Sociology Global Cities

global control capacity

A characteristic of cities with a robust offering of corporate headquarters and the highly specialized advanced producer services firms that support them.

dual city

A city characterized by an unprecedented social polarization and economic bifurcation precipitated by the dynamics of globalization.

wannabe world city

A city that attempts to compete with and imitate the more globally-integrated cities in the world economy.

primate cities

A city that is disproportionately larger and more dominant than any other in the same country or region.

transnational corporation

A corporation that is registered and operating in more than one country at a time, also 'multinational corporation.'

export processing zone

A free trade zone in which production for export is encouraged, usually by special tax treatment and by permitting firms to import foreign production inputs (materials and parts) duty(tax)- free and export the finished product to the original market.

high tech district

A geographic area in which the development of innovative, cutting edge technology is encouraged by specific economic, political, social, and cultural efforts.

DINK

A household with Dual-Incomes and No Kids.

buzz

A knowledge and expertise embedded within networks of people that takes on a place-based character due to the face-to- face exchanges that occur in a given place so that the place seems to be getting 'smarter' in specific ways.

space of flows

A new spatial arrangement in which distant places -or nodes- are integrated around shared functions and meanings enabled by the movement -or flows- of people, products, information, and money via rapidly innovating communication and transportation technologies.

neoliberalism

A philosophy that espouses open markets, free trade, privatization, deregulation, individualism, and decreasing the size of the public sector while increasing the role of the private sector.

exchange

A physical or virtual space where tradable contracts (securities, commodities, futures, options, etc.) are purchased and sold in a highly organized market.

imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power, control, and influence through political and/or economic force.

legibility

A quality of the urban built environment that enables it to be read and deciphered like a text.

internationalized sector

A sector of the economy in a particular city (e.g. real estate) that is of intense interest to buyers and sellers around the world and is therefore very distinct from other, more local sectors within the same city.

place war

A situation in which local jurisdictions, or 'places,' engage in a high stakes competition for development projects (e.g. a corporate headquarters location) using all of the resources at their disposal (e.g. locational incentives.)

creative class

A socioeconomic group of educated professionals who engage in knowledged-based work that is creative, innovative, and centered on problem solving.

tourist bubble

A specialized area of a downtown that presents a coherent, easy- to-understand, and safe version of the city in order to lure visitors who might otherwise be leery of cities.

rootlessness

A state of mind in which one's sense of identity is not rooted or is only weakly rooted in a physical place.

edge city

A suburban municipality characterized by a high amount of office space, retail space, entertainment/leisure offerings, and jobs; a relatively low amount of bedrooms (e.g. not a 'bedroom community); a recent non-urban (e.g. rural or suburban) history; and an identity as an autonomous place.

capitalism

A system based upon private rather than state ownership of the 'means of production;' the generation of profit through the manipulation of land, labor, and finance; and the delivery and production of goods and services.

market capitalism

A system in which the economy is dictated by voluntary exchange in a free market and is not heavily mediated or regulated by government authority.

multipolar world

A world in which global flows of capital, products, people, and information are not controlled by a handful of all-important nodes, but instead move more broadly through a larger network of cities.

yuppie

A young urban professional, mostly applied to young, educated, highly paid service workers believed to be occupied by consumerism, trends, nightlife, and indifference to social justice.

hipster

A young, recently-settled, middle class urbanite that identifies with personal autonomy, independent music, non-mainstream fashion sensibility, independent or liberal political views, alternative spirituality, a tolerance of oppressed groups, and a celebration of authenticity.

Keynesian economics

An economic philosophy that argues that private sector decisions sometimes lead to inefficient macroeconomic outcomes and therefore the economy, although still market- driven, must be publicly regulated to some degree.

information economy

An economy with a particular emphasis on information exchange, knowledge that is being communicated or received about a particular issue.

futures market

An exchange where investors can trade futures contracts (i.e. a contract to buy an agreed upon quantity of a commodity or financial instrument, at a agreed upon price, and with delivery set at an agreed upon time in the future.)

landscape of experience

An impressive landscape that is relatively free of urban vernacular and serves as a platform for global investment.

landscape of power

An impressive landscape that is relatively free of urban vernacular and serves as a platform for global investment.

advanced producer services

High value professional services performed by highly paid and highly educated workers to meet the needs of transnational corporations.

core nations

In World Systems Theory, the economic and innovation centers of the global economy that are characterized by high incomes, advanced technology, diversified production, and a high standard of living and quality of life. They achieve prosperity through economic and political domination and control over the periphery and semi-periphery.

periphery nations

In World Systems Theory, the nations that are dependent on the core and semi-periphery nations. They have less developed technology, an undiversified economy, and a low standard of living and quality of life.

semi-periphery nations

In World Systems Theory, the nations that are neither core nations, nor periphery nations. They have a middling status in terms of technology, economic diversification, and standard of living and quality of life.

creative industries

Industries that involve knowledged-based work that is creative, innovative, and centered on problem solving.

