general public and to sociologists that modern society has) {. d0 g3 }; z$ j9 m+ @
changed people’s natural relations, loosed their responsibilities __1__5 R# B q8 T3 D3 }8 ?
to kins (亲戚) and neighbors, and substituted in their place __2__# I! B; O& X4 J' I
for superficial relationships with passing acquaintances. __3__" f3 H/ @/ e1 B) ^/ [3 @' U
However, in recent years a growing body of research has
& E- ~! l5 K( h) x. a revealed that the “obvious” is not true. It seems that if you are a
$ [ H [/ ^+ S' [# x' ~! N city resident, you typically know a smaller proportion of your
" t0 X8 {. `1 J% l2 g, ? neighbors than you if you are a resident of a smaller community. __4__& p& Z; F, P( ?* c$ t
But, for the most part, this fact has a few significant consequences. __5__
! P" z. D! H3 E T It does not necessarily follow that if you know few of your9 M3 y. c. u- f& @! v0 n
neighbors you will know no one else.
! u/ H4 e ]1 Z) ?2 d( H Even in very large cities, people maintain close social ties within
' x* n, I2 G, @7 R& h8 T small, private social worlds. Indeed, the number and quality of+ m- |* `! G5 h- c+ G! K0 i( n
meaningful relationship do not differ between more and less urban __6__
- @3 y0 t7 t! h6 i2 l- ? people. Small-town residents are more involved with kin than do big __7__
8 U* ]8 d" l {: P+ p city residents. Yet city dwellers compensate by developing friendships: y: \' w$ E8 Y7 T
with people who share similar interests and activities. Urbanism may
5 n) c" e% t6 q2 R1 \ produce a different style of life, but the quality of life does not
2 E7 Z( E3 B' ?+ g# b P5 J differ between town and city. Or are residents of large communities __8__( P6 u5 K' C$ u2 _9 m
any likely to display psychological symptoms of stress or alienation __9__6 [. ^" h/ n0 q$ i% Z
than are residents of smaller communities. However, city dwellers do
) M2 v: h' ~( X( Z1 L1 b4 K worry more about crime, and this leads them to a distrust for strangers. __10__ |