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.
One needs to look no further than Rome or Dubai to see that major cities bring together the most important characteristics of a society. Rome is a city that is home to some of the most significant painters of all time, where ancient ruins present a glimpse of the civilizations of the past and locals sip leisurely their espressos at outdoor cafes. This must be the essence of the Italian society, which is known to be passionate for all things pleasing to the eye and the taste buds.
The argument also holds true for Dubai, where a casual observer will notice the marvels of the Arabia combined with a Western style of living brought on by the globalization and petrodollars. No other Emirate of the country offers a more clear look at the society than its major city. In Dubai, the juxtaposition of the old and the new is mesmerizing: where else in the country can one witness locals dressed in traditional clothes walk side by side with scantily clad tourists inside the world’s tallest building. Major cities are definitively different from smaller towns and offer an entirely different view on the society. Yet one cannot understand the society as a whole without also scrutinizing its smallest villages and towns.
While the major cities are important, it is as equally important to study the periphery in order to fully grasp the characteristics and nuances of a society. Major cities across the world share many similarities. For example, international airports in every large city generate an inflow of business and leisure tourism and as such, most are surrounded by chain hotels, restaurants and shops. Whether one finds themselves in New York, Paris or Seoul, the assortment of chain businesses varies little. Major cities also tend to be business hubs and are home to a plethora of international companies as well as employees from all over the world. This is one of the reasons that big cities tend to have more diverse populations compared to smaller towns as well as bigger exposure to the global world. All these factors indisputably shape the way people think and behave in major cities.
Small towns, and especially villages, tend to hold on to cultural traditions and are indispensable in order to understand the society as a whole. One would not understand America with its polarized views without also studying rural areas. Big cities tend to be more liberal, better educated and put more emphasis on equality and care of the less fortunate. On the other hand, small American towns tend to be more conservative, less educated, and have higher obesity and poverty rates. It would be impossible to understand why a large portion of American society votes against their own interests without studying its rural towns.
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Here are my comments
The argument also holds true
I assume that the argument is "to understand the most important characteristics of a society, one must study its major cities."
I like the last sentence: Yet one cannot understand the society as a whole without also scrutinizing its smallest villages and towns.
While the major cities are important, it is as equally important to study the periphery in order to fully grasp the characteristics and nuances of a society. Major cities across the world share many similarities. For example, international airports in every large city generate an inflow of business and leisure tourism and as such, most are surrounded by chain hotels, restaurants and shops. Whether one finds themselves in New York, Paris or Seoul, the assortment of chain businesses varies little. Major cities also tend to be business hubs and are home to a plethora of international companies as well as employees from all over the world. This is one of the reasons that big cities tend to have more diverse populations compared to smaller towns as well as bigger exposure to the global world. All these factors indisputably shape the way people think and behave in major cities.
GOOD BALANCE...
in every large city .... most are surrounded by chain hotels,
YOU WROTE
Small towns, and especially villages, tend to hold on to cultural traditions and are indispensable in order to understand the society as a whole. One would not understand America with its polarized views without also studying rural areas. Big cities tend to be more liberal, better educated and put more emphasis on equality and care of the less fortunate. On the other hand, small American towns tend to be more conservative, less educated, and have higher obesity and poverty rates. It would be impossible to understand why a large portion of American society votes against their own interests without studying its rural towns.
Small towns, and especially villages, tend to hold on to cultural traditions and are indispensable in order to understand the society as a whole. One would not understand America with its polarized views without also studying rural areas. Big cities tend to be more liberal, better educated and put more emphasis on equality and care of the less fortunate. On the other hand, small American towns tend to be more conservative, less educated, and have higher obesity and poverty rates. It would be impossible to understand why a large portion of American society votes against their own interests without studying its rural towns.
One would not understand America with its polarized views without also studying rural areas.
GOOD USE OF A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE to help counter the argument
A person who visited only cities over 5 million people would miss the impact of smaller towns. BRAVO
CAREFUL... are the cities liberal or are the people in the cities?
Those are picky items that some professors might mention
suggested:
Residents in big cities tend to be more liberal and better educated and they put more emphasis on equality and care of the less fortunate.
