To understand the most important characteristics of a society, one must study its major cities.Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In deve

The statement indicates that the important characteristics of a particular society can be revealed by studying its major cities, under the assumption that the major cities preserve the traits unique to the country. In my opinion, while the main cities could reflect some characteristics of the society, studying the villages or rural areas would give a better picture of the lifestyles, native cultures and the economic status of the country.

With the advances in transportation and telecommunication infrastructure, such as the development of the internet, globalisation has speeded up over the last half-century, leading to massive increased trade and cultural exchange between different continents. As globalisation takes place, many countries, especially in the main cities, gradually loss their cultural identity and diversity. Many local businesses are replaced by international franchises, like McDonalds and starbucks. Youngsters on the street wearing NIKI shirts and ADIDAS shoes, and with headphones connected to their ipods has become a common sight. Hence, it is clear that the homogenisation of modern society owing to the impact of the western cultures makes it difficult to study the characteristics of a society by just looking at its major cities. On the other hand, small towns and villages situated in the countryside, that are less likely to be ‘contaminated’ by westernisation, will preserve the traditional traits of the society and will shed a light on the cultural backgrounds and traditions of the country.

In addition, ease and speed of transportation between different parts of the world means that any major city now will consist of people from varied origins who are in search for job opportunities or better homes. Consider Auckland, the city of sail situated in the north island of New Zealand. The ethnic makeup of the population of New Zealand is dominated by Europeans and Maori. As the largest city in New Zealand, Auckland attracts tourists and foreign workers from many different parts of the globe. Waves of immigration and increasing interracial marriage result in increased population of Asian and multiracial descent in Auckland. It is not hard to notice significantly smaller proportion of people with creamy skin and yellow hair and larger proportion of multiracial children with mixed features on the street of Auckland city. Moreover, many white-collar workers living in Central Business District of Auckland have lost the relaxed, laid-back lifestyle which is the hallmark of New Zealand. Thus, in contrast to the statement, a study of Auckland cannot provide accurate information on New Zealand cultures, as it is not a true representation of New Zealand in terms of both the population distribution and cultures.

In sum, to truly illuminate the characteristics of a society, it is important to study the rural areas populated by local residents who are more likely to retain their traditions.