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Academic Year 2005/2006


Anthropology of U.S. Cities: Power, Inequality and Everday Life in Urban America
ANTH 360 SP

Crosslistings:
AFAM 358
AMST 358

This class will focus on understanding power and inequality in post-WWII American cities. We will examine how city residents interpret the built environment and reshape the city, how a series of migrations have reshaped urban spaces, and how patterns of government and private investment have impacted cities in the late 20th century. This course will examine contemporary urban life in America on three levels 1) daily life and personal experiences in cities, 2) the larger economic and political processes that shape urban lives and spaces; and, 3) the images of representations of the city that effect urban realities. We will incorporate analyses of popular culture representations of cities (film, television) or other primary sources (advertisements, urban planning documents) with our historical and ethnographic readings. We will pay special attention to how racial, class and gender hierarchies shape urban space and experiences and to how wealth and poverty are connected within cities and between cities and suburbs.

MAJOR READINGS

Tomas Sugrue, THE ORIGINS OF THE URBAN CRISIS: RACE AND INEQUALITY IN POSTWAR DETROIT
Brett Williams, UPSCALING DOWNTOWN: STALLED GENTRIFICTION IN WASHINGTON D.C.
Nancy Abelman, BLUE DREAMS: BLACKS AND KOREANS IN THE L. A. RIOTS
Steven Gregory, BLACK CORONA: RACE AND THE POLITICS OF PLACE IN AN URBAN COMMUNITY
Philippe Bourgois, IN SEARCH OF RESPECT: SELLING CRACK IN EL BARRIO
John Hartigan, RACIAL SITUATIONS: CLASS PREDICAMENTS OF WHITENESS IN DETROIT

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Weekly response papers, two 7-9 page papers or a final 15-20 page research paper.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

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

Prerequisites: NONE

SECTION 01

Instructor(s): Tilton,Jennifer R.   
Times: .....F. 01:10PM-04:00PM;     Location: FISK115;
Reserved Seats:    (Total Limit: 17)
SR. major: 5   Jr. major: 6
SR. non-major: 2   Jr. non-major: 2   SO: 2   FR: 0

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

Last Updated on MAR-30-2006


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