In Defense of Wirth's "Urbanism as a Way of Life"

The criticisms that sociologists have voiced of Wirth's essay "Urbanism as a Way of Life" are examined. It is argued that the evidence on which these criticisms rely contains several inadequacies. To support Wirth's theory, data are presented showing a negative correlation between the size of the locality a person lives in and the intimacy of his friedship ties. The autor concludes that a fresh look at Wirth's theory is needed utilizing research based on adequate measures and adequate design.