Effects of Growing Slums in Urban Areas: A Sociological Perspective
Urban slums are a critical issue in developing countries like India, reflecting deep-rooted socio-economic inequalities. From a sociological perspective, slums impact social structure, culture, politics, and urban governance. Below is an analysis integrating key thinkers, concepts, books, and examples.
Social Disorganization & Anomie (Structural-Functionalist View)
Thinkers: Émile Durkheim, Robert K. Merton
Concept:
- Anomie (Durkheim): Breakdown of norms due to rapid urbanization, leading to crime and alienation.
- Strain Theory (Merton): Slum dwellers face a gap between aspirations (material success) and means (limited opportunities), leading to deviance (theft, drug abuse).
Example:
Dharavi (Mumbai) has high crime rates due to unemployment and lack of legal opportunities.
Book: Suicide (1897) by Durkheim – Explores anomie in urban settings.
Marginalization & Social Exclusion (Conflict Theory)
Thinkers: Karl Marx, Andre Beteille, Mike Davis
Concept:
- Marx: Slums are a result of capitalist exploitation—migrants provide cheap labor but live in subhuman conditions.
- Beteille: Caste and class hierarchies persist in slums (e.g., manual scavengers in Delhi slums).
- Davis (Planet of Slums, 2006): Slums are "warehouses for the surplus labor" under neoliberalism.
Example:
Evictions in Delhi JJ Clusters (2023) – Poor displaced for urban beautification.
Book: The Urban Question (1977) by Manuel Castells – Slums as products of urban capitalism.
Subculture of Poverty (Cultural Perspective)
Thinkers: Oscar Lewis, William Julius Wilson
Concept:
- Lewis (Five Families: Mexican Case Studies, 1959): Slum dwellers develop a "culture of poverty"—fatalism, lack of future planning, and dependency.
- Wilson (The Truly Disadvantaged, 1987): Structural factors (joblessness, segregation) reinforce poverty cycles.
Example:
Generational poverty in Mumbai’s Dharavi – Children drop out early to work in informal sectors.
Informal Economy & Survival Strategies
Thinkers: Jan Breman, Keith Hart
Concept:
- Breman (Footloose Labour, 1996): Slum dwellers rely on informal work (street vending, waste picking) with no job security.
- Hart (Informal Economy, 1973): Slums thrive on unofficial economic networks (e.g., recycling in Delhi’s slums).
Example:
Waste pickers in Bengaluru earn ₹200/day with no social security.
Gender & Slum Life (Feminist Perspective)
Thinkers: Saskia Sassen, Amartya Sen
Concept:
- Sassen (The Global City, 1991): Women in slums face double exploitation—low-paid domestic work + household burdens.
- Sen (Development as Freedom, 1999): Lack of sanitation affects women’s health and safety.
Example:
Slums in Delhi have high rates of sexual violence due to poor policing and cramped spaces.
Political Economy of Slums (Neo-Marxist View)
Thinkers: David Harvey, Partha Chatterjee
Concept:
- Harvey (Rebel Cities, 2012): Slums are a result of uneven urban development—elites control resources.
- Chatterjee (Politics of the Governed, 2004): Slum dwellers are "political society"—they negotiate with the state for basic rights (water, electricity).
Example:
Slum Rehabilitation Schemes (SRA) in Mumbai often benefit builders more than residents.
Environmental & Health Impacts
Thinkers: Ulrich Beck, Amita Baviskar
Concept:
- Beck (Risk Society, 1992): Slums face "environmental racism"—located near toxic waste sites.
- Baviskar (Uncivil City, 2003): Slums lack sanitation, leading to diseases (TB, dengue).
Example:
Yamuna Pushta (Delhi) slums were demolished for pollution control, displacing 50,000 people.
Policy & Sociological Solutions
- Affordable Housing (Inclusionary Zoning) – Based on Henri Lefebvre’s "Right to the City" (1968).
- Universal Basic Services (Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach) – Healthcare, education.
- Slum Upgradation (Hernando de Soto’s "Mystery of Capital") – Land rights for slum dwellers.
