Suburbia -- New Homes for Old Values

Suburbia has been viewed as a new & generally undesirable phenomenon. This study questions this image by arguing that suburbia is no diff in its soc forms than the city to which it sociol'ally belongs. 3 themes at the core of the image are discussed: that suburbs (1) are undesirably homogeneous, (2) are overwhelmingly Me, & (3) nurture & encourage soc conformity. The idea that suburbs are homogeneous is questioned on the grounds that not all socially relevant characteristics can possibly be included; there remain marked ethnic & racial diff's in suburbs. Further, since most suburban residents have recently moved from the heterogeneous city, it is doubtful that their habits & aspirations are too similar or that pressures of suburban life are sufficient to mold them into one pattern. Moreover, many suburban residents are temporary people at a youthful stage of the fam cycle who find it a convenient stopping place. That suburbs are Me is opposed on the basis that the term is stretched to include too broad a segment of society. Further, it was found that both Lc & Me suburbanites manifest an urge to buy & a willingness to do so on the installment plan. However, the Mc tends to feel only one purchase should be made at a time. The popular argument that suburbs generate a soc conformity ethic ignores the functional relationship between status & ideology. Though diff groups may hold or appear to hold the same values, they most likely do so for diff reasons. In the Mc conformity seems to shift into the Protestant ethic pattern upon their arrival into secure Mc status while the consumer conformity of the Lc is not troubled by the inconsistencies of opposing ethics. AA.