THE CITY AND THE SOCIOLOGY OF CITIES - URBAN LIFE-STYLES AND THE INTEGRATION OF THE FOREIGN

Two different theories of urban Vergesell-schaftung have been established in the field of Urban Sociology. Georg Simmel represents in his ,,theory of the City'' the process of individualization, whereas Robert Park's theory concentrates on ,,Integration through Community formation''. Both theories agree on the city as a place of existing heterogeneous individuals resp. communities, both having a tendency to show agression towards each other. Furthermore, they agree on the concept of ,,integration through separation''. On the base of a guaranteed system integration, indifference and isolation become then virtues of urban life. The second part of this paper will argue that this form of integration will be jeopardized through present forms of urban developments.