ANTHRO 311-001 Urban Anthropology
Fall Semester 2019
Mod Lang. Rm. 214, TTh 11 am--12:15 pm
Dr. Park (Office hrs.: Geronimo Rm. 316 W 12-3 pm, Th. 1-3 pm)
COURSE SYLLABUS (note syllabus & pdfs available on usb in class)
Course Description: This course has no pre-requisites beyond intellectual curiosity about urban areas and processes. The course covers global slums and green cities as well as tactical urbanism and urban pollution. Cities are locales where social relations and economic activities are intensified. They are already the residence of the majority of the human population and invariably consume the production from several orders of magnitude more space than they occupy directly. While evironmental issues are critical to urban prosperity, these days many most admire those cities that embody aesthetic and cultural values. Diversity is the urban norm but abnormal in maquiladora factory towns. Cutting edge ideas are expected in cities but not in rural areas. In classic Athenian perspectives, a city was a place where strangers met and philosophy and art flourished.
Course Requirements
Credit in this course is based on participation and an individual powerpoint based on an urban project. Participation includes in class short answer responses done on line plus collection of urban pollution data (sound and air quality) as part of a team. Individual projects can involve urban research in Tucson or critical and comparative responses to readings about other cities, past or current. Projects need to be provided to me in some form; powerpoint or critical text outline. I do not require proper scholarly papers, projects may even be photographic essays. You will be graded on ideas and insights. The course has 100 points graded on a typical scale (e.g. >=80, ,>=90 etc being cut-offs for B and A respectively). I do not grade on a curve.
Requirements comprise three parts:
1. Participation (A) in class: 30 points. During class, I will regularly ask you to briefly answer a question in multiple choice form. These questions will be based on the assigned readings but I will cover those readings in class before asking questions. Your total score for this section will be your average percentage times 30 points. This means that attendance in class and comprehension of the assigned reading materials or the lectures are important to success in the course. These points can be made up during an office visit if you get approval in advance to miss the class.
2. Participation (B) Urban pollution - one individual powerpoint worth 40 pts You will need as a group to borrow each of the two meters and circulate the meters among group members to (individually) collect data from ten urban locales of the individual’s choosing. Groups can check out sound and air quality meters from me for one week at a time. You must keep a notebook recording location, date and time of day as well as all the meter readings for each locale. You must present the data you collect in a powerpoint and turn in the powerpoint to me. We will map out the data and discuss the findings at the end of the class if we have time.
3. Powerpoint for a tactical urban project (see examples in Tactical Urbanism): worth 30 points.
Projects should evaluate an urban issue or concern. They may be current or historical. These must be provided to me by the end of the Thanksgiving holiday. This is basically a proposal for a piece of tactical urbanism following a guideline I will provide that has five points on it so it could be covered in five slides or more. The most important criterion is that you have a good idea for an urban improvement and you document what it would take to do this. I will also provide a guideline for key aspects to consider in individual projects. Projects must be approved by me by 4 October.
Scholarships: I will award three $500 scholarships for the Spring semester based on excellence in the course, enrollment in the Spring semester and an explicit request to be considered for a scholarship sent from your UA email to mine prior to 20 December 2019.
Hardware Requirement
All students are asked to sign up to join the Tophat software. This software allows all students to participate in class using any computer, tablet or smartphone. Please let me know if this will be an issue. Cost per student is $30 for this semester, $48 for 12 months or $96 for four years. On the website (tophat.com) you sign up as a student and choose University of Arizona, Urban Anthropology Anthro 311 F2019. The join code is 411484 (password: UrbanA). You pay with any standard credit card.
IMPORTANT: Please make sure your username in Tophat is or begins with your LastnameFirstname to facilitate alphabetization when grades are exported. Dr. Park expects students to attend all class sessions, participate actively in class discussions, and keep up with the required readings.
Required texts I will also distribute short extracts from the recommended list and from various other texts as pdfs.
Lydon, Mike & Anthony Garcia. Tactical Urbanism. Short-term Action for Long-term Change. Washington: Island Press, 2015 (available as PDF)
U.N., The Challenge of the Slums. Global Report on Human Settlements. 2003. (PDF provided)
Highly Recommended (I will discuss points from these in lectures but also provide pdf extracts)
Beatley, Timothy. Editor. Green Cities of Europe. Global Lessons on Green Urbanism. Washington: Island Press, 2012.
Caldeira, Teresa P. R. City of Walls. Crime, Segregation, and Citizenship in São Paulo. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000.
Davis, Mike. City of Quartz. New York: Vintage Books, 1992.
Planet of Slums. London: Verso, 2006.
Emerson, Chad. The Smart Code Solution to Sprawl. Washington: Environmental Law Institute, 2007.
Friedmann, Joh, The Prospect of Cities. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2002.
Giscard, Luigi Fusco et al editors. The Human Sustainable City. Challenges and Perspectives from the Habitat Agenda. London: Ashgate, 2003.
Hannerz, Ulf. Exploring the City. Inquiries toward an Urban Anthropology. New York: Columbia University Press, 1980.
Kapell, Mstthew Wilhelm and Drew B. R. Elliott. Playing with the Past. Digital games and the simulation of history. New York: Bloomsburym, 2013.
Kotkin, Joel. The City. A Global History. New York. the Modern Library, 2005.
Lynch, Kevin. Good City Form. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1981.
Mostafavi, Mohsen and Gareth Doherty, editors. Ecological Urbanism. Cambridge: Lars Müller Publishers, 2010.
