URBAN TRANSFORMATION THROUGH THE LENS OF TRANSITION BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN STATUS

Abstract

Transition between urban and rural status is a recent concept and has gained its importance in Sociology in post second world war period. This process has been used in different ways, viz., to denote a place, a concept and a process. As a place this transition refers to rural fringe areas of surrounding cities. As a concept it refers to the relevance of understanding rural-urban dichotomy. As a process it refers to dispersive urban growth that creates hybrid landscapes of fragmented urban and rural communities. More specifically speaking, it can be described as the landscape interface between town and country or rural-urban transition zone where urban and rural areas mix and often clash. Sociologically the importance lies in perceiving this transformation as a process of expansion of rural-urban functional linkages. The process is dynamic in nature, wherein social relationships are constantly created, modified and discarded. Social groups tend to be heterogeneous and changing wherein diversity coexist with homogeneity. Migration tends to be one of the driven forces of this transition in India. To highlight on all these aspects, the present paper will focus upon the sociological significance of the process of transition between urban and rural status in India.