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Academic Year 2000/2001

The American Ghetto
AFAM 304 SP
Crosslistings:
GOVT 378

Is inner city poverty inevitable? Are poor communities inherently unstable and vulnerable communities? Is government policy a primary cause of poverty? This seminar will examine these questions among others. After a brief historical consideration of urban poverty, we will turn our attention to (1) contemporary processes and relationships that contribute to the production of ghettos; (2) the assumptions that underpin popular and policy ideas about the urban poor, especially the African American poor; and (3) current policy debates. We will situate African American ghettos within the context of historic immigrant ghettos and today's barrios and Chinatowns.

MAJOR READINGS

Jargowsky, POVERTY AND PLACE, GHETTOS, BARRIOS, AND THE AMERICAN CITY
Schram, WORDS OF WELFARE, THE POVERTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCE OF POVERTY
Lin, RECONSTRUCTING CHINATOWN, ETHNIC ENCLAVE, GLOBAL CHANGE
Noble, WELFARE AS WE KNOW IT, A POLITICAL HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN WELFARE STATE

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Short papers plus research paper. Students will also lead seminar discussions.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Students are expected to have taken courses in African American Studies, American politics, ethnic studies and/or urban studies.

Any remaining seats will also be open to sophomores during the Drop/Add period. Students must see the professor.

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS GOVT    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-26-2001

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