Complexity of Urban Areas as Groups of Communities and Neighborhoods
The need to belong is difficult to satisfy in a megalopolis.
Young people should receive help in developing an
understanding of the causes of rootlessness: occupational
transiency; economic instability; lack of identification with
the city; problems arising from short-term acquaintances;
and the resultant disinterest in community needs.
• Guide pupils in the study of various kinds of
neighborhoods and community settings, such as areas of
single-family dwellings, multiple-family dwellings,
neighborhood shops, shopping centers, small business
establishments, office buildings, and schools.
• Build concepts from the immediate environment to the
larger community through teaching about the
interrelationships of communities, such as transportation
networks of streets, roads, and freeways; transportation of
goods and raw materials in a variety of ways between
communities; and the relationship of neighborhoods and
communities to the metropolitan center.
Help the young person extend his interest and
involvement beyond the family and immediate neighborhood
by showing his role in the city as a whole and his
importance to the entire community.
• Expand concepts of the urban area as a megalopolis of
residential areas, business and industrial areas, and
manufacturing centers to develop understandings about:
Development of urban centers through urban renewal
projects.
Common problems of urban centers, such as traffic,
utility services and protection of health and property.
Relationship of suburbs and rural communities to
metropolitan center.
Economic factors relating to production of goods, the
market, financial operations, and policies concerned with
public welfare.
• Point out the function of youth organizations and agencies
in helping the pupil develop a sense of usefulness, worth,
and belonging.
• Describe the conflicts arising in the young person who
must adapt to new friends, standards, values, and goals;
and provide positive suggestions for the solution of the
problem of rootlessness, identifying community workers and
agencies available for assistance.
Show that the student may experience many failures in
achieving identification before even small success is
achieved and that some problems require long-range rather
than short-range efforts.
• Indicate how gang and club activities may be positively
directed in efforts to improve the neighborhood, to
participate in constructive community endeavors, and to
make responsible use of recreational facilities.
• Show that the young people in the high school age group
can exert a positive influence on younger children without
being regarded as weaklings.
Diverse Backgrounds of Groups Living in the Urban Complex
Young people need to understand that society in an urban
complex consists of many elements. They must be made
aware of its existence, strengths, shortcomings, and
contributions. To this end, students must learn to accept
the existence of differing sets of values, to understand and
avoid stereotypes, and to recognize the common goals of all
elements of a pluralistic society, despite the diversity of
races, religions, and cultures.
• Begin to develop understandings of the many different
kinds of family structures in a multi-racial society, such as:
Wholesome family life in two-parent and
one-parent families; home environment
when both parents are working.
Relationship of children to persons other than parents who
may be responsible for them, including grandparents,
housekeepers, and baby sitters.
Responsibilities in the home.
• Develop appreciation for the achievements and
contributions of members of cultural and ethnic minorities
through reading of biographies, vignettes, stories, and use
of illustrations.
• Describe the pluralistic make-up of a megalopolis,
exploring the development of cultural pockets or islands and
noting the contributions and the problems which are
Emphasize the interdependence of people living in large
urban complexes and show how our life is constantly being
enriched by the influences of other cultures, traditions, and
the heritage of the past.
• Portray honestly the problems created by prejudice and
discrimination and the ways in which the young person can
recognize them and work to overcome them.
• Show how a young person can help to overcome distrust,
fear, and discrimination by living up to the best in his
culture and by acting responsibly in both the immediate and
total communities.
• Prepare supplementary materials which provide a
coordinated anthropological and sociological approach to
the problems of urban life.
Desirable Attitudes Toward and Respect for the Law and
for Those Persons Who Have the Responsibility to Enforce
the Law
The need to develop respect for the law as a cornerstone of
society is of particular concern to responsible citizens and
leaders in a megalopolis. Growing lawlessness and
hostility toward law-enforcement officials must be countered
by emphasis on the positive, protective role of the law and
reliance on lawful group action.
• Develop understanding of and respect for those persons
who have responsibilities for maintaining law and order,
safeguarding health and safety, and developing the
character of youth, such as: policemen, school personnel,
probation officers and welfare workers, religious leaders,
and leaders of youth clubs.
• Stress the need for law and law enforcement in
maintaining a stable and secure society, and increase
appreciation for the orderly process of law through