London (July 9th, 2010) – City Life by Adrian Franklin published by SAGE is an engaging discussion of 'city life' that takes the reader on a tour of contemporary western cities exploring their historical development and arguing that it is the transformative, ritual and performative qualities of successful cities that makes a difference. Adopting dynamic narrative structures and stories to develop its critical position City Life creates a vibrant synthesis of city life from its key components, including leisure and tourism, recreation and play, arts and culture, nature and environment and architecture and public space.
Cities are more important as cultural entities than their mere function as dormitories and industrial sites. Yet, the understanding of what makes a city 'alive' and appealing in cultural terms is still hotly contested - why are some cities so much more interesting, popular and successful than others? Emphasising the importance of experience, the book represents the fluid complexity of the city as a living space, an environment and a posthumanist space of transformation. It will be of interest to all those engaging with the difficulties of urban life in sociology, human geography, tourism and cultural studies departments.
City Life discusses the idea of a new urban culture characterized by ecological frames of reference; tracking the making of contemporary city life from traditional times, through early modern, machinic and modernised stages of development.
Adrian Franklin (Professor) trained as an anthropologist in the UK, and has held Professorial positions at the University of Bristol, UK and the University of Oslo (Norway). Adrian Franklin's work has focused on social and cultural change in modernity, and this includes work on city life, the sociology of nature and environments, our relationships with animals, and the orderings of travel, mobility and tourism. Adrian also co-presents the popular Australian show Collectors and writes a regular column in the Hobart Mercury newspaper and the Collectors magazine.
Paperback ISBN: 9780761944768 - £24.99
http://www.uk.sagepub.com/booksProdDesc.nav?prodId=Book226373&
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