To understand the most important characteristics of a society, one must study its major cities.

A society is simply a group of people interconnected to one another in a complex web of relationships.
Comprehending the features of a society might seem trivial to a layman, but it is of great importance to
sociologists and other social scientists. As an example, Karl Marx, a sociologist, had, on the basis of such
studies, very aptly predicted the transition in the society from capitalism to socialism and then to
communism. Thus, the complexity of the issue at hand cannot be overlooked. Stating that it is enough to
study major cities of a society in order to characterize it seems to be an oversimplification and hence, all
the associated facets need to be warily examined before one takes any stand on the issue.

One cannot forget that industrial revolution gave rise to modern cities. Overlooking the major cities
would imply forgetting the great revolution itself. Besides, latest developments can be seen only in
cities. However, characterizing a society solely on the basis of its major cities would be inaccurate.
Someone who wishes to understand the distinct features of the flora or fauna of a geographical area
would not confine his or her studies to a botanical garden or a zoo, respectively. That person would
surely visit the forests, the grasslands, the water-bodies, etc. Every science student agrees to the fact
that the larger the sample population, the more credible the results about the population under
consideration. Social science, which deals with the concept of society, is a type of science only. Consider,
for instance, a pack of fifty-two cards on one side and a set of thirteen randomly selected cards on the
other. While analyzing the first pack, one can correctly make note of all the features: different types of
cards, different colors, total number of cards of each type and color, etc. On the contrary, while
analyzing the second set, as it is a very limited set, it is impossible to gauge all the features of the whole
set. Studying the major cities is analogous to analyzing a limited set of cards.

Besides, major cities represent an assimilation of different cultures. People from different societies
migrate to the cities and settle down there. So, a study of these people, forming a cosmopolitan major
city, is unlikely to reveal a true picture of the entire society. Their sole aim is to find better jobs, better
education, better and higher standards of living, and live a more comfortable and technologically-
advanced life. Generally speaking, laborers constitute a major percentage of the migrants. Furthermore,
cities also attract tourists from all over the world. Thus, each of the mentioned group has its own
features, but those features are not representative of the society as a whole. Here again, confining the
analysis to cities would not give precise results.

One cannot deny the fact that there are some elements that are actually the highlights of cities only:
best education systems, flourishing trade and business, latest developments in the field of science and
technology, etc. If these elements are overlooked, India, for example would still not be counted as a
nuclear power. So, some might argue that cities play a significant role in the characterization of a
society. But, this characterization provides one-sided view of the society; it tends to ignore the other
extreme- poverty, illiteracy, social stigmas- and hence, is misleading. For a more informative
characterization, the suburbs, towns and villages also need to be included in the analysis. The
demographics of different regions are different, especially in countries with diversity, an example of
which is India. The language, customs, outlook, economic status, political institution all vary. In such a
scenario, concentrating a study exclusively on major cities is unlikely to effectively serve the purpose.
Therefore, one can conclude that in order to determine the distinguishing features of any society, one
must widen his/her horizons and dive into to deeper waters of the ocean. Studying the major cities is
equivalent to restricting ones study to an aquarium. The latter may be harboring a special collection of
flora and fauna, but the set is still restricted; the sample population is still too small to yield any
significant information.