Between village and city

Introduction

During the year 2008, for the first time in the history of the world, more people live in cities than in villages in the countryside, all across the Globe. This process of urbanization started in Antiquity and an important phase was the ancient Greek city state culture ca. 800 – 300 BC. The projectVillage to City, funded by the Carlsberg Foundation, aims to describe and analyze the development of settlements in topographical and spatial terms in the crucial centuries of development from when no cities existed down to the time when perhaps as many as 1,000 ancient Greek towns and cities dominated the central Mediterranean world.

Similarities

A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.

For example, in the U.S state of Massachusetts an article of incorporation approved by the local state legislature distinguishes a city government from a town. In the United Kingdom and parts of the Commonwealth of nations, a city is traditionally a settlement with a royal charter. Historically, in Europe, a city was understood to be an urban settlement with a cathedral.

Cities generally have complex systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, housing and transportation. The concentration of development greatly facilitates interaction between people and businesses, benefiting both parties in the process. A big city or metropolis usually has associated suburbs and exurbs. Such cities are usually associated with metropolitan areas and urban areas, creating numerous business commuters traveling to urban centers for employment. Once a city expands far enough to reach another city, this region can be deemed a conurbation or meagalopolis.

While a village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand (sometimes tens of thousands), Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the East Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in Beirut, Lebanon as well as Hampstead Village in the London conurbation. Villages are normally permanent, with fixed dwellings; however, transient villages can occur. Further, the dwellings of a village are fairly close to one another, not scattered broadly over the landscape, as a disperses settlement.

Historically, villages were a usual form of community for societies that practise subsistence agriculture, and also for some non-agricultural societies. In Great Britain, a hamlet earned the right to be called a village when it built a church. In many cultures, towns and cities were few, with only a small proportion of the population living in them. The Industrial Revolution attracted people in larger numbers to work in mills and factories; the concentration of people caused many villages to grow into towns and cities. This also enabled specialization of labor and crafts, and development of many trades. The trend of urbanization continues, though not always in connection with industrialisation. Villages have been eclipsed in importance as units of human society and settlement.

Differences

It is a firm belief on the part of people that there is a big difference between village life and city life. It is absolutely true that the life in a village and that in a city varies so much that the difference is glaring at times.

In fact it can very well be said that people living in cities are different from people living in villages. It is normal feeling amongst us that city life is more enjoyable than village life. It is only an assumption. City life is endowed with a lot of advantages. This is because of the fact that there are a number of opportunities open to you in a city. City life is provided with a lot of facilities too.

You would not find many facilities and opportunities in a village. Parents would be happy to send their children to cities for higher studies rather than to villages. Cities are endowed with quality higher education institutions whereas villages are not endowed with high quality colleges and universities.

In addition to schools and colleges, city life is preferred for improved medical facilities. If someone falls ill in the family, you tend to take him or her to a popular hospital in a city since villages are not equipped with the best of medical attention. The number of hospitals in a city and the facilities are far more when compared to that in a village. A city has banks, cinema theaters, parks, golf courses, sports stadiums, clubs, hostels and Shopping malls.

The behavior of people in a city is different from that of the people in a village. People in a city are generally unfriendly and they maintain distant from others. The people in villages on the other hand are warm-hearted and friendly. Villagers receive you well where as city-dwellers tend to be within doors. People in villages are very helpful in nature whereas people living in cities tend to be more selfish in their attitude.

A city is characterized by various kinds of pollution such as noise pollution, visual pollution and air pollution. This is due to that fact that there a number of factories, industries and mills in a city than in villages. Hence villages are endowed with pure air devoid of pollution. Visual and noise pollution are also less in villages. Since village life is calm and quiet and bereft of pollution of any kind, older people tend to settle down in villages after their retirement from service.

HERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES COLLECTED BY SOME PEOPLE

I read a Peom about life in city v.s. life in village. I think it is very true. It reveals how different the two lives are. Let me translate some sentences of the peom and explain why it is true.

I live in city - I was born in hospital
I live in village - I was born in my home.

Don't take it for granded that there are hospital in all villages. I viisted places where people deliver their babies in home.

I live in city - from today, I become happy citizen of the country.
I live in village - from today, I become a honorable tax payer for the country.

Actually everyone pays tax, but the burnden for people in countryside are much higher compared to the low income they have. They pay not only tax. There are many other fees they need to pay for the village.

I live in city - I am ill. Dad bring me to hospital. I am courious whether insurance cover it.
I live in village - I am ill. Dad sold the pig, and bring me to doctor.

Medical insurance only covers people in city. People in villages, and people who move from one city (home city) to the other city typically are not covered by any medical insurance. If they get ill, they need to pay for themselves.

I live in city - My family bought motor cycle, and prepare to buy car several years later.
I live in village - My family bought a new baby pig. Perhaps the year after next year, it will have more baby pigs.

Still, big contrast about what people are thinking about and expectation about future.

I live in city - Dad want to have a business of his own.
I live in village - Dad want to go into city, to be a farmer worker

Go to city is the dream of many people in villages. Now, farmer worker is a way, but very hard way. They work on construction site and work all days and night.

I live in city - country gave Dad all kinds of benefits, and waived all tax.
I live in village - Dad has to pay all the tax and fees back in home, and need to pay to get all kinds of licenses.

In the previous years, startups and small businesses in city was encouraged, but the situation for farmer workers got worse. From last year, things are getting better.

I live in city - Dad to go bank everyday, and servant smiles to him.
I live in village - Dad ask for delayed salary at the year end, but was beaten and insulted by business owners.

The previous years, farmer workers' salary is not ensured. Many work for the whole year, and want to get their salary for the year. Many cannot get their salary, and don't have money to go back home... The situation is better this Spring Festival.

I live in city - Government said Dad work on startups, and benefit the economy

I live in village - government said Dad's rushing into city made big problems, and maliciously asking for salary.

I live in city - I can move freely in my country.
I live in village - I can live freely in my village.

This is interesting part. For people living in cities, they have city Hukou (or residential certificate) and they typically enjoy going to other cities. However, for people in villages (farmer resident), their move in the country, especially to move into city is restricted. Without Hukou, they don't have benefit, don't have medical insurance, and their child cannot go to local schools. (This is changing)

I live in city - Tomorrow is promising.
I live in village - Tomorrow is hopeless.

This is totally two different expectation about the future.

Totally Different

That is the current situation of the country. There are many good things everyday, and there are many bad things. One thing to point out is, many situation listed above are true about two years ago. Now, although it is still true in majority population, a lot of things are improving in the last two years. There is still a long way to go.