This course can be followed as part of a BA specialisation Development in Place.
(onderdeel van BA Culturele Antropologie en Ontwikkelingssociologie)
Course Decription
“Cities” is an introduction to the sociology and anthropology of cities. How are cities different from other types of places? What can we learn from a study of urban spaces and how can we go about studying them? Given that over half of the world’s population lives in urban centers, it is critical that we develop a cross-cultural, interdisciplinary perspective on urbanism.
The course focuses on various aspects of urban life, with a specific emphasis on space and place in the city. This entails looking carefully at the meanings of the built and the natural environment, and the dynamics of public and private space, while paying close attention to the socio-spatial construction of urban difference. Urban diversity – for instance in terms of ethnicity, class, gender and age – is central to analyzing how urban space is understood and created by different social actors. We discuss the role of different forms of sociability, including networks, associational life and place-based communities, in dividing or connecting city dwellers. In addition, we need to pay specific attention to the role of symbols, lifestyles and popular culture in shaping urban meaning.
We discuss the contemporary social problems and opportunities associated with urban economies and politics. What issues underlie urban problems such as poverty, environmental degradation, violence and crime, housing, informalization, unemployment, marginalization and segregation? How can different forms of urban governance – including urban planning and social movements – contribute to their solutions?
The course includes a variety of theoretical perspectives on the city, from the classic ‘urban ecology’ of the Chicago school to more recent postmodern approaches, while also considering the methodological and ethical challenges that doing research in cities can pose. Given the interdisciplinary nature of urban studies we include models and methods from related disciplines such as urban geography, philosophy and environmental psychology. Students will conduct two urban ethnographic exercises in which they can put these theories and methods into practice.
Coordinator
Dr. Rivke Jaffe: rjaffe@fsw.leidenuniv.nl ; room nr. 3A40 (Pieter de la Court Building)
Methods of Instruction
Lectures 20hrs = 30 sbu
Group discussions 10u = 20 sbu
Literature 858 pp = 143 sbu
Papers 6500 words = 87 sbu
Total of 280 sbu (10 ECTS)
Literature
Small, M. L. (2004). Villa Victoria: The Transformation of Social Capital in a Boston Barrio. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 209 pp.
Goldstein, D. M. (2004). The Spectacular City: Violence and Performance in Urban Bolivia. Durham: Duke University Press. 237 pp.
Bridge, G. and S. Watson (eds.) The Blackwell City Reader. (selected chapters)
various articles.
Examination
Six reading assignments (750 words each) – 60%
Flâneur assignment (1000 words) – 20%
Urban observation assignment (1000 words) – 20%
Time-table
Time: Wednesdays 9 September – 18 November 2009, 10-13 h
Place: Room 1A11, Pieter de la Court building
Blackboard
Detailed course information will be available on Blackboard from August 15th 2009.
Registration
Only the following categories of students can register for this course:
Students enrolled for the BA programme “Culturele antropologie en ontwikkelingssociologie”:
Inschrijving mogelijk van 1 juli t/m 25 augustus 2009 via het secretariaat CA-OS, kamer 3A19, tel. 5273469, e-mail: secrcaos@fsw.leidenuniv.nlInternational exchange students:
For application please follow regular procedure through International Office, or contact the departmental coordinator N. Osterhaus-Simic.