Risk, residence, and the post-Fordist city

In talking about dualized, polarized, and post-Fordist cities, it is often forgotten that major heterogeneities exist within neighborhoods and within the middle masses. Individualization and autonomization can be seen as the major causes of these heterogeneities. Because individual biographies and life course decisions increasingly have to be constructed personally, the differences between people and households cannot only be found between classes and between different areas but also within these classes and areas. Households that may appear very similar in terms of standard social indicators may in fact be highly differentiated in relation to wider social resources, lifestyles, career paths, and prospects. Private solutions and safeguards against health, employment, and other risks create a greater diversity of circumstances. Individualization and autonomization affect all kinds of other processes, such as residential mobility, and coping strategies.