its culture. People and their way of life is an essential part of a society. People are a reflection of their society. You would never have been to out of the capital city of a country, however, you would have seen a person from the countryside which helps you to learn their way of life and language dialect in that part of a society.

 

Some people might argue that there are other important sources to learn about a society, however studying its big cities are the most efficient way as explained above. Visiting its big cities can help you to grab the most important features of a society in a timely and efficiently manner. You can learn its politics taking a tour to its Government building; its culture and history visiting the museums; and its people and language interacting with inhabitants from all around a country.

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  • 10 months later...

Please check my essay

To understand the most important characteristics of a society, one must study its major cities.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

 

Answer:

 

A city develops and grows with the people from different societies who belong to adjacent geographical areas. Thus a city provide a flavor of the entire region. Hence, studying the major cities is a must to learn the basic features of a society.

 

Major cities work as a hub for the neighboring regions. Business Industries usually operates in these major cities. Furthermore, educational institutions are established in the city areas. As a consequence, people from adjacent areas come to the cities to get a job, to establish their own business, or to study in the better educational institutes. Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is the best example in this regard. From Global conglomerates to the local SMEs operate their primary business function in Bangkok city. Based on these people educational organizations are built. With these Bangkok makes a perfect blend of true Thai society.

 

Culture, which covers behavioral patterns of the people, heritage in language, music and other arts, is one of the most important characteristics to understand a society. This culture develops in different communities for centuries. However, in the pursuit of better life people migrate to the cities. Again the example of Bangkok can be given here, a person from farthest north, e.g., Chiang mai with knowledge of opium cultivation moves to Bangkok for better life, same can be true for a fisherman from Surat thani - the farthest south migrates to Bangkok. To learn about these groups, a researcher may easily pick a person to study instead of traveling long distances. Hence, studying city people can lead to better understanding the society.

 

Though city blends people from every aspects, it may not cover every features of a society. There may be some ethnic groups in a remote society which may not prefer to move to a city. If a social science researcher wants to know about the Garo Chakma tribe, an introvert aboriginal tribe of Bangladesh lives in the hill tracts, the researcher must have to travel to the hills, as this xenophobic tribe never leave their territory.

 

In conclusion, as cities make a researchers life very easy by messing people from different social structures, it is very important to study the major cities to apprehend the basic important features of a society.

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