analyze the issue"To understand the most important characteristics of a society one must study its major cities"

The statement states that to understand a society we must study its major cities. The city acts like a model whose study can be extrapolated to understand the whole society. Studies of cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro have been carried out to understand the long lost civilization of Indus valley. Our knowledge about many aspects of this society has come from these studies. Throughout history we have relied on the on studies of major cities of that era to understand the coeval society; there have hardly been any sources of information about others parts of the society. So how viable is our understanding of the society based on only studies of the major cities?

Most major cities have been inhabited for a time that is longer than any other part of the civilization. And the people who have resides here have left a mark of their culture in the form of architecture, written materials, traditions etc. A study of these will help us understand the past of the society, which in most cases shapes the present scenario.

Demographically, cities have population densities that are much greater ad other parts of the society. Hence it only logical that a study of cities is the most efficient way of studying a society. A study of villages or smaller towns will require a much higher area to be covered in order to get the same percentage of people covered.

It can be argued that this method is flawed as it assumes that the rest of the society is similar to the society of the major cities, and there is a marked difference in the ways urban and rural population. But this assumption is not as wrong as it seems as most cities play the role of trend setters, a trend started by a city is sure to reach other parts over a period of time. So the result we get from study of major cities is not completely incongruous with the society of rural population but just a little ahead in time.

Hence I agree with the statement that “To understand the most important characteristics of a society one must study its major cities”. And the understanding that we have gained from the study of major cities of the past can be extended as the understanding of the society of that era.