One would think that it is a must to study the major cities of a scoeity in order to understand its most important characteritics. While I acknowledge the relevance of major cities for a society, I think small villages and towns should not be overlooked in order to develop a holistic understanding of the society’s key characteristics, which include but are not limited to cultural preferences, soceital norms and economical statuses.

Understandably, major cities often encapsulates the key characteristics of a society. They are often the political and economical centres of the society, aggregating the best resources, like raw materials and human capital, for societal development. For instance, by examning the evolution of architectural styles in Rome City, one could witness how cement and concrete replaced stones and discern the changes in artistic preferences and technological advancements of the Roman Empire. Fast forwarding to today, if one would like to understand more about the economic progress of the US in the West, or Japan in the East, it is often a natrual choice to start with a tour or study in New York City or Tokyo, the financial centres of the two societies respectively. The major cities, as the epitome of cutural and economcal achievements for the society, would be a great start for one to understand the key characteristics of the society.

On the other hand, one should not ignore the small villages and towns in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of the society. Small villages and towns are often an indispensable constituent of the social fabric. While major cities may embody the greatest breakthroughs of a society, lives in small villages and towns may offer a more representative picture of that of an average person in the society. For example, one may make sweeping and erroneous statements about the standards of living or cultural preferences of people in Thailand, by just looking at the vibrant and cosmopolitan lives of young people in Bangkok, leaving behind those living in the rural areas of Northern Thailand. In order to fully understand and appreciate the important characteristics of a society, one must repsect the intricacies, heterogeneities and complexities within a society and respect individual differences, rather than drawing stereotypical conclusions by just focusing on the large cities.

Moreover, small towns and cities, despite their moderate sizes, may be of significant importance to a society. For example, Qufu, a humble town in Northern China is the birthplace of Confusionism which has been the bedrock of Chinese cultures. Similarly, Kaiping, a small village in southern part of the country, is where generations of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia started their sails in search for a better living. Such journeys have subsequently led to multiple migration waves and brought significant and irreversible cultural changes to the social fabric in Southeast Asia. Therefore, one should not overlook small towns and cities on the basis of their sizes when studying a society.

In conclusion, major cities often embody the most advance achievements of a society. However, small villages and towns alike could be of great societal or cultural significance as well. In addition, they also could potentially provide a more representative picture of the life of an average person of the society as compared to big cities. Therefore, to develop an informed view of the key characteristics of a society, one should pay attention to both major cities and small towns.