Inhabitants of the concrete jungle

urban tribe n. A group of city dwellers who have formed a bond through a common interest, such as work or a social or recreational activity.

The urban tribe is a concept banging around the halls of pop culture critics, best-seller psychoanalysts, and trendy philosophers since the late eighties. More people are familiar with the concept than would be familiar with the term which has only recently found full elucidation in a book of the same name by Ethan Watters. The idea is that of a group of friends usually of both sexes though single and in their twenties or thirties. They live in a different city than their families and have delayed marriage later than earlier generations. In that vacuum they develop a close knit ritualized group of friends that have the appearance of a family but are outside any traditional form. Basically, the cast of the TV show Friends. This is an interesting concept. I intend to read Mr. Watters' book and deal with the idea further.