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Academic Year 2005/2006

Race, Class and The City
AFAM 243 SP

This course will examine the intersection of social inequality and urban life in the United States. We will analyze the manner in which race, ethnicity and class have shaped the dynamics of economic, political, and community life in American cities and metropolitan areas. The course will focus primarily, but not exclusively, on the experience of African Americans. We will also give some consideration to the experiences of whites, Asians and Latinos. During the semester we will explore key issues including: urban growth, neighborhood and community life, urban economic development, housing, local politics, suburbanization, gentrification, redlining, residential segregation, the "Urban crisis," ghettoes, barrios, and urban poverty, ethnic competition for jobs, crime, "global cities," urban ecology, sprawl, and changing urban policies. We will give particular attention to the cities and metropolitan areas of New York, Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles.

MAJOR READINGS

Sugrue, Thomas, J., THE ORIGINS OF THE URBAN CRISIS: RACE AND INEQUALITY IN POSTWAR DETROIT, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1996
Venkatesh, Sudhir, AMERICAN PROJECT: THE RISE AND FALL OF A MODERN GHETTO, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2000
Waldinger, Roger, STILL THE PROMISED CITY?: AFRICAN AMERICANS AND NEW IMMIGRANTS IN POSTINDUSTRIAL NEW YORK, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Short written assignments, a term paper and exams.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

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

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Brown,Eric    
Times: ..T.R.. 09:00AM-10:20AM;     Location: FISK302;
Reserved Seats:    (Total Limit: 40)
SR. major: 6   Jr. major: 6
SR. non-major: 3   Jr. non-major: 3   SO: 7   FR: 15

Special Attributes:
Curricular Renewal:    Writing
Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-30-2006

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