We also discuss the poetics and politics of urban spaces as created through the dynamics of cultural and political factors. Here we use the examples of the old neighbourhoods and ghettos to illustrate our sociological claims. Though titled ‘rural and urban sociology’ the course does not subscribe to the binary framework. Rather, it aims to unravel the relationship between the gemeinschaft and the gesellschaft in the context of the city (Module Five). You will find that it is a theme that runs through the course. In this course the city is cast under the sociological lens to appreciate its societal, ecological and planning aspects. We begin the discussion by looking at the three inter-related concepts of urban, urbanization and urbanism.