URBAN STUDIES

What is Rural Idyll? Rural Idyll is an  idealized, romanticized construct that presents rural areas as happier, healthier, and with fewer problems than urban areas. The rural is cast as an idyllic place to live, portrayed as having beautiful landscapes, more neighborly communities, and a better. https://www.londonfirebird.com/2016/09/16/rural-idyll/ The “ rural idyll ” is the romanticized notion of rural life as simple, peaceful, natural, and community-oriented. In urban planning, this concept plays a key role in preserving rural areas, controlling urban sprawl, and managing the rural-urban fringe. Rural regions offer an escape from city life and a close connection to nature, but planners must balance development pressures with the need to protect the environment and the character of these areas. The rural idyll serves as a guide for sustainable and balanced urban growth. References: Journal of Rural Studies ,  Volume 59 , April 2018, Pages 163-172 Castree, N., Kitchin, R...

What is Commodification? Commodification is that something is treated or considered as a commodity.  (=a product that can be bought and sold.) According to Karl Marx, commodities form the basis of the capitalist economic system. Marx believes that humans interact with nature to produce the necessary objects in order to meet their needs. The value of commodities produced to meet a certain need and consumed to meet that need is expressed by use value. Use value is more related to the physical structure of the commodity. In the market, however, commodities gain different values. The value that commodities obtain in the market, whether in exchange for a standard exchange such as money or in exchange for other commodities, is called exchange value. The value of water used to quench thirst can be given as an example of use value, while the value of a diamond is more of an example of exchange value.  Karl Marx considered the commodity as the cell form of capitalism. According to Marx...

What is Utilitarianism? Utilitarism or Utilitarian Morality is a philosophical movement that argues that the action that ensures the good of the most people is the best and most correct action, and if it is the majority, it can be risked to harm a small number of people. In Bentham's words, "if an action increases a person's happiness in general, more specifically his current pleasure, or somehow reduces the pain the person experiences at that moment, only then does it comply with the principle of utility." (Güçlü et al., 2002). This philosophy, while effective in addressing public welfare, sometimes overlooks marginalized groups. For instance, utilitarian principles underpinned the clearance of slums for urban renewal, displacing residents without adequate alternatives. Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill are representatives of the utilitarian movement.   Investopedia / Jessica Olah References: Atatürk Üniversitesi Sosyoloji Bölümü 1. Sınıf “ Felsefeye Giriş ” ve 3...

What is Laissez-Faire? The idea that people should be free to choose how to do things, without too much control from someone in authority. If a government is laissez-faire, it does not have many laws and rules that control the buying and selling of goods and selling of goods and services. Laissez-faire is an economic theory dating back to the 18th century that opposes any government intervention in business affairs. The driving principle behind laissez-faire economics is that the less the government is involved in the economy, the better off business, and society as a whole, will be. It is a French term that translates to "leave alone," or more literally to "let you do." Laissez-faire emphasizes minimal government intervention in business, promoting economic growth, innovation, and competition. However, it has drawbacks, including potential harm to consumers and the environment, wealth inequality, and the exploitation of resources. The lack of regulation can lead to...