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Sociology 251/451
Urban Sociology
Fall, 2007
Tuesday, Thursday: 8:40-10:00
Gladfelter Hall, Room 764
Professor Anne B. Shlay
Office: 755, Gladfelter Hall
Office Hours: Tuesday, Thursday: 10:00-11:30 or by appointment
Telephone: 215-204- 7931
Email:
Course Description
Urban sociology emerged in the early 1900s amidst rapid urbanization occurring when many people immigrated from the rural U.S. and foreign countries. Large numbers of people from different worlds and languages flocked to cities. For sociologists, urbanization represented immigrant experiences of learning new ways and discovering opportunities and frustrations. They were concerned about people’s loss of their communities -- community defined by family and very close friends. They worried about the physical and social introduction to a new world of strangers with different lifestyles, languages, race, ethnicity as well as religious beliefs. For sociologists looking at city life, this period was exciting, fascinating and a bit frightening because urbanization appeared chaotic and haphazard with no entity calling the shots and telling people what to do. Urban sociology looked at urbanization to see what emerged out this seeming mess of strangeness, newness and difference.
Such wonder and excitement still permeates the field which is not even 100 years old. Using the same kind of research methods used by sociological pioneers, urban sociologists continue to engage in rich ethnographic research, conduct surveys, and analyze data from many sources. In addition, the field is enlivened by many theoretical and political debates. Peppered in these debates is the concept of modernity. In this class, we will take on many of these debates and see what they mean and discuss their utility in understanding cities.
At the same time, urban sociology (like much of sociology in general) has been concerned about the state of people’s lives and the opportunities they have to get ahead. Urban sociology looks at how cities create, shape and perpetuate social and economic inequality. It is in this context that we will talk about issues of segregation and diversity, discrimination, uneven development, and even sexism! We will examine suburbanization and issues of urban sprawl and how these affect urban inequality. Along these lines, we will study urban sociology as a way of learning about root causes of inequality and to think about remedies for reducing inequality.
Urban sociology began as an enterprise that looked at cities -- the intersection of people and space with political and economic structures superimposed on both. Space has been the primary concept that defines much of urban sociology because of the vital role of space and location in defining urban life and opportunities. We will talk a lot about the role of space and location and how it creates opportunities for some and denies them for others.
The importance of space and location, however, is being challenged with the acceleration of the use of new technologies and an emerging set of ideas on the culture of cities. It may be, however, that the issue is not so much that space matters less but a question of how space matters. The importance of space will be debated in this class too.
And as the plethora of McDonalds, Gaps and Starbucks pervade the world, we are reminded us that the premise of urban as local is severely limited. With globalization, the concept of urban appears to be changing as well. What constitutes unique urban places with the rise of global capitalism? What exactly does urban mean today given our experience of a global economy? We will learn about globalization and what it means for urban life as well as theories of urbanism.
This class is a survey of aspects of the field of urban sociology. By design, it is intended raise more questions than provide answers. So, if you keep coming up with more questions, you are moving in the prescribed direction.
Disability Disclosure Statement
Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible. Contact Disability Resources and Services at 215-204-1280 in 100 Ritter Annex to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
Books
There are two required books to purchase for this class. All of the remaining required material will be found online at the class blackboard site. The following books are available at the Temple University book store.
The New Urban Sociology. Third Editiion. 2006. Mark Gottdiener and Ray Hutchison. Cambridge, MA: Westview.
The Urban Sociology Reader. 2005. Jan Lin and Christopher Mele. New York, NY: Routledge.
Course Requirements and Evaluation
The class will be a mixture of lecture and discussion. Attending class is required for this class. Attendance will be taken. Attendance will be worth a small but not insignificant percentage of your grade.
People should arrive on time and refrain from leaving class before it is over. Cell phones should be turned off during class.
People should come prepared to discuss the readings. This means that all assigned readings should be read in advance of the class section in which it will be discussed. I will announce any changes in assigned reading in class and by email.
There are five requirements for this class. The course has a contract grading system which means that you do not have to do all of the assignments. For example, if you are content with your grade up to the final, you do not have to take the exam. For each assignment, the maximum number of points is shown in parentheses. The total number of points you receive will be your final grade.
