Social Control Theories of Urban Policies

The primary choice of politics in United States cities concerns social control. The application of Marxist theory to this matter is relatively new, & social control theory unifies perspectives on urban politics & social control. Market models of urban political & economic dynamics are 'public choice theories,' & may be contrasted with social control theory. The transformations of the urban political economy have significant consequences for the explanatory power of these theories. The Marxist-based social control theory is contrasted with the functionalist view of urban life, & classical Marxism is reconciled with the urban reality of our time. The prospects for a theoretical synthesis are linked with the nature of older United States cities, as opposed to newer urban areas. Neither an advanced social control theory nor a public choice model of urban politics is sufficient, & there is danger in embracing a total Marxist approach. If theory is to be more than an academic gadfly, it must be self-critical & aware of its limitations. In Logical Heresies and Theoretical Possibilities, Ira Katznelson (University of Chicago, Ill) replies that Boulay has accused him of the fallacy of affirming the consequent, & summarized his work inaccurately. The urban economy is autonomous from urban public policy, & corporate elites do not necessarily call the tune of urban politics. Classical Marxism may provide a guide for the theoretical issues of the urban political economy & his attempt at a theoretical synthesis under the mentioned restrictions is applauded. In Social Control and Capitalist Cities, David M. Gordon (New School for Social Research, New York, NY), insists that Boulay has summarized social control theory inadequately, but not deliberately. Eight basic analytic propositions which deal with social control in capitalist cities are proposed. Reliance on the dialectical approach assumes that social dynamics are based on conflicts, & Boulay is quite correct when he asserts that his work is incomplete. In Reply to Gordon and Katznelson, Harvey Boulay sees the comments of his critics as an example of the promise of this new field of inquiry. One generates some of the missing elements of Boulay's work, but the other (Gordon) is unclear in his references to the dialectical approach. In the area of urban political studies, social control theory indicates the cogency of Marxist theory. L. Kamel.