ABSTRACT
Modern sociology has always been the sociology of the city and urbanization, because in no other location have individualization, the mixture of different social circles, and the phenomenon of modern lifestyles been as clearly visible as on the streets of cities. Cities are typified by very heterogeneous milieus and a mixture of the population caused by influx and relocation. Very often they are places of high social and ethnic complexity, most recently labeled as “super-diversity” (Vertovec 2007). The city can likewise be regarded as the site of a particular mentality and mindset, characterized by the ability to deal with movement and change, but also by the ability to manage differences and variety (Simmel 1993 [1903]). In cities, people come into contact with very different forms of life (Franck 1980). Nowhere else are so many alternative models of social action available and nowhere else can individuals as actively participate in their social and cultural positioning.
