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Regular version of the site

Research Seminar “Urban Studies”

2017/2018
Academic Year
ENG
Instruction in English
4
ECTS credits
Course type:
Elective course
When:
2 year, 1-4 module

Course Syllabus

Abstract

We will learn the key theoretical approaches, features, organizing principles, ways of the development of urban studies, as well as the key tools of data collection and analysis in the area of urban issues’ research
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • studying the main areas of urban studies
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • Know main concepts related to the social processes in urban space
  • Know research areas related to the contemporary urban studies
  • Know theoretical concepts explaining the functioning of the cities
  • Know classical and contemporary examples of the empirical studies in an urban space
  • Be able to analyze theoretical sources, juxtaposition different approaches to the analysis of the urban space;
  • Be able to formulate the topic of an empirical study in the field of urban studies, prepare methodological tools for the research
  • Be able to conduct empirical studies and present its results in the form of oral presentation with visual materials
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • Introduction in urban studies
    Main directions of the urban studies; key theoretical approaches, features, organizing principles, ways of the development of urban studies, as well as the key tools of data collection and analysis in the area of urban issues’ research.
  • Gentrification
    Key approaches to the analysis of the processes of displacement and migration of urban populations as a result of increased rent, development of cultural projects, and general changes on the real estate market; main effects of gentrification in the European and North American cities.
  • Social segregation in a city
    Key approaches to the studies of social segregation in urban spaces: ethnical / race ghetto, ethnic village, suburbanization, and integration.
  • Ethnic, religious, educational segregation
    Cases of the social segregation in a city based on such characteristics as belonging to a certain ethnical group or religious group; segregation based on unequal educational opportunities in the field of vocational and tertiary education.
  • Crimes in the city: criminological urban studies
    Main approaches to studying the safety and crimes in the city; relation with different characteristics of urban territories: socio-economic composition, ethnicity/ race, level of cohesion of the local community, visual order.
  • Issues of the development of local communities
    Opportunities and limitation for the development of the neighborhoods; grass-roots self-organizing; main ways and barriers for the involvement of urban populations in the local problem-solving
  • Types of participatory involvement in the city’s problem solving
    Forms of the participatory involvement of the citizens, expert communities, art collectives, social researchers and universities in the projects on the urban environment renovation on the local and city level.
  • Poverty in the city
    Key features of the urban forms with the population below the poverty line and in the deprived situation; relationship between poverty and such characteristics as safety, crime, race, ethnicity.
  • Urban public spaces
    Factors affecting the success of the urban public spaces’ functioning; examples of European, North American and Russian cases.
  • Urban public movements
    Parameters of the emergence, functioning and success of the public movements dedicated to the topics of the urban environment protection.
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking Activities in class
  • non-blocking Report/Presentation
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • Interim assessment (4 module)
    0.4 * Activities in class + 0.6 * Report/Presentation
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • Erdi Lelandais, G. (2014). Understanding the City : Henri Lefebvre and Urban Studies. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=806572

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • Imbroscio, D. L., & Davies, J. S. (2010). Critical Urban Studies : New Directions. Albany: State University of New York Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=343793