163-175 points= A
157-162 points= A-
142-156 points = B+
144-151 points = B
138-143 points = B-
135-137 points= C+
127-134 points= C
124-126 points= C-
121-123 points= D+
113-120 points= D
Below 112 points= F
Assignment One: Reading Responses (60 points)
You are required to do all of the reading. Reading the material carefully will permit you to be able to learn the material more easily, participate in class discussions, and do well in class exams and assignments. Doing the readings and participating in class discussion will contribute to the number of points towards your overall grade.
For six weeks of the semester you must hand in a 2-4 page reading response that lists at least two reading assigned that week. This may include questions you have about the reading, important points you learned, and/or things you wish to agree or disagree with. You should use these papers during the discussion. You will receive 10 points for each assignment completed by the due date up to a total of 60 points. I will not accept these papers after the assigned material has been discussed.
The syllabus gives you a general sense of when each reading will be discussed. This is subject to change.
Assignment Two: Class Participation and Attendance (25 points)
We will discuss each week’s reading. Your ability to participate in this discussion will dictate most of the discussion grade. Please raise your hand to make a contribution; do not worry about being forceful in making your way into the conversation. The class discussion is about your opinions and issues you would like to address based on some consideration of the readings and other ideas presented in class.
Assignment Three: Midterm (30 points)
The midterm will be an in-class exam. I plan to give the midterm on Tuesday, October 16.
Assignment Four: Paper (20 points)
*** We will discuss the paper extensively in class.
Five pages: double spaced.
The paper assignment is about your neighborhood (this may be the neighborhood you live in now or one previously). I would like you to examine your neighborhood from the perspective of an urban sociologist. This means looking at your neighborhood as a place that give you access to particular kinds of people, opportunities, services, employment and transportation.
You must cite three of the readings assigned for this class. You may do this research by talking to family members and friends and other people in the community. You may also consult U.S. census data although this is not required. We will learn how to do this in class. Of course, this paper can and should rely on your own observations and experiences living and perhaps, growing up in the neighborhood.
Several questions should be addressed:
1. What is your neighborhood? Describe where it is, the income of people living in the neighborhood, its size and the racial, ethnic and demographic composition. Are people the same or different. What is the mix?
2. What are relationships like in the neighborhood? Do people know each other? Are they friends or friendly? Is there conflict? Is the neighborhood organized?
3. What problems exist in the neighborhood?
4. What opportunities exist in the neighborhood? What is the neighborhood lacking in terms of opportunities? Think of this in terms of schools, services, employment and transportation. What advantages and disadvantages exist by living in your neighborhood?
5. What explains the quality of the conditions of your neighborhood? Think in terms of the readings in class.
6. What effects, if any, has the characteristics of your neighborhood had on your life so far?
The paper is due November 16
Assignment Five: Final (40 points)
The final exam will be take home exam. I will make arrangements with you about when the exam will be taken. The final will focus on the material from the midterm until the end of the course but will also include general material from the first half of the class.
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DATES / TOPIC / READINGS / Films and Web Sites /I. URBAN SOCIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS
8/29, 8/30 / A. Introduction to Urban Sociology / The New Urban Sociology, Chapter 1, pp. 1-20 and Chapter 3, pp. 43-64
Burgess, Ernest. “The Growth of the City: An Introduction to a Research Project.” In The Urban Sociology Reader, pp. 73-81.
Park, Robert. “Human Ecology.” In The Urban Sociology Reader, pp. 65-72
Wirth, Louis. “Urbanism as a Way of Life.” In The Urban Sociology Reader, pp. 32-41. / The Community and Urban Sociology Section Web Site
http://www.commurb.org/
9/4, 9/6, 9/11 / B. Contemporary Theoretical and Political Debates / The New Urban Sociology, Chapter 4, pp. 65-84
Fischer, Claude S. 1976. “Theories of Urbanism. In The Urban Sociology Reader, pp. 51-58
Logan, John and Harvey Molotch, “The City as a Growth Machine.” In The Urban Sociology Reader, pp. 97-105.
Dear, Michael. “Los Angeles and the Chicago School: Invitation to a Debate.” / U.S. Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.html
DATES / TOPIC / READINGS / Films and Web Sites /
II. UNEVEN DEVELOPMENT & THE SHAPING OF PLACE
9/13, 9/18, 9/20 / A. Suburbanization and Central City Decline / The New Urban Sociology. Chapter 6. pp. 105-138
Jackson, Kenneth. 1985. Chapter 11. “Federal Subsidy and the American Dream: How Washington Changed the American Housing Market.” In Crabgrass Frontier. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Pp 190-218.
