05 - From Rural to Urban to Suburban

Karl Marx's theory of historical materialism outlines a progression from feudalism to communism, driven by the French and Industrial Revolutions. These revolutions led to urbanization and industrial capitalism. Karl Polanyi and John Locke further explain the shift to market economies and privatization, displacing rural communities. Internationally, Japan's Meiji Restoration, Russia's industrialization, and India's colonial economic practices also spurred urban growth. Sociologists Ferdinand Tönnies and Georg Simmel examined urbanization's social impacts, while suburbanization, driven by railroads and automobiles, was epitomized by developments like Levittown. These developments often excluded people of color until mid-20th century legal changes. Modern suburbanization continues to evolve, influenced by ongoing economic, social, and technological changes.