The Moral Economy of Cities—Shaping Good Citizens

Ruppert (sociology, Trent U.) explores the concept of the "good city," finding one vision to be a space in which professionals recognize the interest of a dominant public, specifically middle-class consumers, office workers, tourists and families. This of course puts panhandlers, street youth, low-income shoppers and the disabled outside the margins, and often they are put there by the language professionals use to describe moral conduct, a self-perpetuating language-within-a-language that perpetuates concentration on the dominant groups and the subjugation of the marginal ones. She believes awareness of moral issues bring a kind of moral investment in the city planning process, the result being a city that is "good" in terms of its expectations and intentions for all those living, working, doing business or seeking entertainment or enlightenment there. Annotation c2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)