Preindustrial cities harbored large rootless populations that hung about the edges of crowds

Evidence

One of the characteristics of an industrially developed and technologically advanced society is that it tends to keep a rather large proportion of its population tied up in organizationally controlled work and play. The old floating populations, so characteristic of preindustrial and early industrial cities, are, in the modern city, largely eliminated. When enough people are pulled into schools and jobs, and when their few free hours are devoted to home and family or organized recreation, then very little time and very few people are left for hanging about. — Lyn H. Lofland, World of Strangers_ Order and Action in…, 382 (#contradicts, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Low literacy forced preindustrial cities to make streets the news medium — Lyn H. Lofland, World of Strangers_ Order and Action in…, 196; Unemployed floating populations fueled preindustrial urban riots; Industrialized society eliminates floating street populations by absorbing people into organized work — Lyn H. Lofland, World of Strangers_ Order and Action in…, 382

Related

• Unemployed floating populations fueled preindustrial urban riots (similarity 0.95)
• Industrialized society eliminates floating street populations by absorbing people into organized work (similarity 0.92)
• Preindustrial cities were overtly and visibly socially heterogeneous (similarity 0.83)
• Destitute floating populations supplied manpower for preindustrial urban riots (similarity 0.83)
• Jumbled urban space forced preindustrial dwellers to confront social diversity daily (similarity 0.82)
• Cramped housing pushed preindustrial urbanites into the streets for socializing (similarity 0.82)
• Preindustrial cities mixed extreme social strata and occupations openly (similarity 0.81)
• Low literacy forced preindustrial cities to make streets the news medium (similarity 0.81)
• Preindustrial cities segregated activities far less spatially than modern cities (similarity 0.80)
• Preindustrial cities’ density limited class-residential segregation (similarity 0.80)
• Preindustrial cities pushed ordinary residents’ social life into public streets (similarity 0.80)
• Preindustrial city streets served as venues for activities modern cities segregate into specialized spaces (similarity 0.80)
• The early industrial city was when urban order had to be explicitly taught (similarity 0.80)
• Modern cities exceed preindustrial ones in population heterogeneity (similarity 0.78)
• Early industrial cities grew only through rural in-migration, never natural increase. (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Unemployed floating populations fueled preindustrial urban riots #expands (0.75)
• Industrialized society eliminates floating street populations by absorbing people into organized work #contradicts (0.65) — Lyn H. Lofland, World of Strangers_ Order and Action in…, 382