Second Metropolis: Pragmatic Pluralism in Gilded Age Chicago, Silver Age Moscow, and Meiji Osaka - Softcover

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9781930365155: Second Metropolis: Pragmatic Pluralism in Gilded Age Chicago, Silver Age Moscow, and Meiji Osaka

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1930365152 ISBN 13: 9781930365155

Publisher: John Hopkins University Press, 2004

By exploring and comparing North America's, Russia's, and Japan's "second cities" of a century ago—Chicago, Moscow, and Osaka— Second Metropolis discloses the extent to which social fragmentation, frequently viewed as an obstacle to democratic development, actually fostered pluralistic public policies.

Such policies are explored through six case studies—the politics of street railways and charter reform in Chicago, adult education and housing in Moscow, and harbor revitalization and poverty alleviation in Osaka—that illustrate how even those with massive political and economic power were stymied by the complexity of their communities. Chicago, Moscow, and Osaka, though the products of very different nations and cultures, nonetheless shared an important experience of inclusive politics during an era of extraordinary growth and social diversity. The success of all three cities, which went well beyond mere survival, rested on a distinctive political resource: pragmatic pluralism.

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Review:

This is a lively, well-researched book with a forceful argument.

(James Gilbert Journal of Economic History)

A comparative work such as this helps to undercut the historiography of 'exceptionalism' that still plagues Russian studies.

(Louise McReynolds American Historical Review)

A stimulating and challenging example of comparative urban history.

(Mark S. Foster Urban Studies)

Fascinating and innovative work... worth reading by any specialist in urban history.

(J. M. Bumsted Canadian Journal of Urban Research 2005-01-00)

Book Description:

By comparing North America's, Russia's, and Japan's 'second cities' - Chicago, Moscow, and Osaka - Second Metropolis discloses the extent to which social fragmentation, frequently viewed as an obstacle to democratic development, actually fostered a 'pragmatic pluralism' that nurtured pluralistic public policies.

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