footloose

Related to capital mobility, a term that describes firms' ability to move freely -almost whimsically- due to lack of responsibility or commitment.

agency

The ability to take creative social action.

globalization

The broadening, deepening, and speeding up of worldwide interconnectedness in all aspects of life -economic, social, and political.

economic restructuring

The changes in major sectors, such as manufacturing and service, related to growing global interconnectedness.

global city

The command and control centers of the world's economic, political, and cultural activities.

rent gap

The difference between the current value of a property and the property's potential value after renovation.

foreign direct investment

The direct investment into production or business in a country by an entity in another country, either by acquiring a company in the target country or by expanding the operations of an extant business in that country

social stratification

The division of society into layers of people who have unequal resources, life chances, and influence or, alternatively, the existence of structured inequalities between groups in a society in terms of their access to material or symbolic rewards.

primary sector

The economic sector that focuses on the extraction of natural resources (e.g. agriculture, mining, forestry, fishing.)

vertical integration

The expansion of a company's activities into different stages in the same production process so that the company becomes less dependent on the assistance of outside firms in that process.

social structure

The fixed regularities and patterns that shape social action and perceptions. Alternatively, the pattern of relationships, positions, and numbers of people that provides the skeleton of social organization for a population.

uneven development

The geographical expression of development under capitalism, where development in one place is interconnected with underdevelopment in another place. Differing areas develop (and underdevelop) at differing rates, thus creating an uneven field across which capital can move as it seeks the most advantageous location in terms of costs of labor, land, transportation, and so forth.

international division of labor

The idea that the tasks, working conditions, and pay that occur in a particular place are determined by a global capitalist logic and dependent upon such variables as the potential exploitation of the costs of land, labor, and the tax environment.

horizontal integration

The internalizing of business activities that are at the same 'level' (e.g. manufacturing, retail, etc.) of the production process as the acquiring firm, thereby allowing the businesses to share resources at that level.

agglomeration

The location of complementary functions in geographic proximity to one another.

corporate headquarters

The location of the global management and administration functions (e.g. finance, accounting, law, marketing, etc.) of a for- profit corporation.

finance

The managing, organizing, packaging, and movement of money assets and liabilities over time through various conditions of varying certainty and uncertainty.

articulation

The manner or the method of jointing at a node.

displacement (gentrification)

The out-movement of a neighborhood's individuals, families, organizations, or businesses due to changes accompanying gentrification.

sprawl

The outward geographical expansion of low-density urban development.

authenticity

The perceived quality of conforming to an essential representation of reality: that is, to a set of expectations regarding how such a thing ought to look, sound, and feel. It can also refer to the credibility or sincerity of a person who comes off as uncontrived and natural.

exchange value

The potential monetary value of land in the open market.

tourism

The practice of a person temporarily visiting and lodging in a place outside of their usual environment for enjoyment or business activities.

disnification

The process of a stripping a place of its authentic character and repackaging it in a sanitized and diluted format with the intention of making the it more pleasant and easily consumable.

governance

The process of governing or the manner in which it is done.

securitization

The process of packaging a group of assets into a financial security. (A security is a holder's legal interest in a corporation, certificate, or note that may increase in financial value over time. This potential for increase makes it an investment.)

deregulation

The process of reducing or removing government regulations.

gentrification

The reinvestment of real estate capital into declining neighborhoods near a downtown to create a new residential neighborhood for middle- and high-income residents.

deindustrialization

The removal or reduction of manufacturing activity in a country or region.

tertiary sector

The sector of the economy that produces intangible products or services (e.g. trade, banking, transport, health, education, administration, marketing.)

secondary sector

The sector of the economy that transforms raw materials into semi-finished goods or semi-finished goods into finished goods.

spatial segregation

The separation of different socio-economic or ethno-racial groups in the geographic organization of a community.

central place functions

The services that a city provides to surrounding areas as a 'central place.' A larger theory posits this as the explanatory variable that can explain the number, size and location of human settlements.

culture

The set of symbols that a social actor uses to make sense of and navigate her way through the world.

semiotics

The signs, symbols and design elements of visual texts (landscapes, pictures, buildings, etc.) that work together to produce meaning for the onlooker.

bifurcation

The splitting of something into two parts (e.g. the class structure.)

capital mobility

The state in a global economy in which profit-seeking enterprises can choose the most profitable location for their investments.

pax americana

The state of relative peace in the Western world as a result of the preponderance of military, political, and economic power of the United States.

built environment

The totality of human-made physical structures that provides the environment for human activity.

use value

The value residents experience in using spaces for resident- centered uses.

vernacular

The visual manifestations of the ('gritty' and 'authentic') complexities of urban places, neighborhoods, and residents.

city branding

The work of positioning a city as a product that connotes particular images, meanings, associations, and perceived characteristics distinct from (and superior to) other places.

offshore banking

Transactions occuring within a financial institution located in a jurisdiction that offers clients financial advantages (e.g. low to no taxes -a 'tax haven,' easy access to deposits) and legal advantages (e.g. protection, privacy or secrecy); as compared to traditional 'onshore banking.'