This volume acknowledges two important themes found in recent work in urban sociology. First is the effort to apply new theoretical models to the analysis of the urban landscape, in particular the recent work in the new urban sociology and the renewed emphasis on the role of the state in shaping urban life. Second is the borrowing of important theoretical ideas from other disciplines, including postmodern theory and cultural analysis from the humanities. "New Directions in Urban Sociology" suggests both a beginning and a continuing evolution of sociological theorizing about contemporary urban places.

This volume is divided into two sections, the first presenting work by urban ecologists, the second presenting work by persons working within the broad contours of the new urban sociology. Each section contains chapters written by well-known scholars as well as promising young authors. The resulting essays allow not only a comparison of theoretical perspectives but also of the ways in which proponents of each perspective see the field developing in the future. The final section of the volume includes an article by William Flanagan, author of "Urban Sociology: Images and Structure," the only textbook in urban sociology which makes an effort to systematically incorporate both the structural (new urban sociology) and cultural (human ecology) approaches in the field.

Urban space has emerged as the central organizing construct in studies of the post-modern metropolis. Contributors to this volume write on how urban space is used and contested by different social groups, how urban space is transformed by the changing economic relationships manifested in the new world order, and how urban space is defined by those who use and study it.

This series addresses the major subject areas of urban sociology, ethnic and minority groups within the city, social network of urban residents, location of retail and industrial activities within the metropolitan complex, decline of the central cities and emergence of suburban lifestyles, and the core question of community integration itself.
*Volume 8 includes case studies from Toronto, Japan, Bulgaria, and other geographic locations with ethnic minority populations
*Addresses the major concepts of urban sociology while including perspectives from diverse locations
*Online availability via ScienceDirect