Jackson, Kenneth. 1985. Chapter 14. “The Drive-in Culture of Contemporary America.” In Crabgrass Frontier. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Pp 246-271.
powell, john. 2002. “Sprawl, Fragmentation, and the Persistence of Racial Inequality.” In Greg Squires, editor, Urban Sprawl: Causes, Consequences, and Policy Responses.” Washington, DC: Urban Institute Press. Pp. 73-11
DATES / TOPIC / READINGS / Films and Web Sites
9/25, 9/27, 10/2 / B. Racial and Ethnic Segregation / Wacquant, Loic J.D. and William Julius Wilson. “The Cost of Racial and Class Exclusion in the Inner City. In The Urban Sociology Reader, pp. 124-133.
Massey, Douglas S. and Nancy A. Denton. “Segregation and the Making of the Underclass.” In The Urban Sociology Reader, pp. 134-143.
Caldeira, Teresa P. “Fortified Enclaves: The New Urban Segregation.” In The Urban Sociology Reader, pp. 327-335. / Measuring Segregation: www.censusscope.org/segregation.html
Film: Beyond Brown
10/4, 10/9, 10/11
Midterm: 10/16 / C. Downtown Development / The New Urban Sociology. Chapter 15. pp. 339-357.
Logan, John and Harvey Molotch, 1987. Urban Fortunes: The Political Economy of Place. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Chapter 3. “The City as a Growth Machine.” Pp. 50-98
Fogelson, Robert. 2001. Downtown: It’s Rise and Fall, 1880-1950. Chapter 6, “Wishful Thinking: Downtown and the Automotive Revolution.” Pp. 249-316.
DATES / TOPIC / READINGS / Films and Web Sites
III. URBAN ISSUES
10/18, 10/23 / A. Work, Poverty and Inequality / The New Urban Sociology. Chapter 10. pp. 199-230.
Teitz, Michael B. 1998. “The Causes of Inner-City Poverty: Eight Hypotheses in Search of Reality.” Cityscape. 3: 33-70
Wilson, William Julius. 1996. When Work Disappears: The World of the New Urban Poor. New York: Alfred Knopf. Chapter 6. “The American Belief System Concerning Poverty and Welfare.” pp 149-182 / U.S. Poverty Statistics: www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty.html
Joint Center for Poverty Research: www.jcpr.org/
10/25, 10/30, 11/1 / B. Immigration and Diversity / The New Urban Sociology. Chapter 8. pp. 155-180
James, Franklin. 1998. “The Effects of Immigration on Urban Communities.” Cityscape. 3: 171-192.
Portes, Alejandro and Robert D. Manning. “The Immigrant Enclave: Theory and Empirical Examples.” In The Urban Sociology Reader, pp. 152-163.
Waldinger, Roger. 1989. “Immigration and Urban Change.” Annual Review of Sociology. 15:211-232.
Waldinger, Roger. 1996. “From Ellis Island to LAX: Immigrant Prospects in the American Cities.” International Migration Review, 30 (4): 1078-1086. / Film: Do You Speak American?
Immigration in American NPR series: www.npr.org/news/specials/polls/2004/immigration/?sourceCode=gaw
U.S. Immigration Center: http://www.us-immigration.com/
DATES / TOPIC / READINGS / Films and Web Sites
11/6, 11/8 / C. Women and Cities / The New Urban Sociology. Chapter 7. pp. 139-154.
Markusen, Ann R. “City Spatial Structure, Women’s Household Work and National Urban Policy.” In The Urban Sociology Reader, pp. 179-189.
Hayden, Dolores. 1981. ‘What Would a Non-sexist City Be Like? Speculations on Housing, Urban Design and Human Work. In Richard T. LeGates and Frederic Stout, editors, The City Reader. New York, NY: Routledge. Pp. 142-157.
Gilbert, Melissa R. “Race, Space and Power: The Survival Strategies of Working Poor Women.” In The Urban Sociology Reader, pp. 190-207.
Adler, Sy and Johanna Brenner. “Gender and Space: Lesbians and Gay Men in the City.” In The Urban Sociology Reader, pp. 200-207.