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Home , Urban sociology

URBAN 21-920-321-01

Jamie Lew Associate Professor [email protected]

Course Objective:

This course discusses the development and importance of , theories of urban growth, and contemporary problems facing American cities. Throughout the course we’ll draw critical relationship between and the empirical world of urban experience. The course will use as a lens to examine , social relations, problems, and conflicts of the larger in which it is located. Throughout the course city will be seen simultaneously as a social, a cultural, and a political economic phenomenon, with particular attention to the following: a) and the place of the city in the modernizing process; b) first- and second-wave of immigration and changing theories of assimilation; c) post WWII changes in urban space (i.e., urban renewal, , and "") and their relationship to wealth, poverty, and homelessness in American ; d) the city as a locus of ethnic, racial, gender, and class relations, interactions, and conflicts; e) strategies of urban "revitalization" and the future of the "postmodern" city; f) globalization and economic restructuring in contemporary cities in the U.S. and abroad.

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to:

• Read critically and develop coherent arguments and questions • Work cooperatively in groups to write, synthesize, and produce oral presentations • Analyze quantitative and qualitative data using the U.S. Census, demographics, and empirical studies in interdisciplinary fields of • Implement research skills using a wide range of sources from research database, policy reports, and electronic and medial resources • Evaluate information from various sources to broaden knowledge base • Co-construct knowledge and content by drawing from students’ diverse experiences and backgrounds • Engage in discussion of civic responsibility and ethical dilemma of

Required Text:

Gottdiener and Hutchinson (2010). “The New Urban Sociology” (Fourth Edition).

Wilson (1996). “When work disappears”

Optional Text:

Mumford (2007). “Newark: A History of Race, Rights, and Riots in America”

Articles on Blackboard (BB)

All journal articles noted in the syllabus are placed on Blackboard (BB)—PDF Files of Journal Articles

Lew-Urban Sociology

Grading:

Exams

Midterm Exam (40%)

Final Exam (50%)

Students will be given a multiple choice/ short answer / essay examination in class. The exam will require students to critically analyze class readings, lectures, and class discussions. The grades will be based on the accuracy, clarity, and analysis of the answers.

Class Participation & Group Presentation (10%)

In addition to class participation, each student will be assigned to a group presentation. Each group will consist of four to five students. Each group is responsible for presenting one of the required journal readings outlining discussion questions for the entire class. The main task of the group is to summarize the article and draw critical relationship between class readings and the journal article. ALL group members are responsible for reading the article and developing the CONTENT of the presentation, as well as making the PRESENTATION. However, each member of the group will be responsible for delivering specific part of the presentation: 1) Visual and Power Point Presentation; 2) Content manager; 3) Developing relationship between weekly readings and journal article; 4) Discussion Questions. This division of labor ensures that all of the members will be an active participant in the group and be held accountable. This group project will be given a pass or fail grade: P/F.

Lateness and Attendance

Students are expected to attend all classes. Excessive absence and lateness will lead to a failing grade. Three lateness will count as one absence. Five or more absences will lead to lowering of a grade point (A to B; B to C; C to D; etc). All students will attend classes, arrive on time, and participate in class discussions. Students are expected to read all course material prior to class and be fully prepared to discuss the readings.

2 Lew-Urban Sociology

Week Date Course Outline: Required Reading Class Lecture Themes Presentation

Part I Urban Sociology: Theoretical and Historical Context Week 1 9/2 Introduction and Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 1-13) Overview

9/4 , Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 13-22) Modernism, & Urban Sociology

Week 2 9/9 Urban Life: Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 41-48) Group 1-- Historical Perspective Presentation Wirth (1938). “Urbanism as a way of life” The American Journal of Sociology, Vol 44. No. 1 (Jul 1938) 9/11 The Rise of Urban Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 49-58) Sociology

Week 3 9/16 School of Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 58-64) Sociology

9/18 Human and Urban Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 64-74) Group 2-- Ecological Model Presentation Burgess (1925). “The growth of the city: An introduction to a research project.” In R. Park E. Burgess, and R. McKenzie, eds., The City. Chicago University of Chicago Press.

Part II Urban and Development in the United States

Week 4 9/23 Contested City and Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 75-89) Urban Space

9/25 Urban Political Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 89-98) Group 3-- Economy & Presentation Residential Gottdiener (2000) “Lefebvre and the Bias of Segregation Academic Urbanism” City 4(1), 93-100

Week 5 9/30 Stages of Capitalism Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 99-114) and Urbanization in the United States

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10/2 Rise of the Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg.114-122) Group 4-- Presentation Gans (1962). “Urbanism and Suburbanism as a Way of Life: A Re-evaluation of Definitions”

Week 6 10/7 Suburbanization in Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 123-131) the United States

10/9 MIDTERM MIDTERM IN CLASS

Week 7 10/14 Suburbanization and Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 131-141) the Effects of Globalization

10/16 Beyond Suburbia: Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 141-154) Group 5— Development of Presentation Sunbelt and Snowbelt Wen (2009). “Ethnic Neighborhoods in Multiethnic America, 1990-2000” Social Forces, 88(1), 425-460.

Part III Rise of Metropolis: and Demographics

Week 8 10/21 Class Stratification Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 155-165)

10/23 Women and Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 165-176) Group 6-- Environment Presentation Day (1999). “Introducing Gender to the Critique of Privatized Public Space” Journal of Urban Design 4(2), 155-178.

Week 9 10/28 Immigration and Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 177-184) Cities: Ethnicity and Race

10/30 Voluntary and Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 185-194) Group 7-- Involuntary Presentation Migration Waldinger (1989). “Immigration and Urban Change” Annual Review of Sociology, Vol 15, 211-232.

Week 10 11/4 Social Networks and Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 194-208) Communities

11/6 Metropolitan Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 209-221) Group 8-- Problems Presentation Massey & Denton (1995). “American Apartheid” Introduction, pg. 1-16. Harvard University Press.

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Week 11 11/11 Urban Issues of Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 221-235) Racism, Poverty, Housing

11/13 Crime and Fiscal Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 236-243) Group 9-- Crisis Presentation Lake & Cutter (1980). “A Typology of Black Suburbanization in New Jersey since 1970” Geographical Review 70(2), 167-181.

Week 12 11/18 Metropolitan Wilson (Chapter 1-2) Problems and Social Protest: A case of Film: Revolution “67 Newark

11/20 Rise of Underclass Wilson (Chapter 3-4) Group 10— and Poverty Presentation Review & Presentation on Film

Part IV:

Globalization, Migration, and Urbanization: A Comparative Study

Week 13 11/25 Urbanization in Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 245-260) Global Context

11/27 THANKSGIVING THANKSGIVING BREAK BREAK

Week 14 12/2 Global Cities and Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 260-278) Group 11-- International Presentation Migration Sassen (1980). “The Urban Impact of Economic Globalization”

12/4 Globalization and Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 279-294) Urbanization in the Developing Nations

Week 15 12/9 Environment Issues Gottdiener & Hutchinson (pg. 294-319) and Metropolitan planning

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