Mumford. Lewis. The City in History. New York: Harcourt, Inc, 1989 (1961).
Park, Robert E., E.W. Burgess and R. D. McKenzie. The City. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1925.
Southall, Aidan. The City in Time and Space. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
United Nations. Crucibles of Hazard: mega cities and disasters in transition. New York: United Nations University Press, 1999
United Nations Human Settlements Programme. Global report on human settlements 2011. Cities and Climate Change.
A few of the many Significant Questions we will consider:
How do you and significantly different others currently experience urban space ? What city (if any) do you aspire to live in ?
Which other cities might you envisage living in and how much money do you think you will need ?
What makes a city livable, attractive, worth visiting and how do urban salaries and costs impact this ?
Are cities the future or will we move to dispersed settlements working digitally from home ?
How do urban public spaces acquire meaning ? Find some examples.
What do you know about the history of urbanization ?
Does size matter ?
How are insitutionalized inequalities expressed in the urban context ? How do urban air and sound qualities differ between inside, outside, poor and rich neighborhoods, busy street corners, nightclubs etc. ?
Are cities a burden on the environment or do they pull their own weight ? What issues should be considered in this calculation ?
Will climate change impact the location or structure of cities ?
How does this play out internationally ?
So far, have cities promoted inequality or equality ? Is this likely to change ?
How do public and private urban spaces express inclusivity or exclusivity ? How variable is this over space and time ?
Where will the largest urban zones be found 100 years from now ?
How do online RPG environments differ from urban environments in terms of interpersonal negotiation ? -- are they more or less anonymous, are the constraints on role playing as apparent as in real life, how well do they capture the dynamics of decision making, where are the institutions hidden and what role do they play.
Define attributes of a city: {a center for exchange of goods and information}, {a place where strangers meet}, {where residence, production, education and commerce are in close proximity}, {an aesthetic and stimulating environment for human living and productivity}, {a locus of civic pride and intercultural exchange}, {an important religious or political center}, { a place where people get asthma, cancer, etc}...
What is neo-liberalism as a policy and how might it or other policies impact cities and the people in them ?
WEEK DATE TOPIC AND READINGS
1. 27, 29 August Introduction: Urbanism, origins and historical trajectoriies
Why study cities, which ways will we do this in this class.
Guide to critical thinking
Kotkin The City: Chapters One to Three. (pdf)
Kotkin The City: Chapter Four.
(Labor Day September 2, no UA classes)
2. 3, 5 September
Urban identies and making of place
breakouts, presentation of your areas of interest.
History and urban identity
Southall, The City through Time and Space, Chapter 4 (pdf)
3. 10, 12 Sept.
Tactical urbanism
Lydon & Garcia Tactical urbanism, Chapters 1-3
4. 17, 19 Sept.
Lydon & Garcia Chapters 4-6
Lynch Good City Form, Chapter 4, (pdf)
5. 24, 26 September
Environmental research discussion
Decibels and your hearing (online and pdfs)
Pariticulates and formeldahyde, asthma and cancer (online and pdfs)
Lynch Appendix C, (pdf)
6. 1, 3 October
Break-outs for Group (5-10 students) Environmental Projects: critical urban
issues
Write and submit either on paper or by email your one page summaries of locales where you
plan to collect data and why. Sign up for air quality and sound meters for week length window to fit your schedules prior to the end of Thanksgiving holiday. Meters signed out to groups only.
7. 8, 10 October
The Modern Metropolis
Kotkin The City Part Six
Tucson’s economic segregation
8. 15, 17 October
Ecology and Urbanism
Beatley Green Cities of Europe Chapters 3 & 6, (pdf)
UN Cities in Climate Change (pdf) Chapter 5.
9. 22, 24 October
Urbanism and inequalities
UN Challenge of the Slums Chapter 3 & 4
10. 29, 31 Oct.
Scheduling of urban pollution presentations Discussion of inequality
11. 5, 7 Nov.
The Chicago School
Park & Burgess, The City. Chapter I (pdf)
Hannerz Exploring the City , Chapter 2 (pdf)
Urban economics
Friedmann Chapter 3 (pdf)
Park “Moroccan migration” (pdf)
(Veteran’s day M Nov 11, No classes)
12. 12, 14 Nov.
UN Challenge of the Slums Chapters 6 & 7
Park “Urban sociology in poor cities” (pdf)
13. 19, 21 Nov.
Read
UN Challenge of the Slums: Chapter 8
Friedmann Chapter 6 (pdf)
I have a meeting to attend in Vancouver, CA but may be here on the 19th
(they have not yet put the program online so I do not know the day my panel
presents). If I will not be here I will open office hours on Monday for anyone
who wants to go over their powerpoint.
14. 26 Nov. Presentations of urban pollution findings
Thanksgiving 28 November - 1 Dec.
15. 3, 5 Dec. Presentations of urban pollution findings
16. 10 Dec Presentations of urban pollution findings (Final class)
(12 Dec Reading day No classes)
N.B. I need the final versions of your presentations by Monday 16 December
Class and University Rules for Anthro 311
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is of course forbidden and will certainly net you a zero for an assignment. Repeat offenders will be referred to university disciplinary committees who will decide what action is appropriate. You may discuss even your individual projects verbally with others but please create your own slides for projects or credit their source on the slide. It is essential to learning that your own brain process the material - simply repeating what someone else says in written or oral form does not require or usually involve any learning.
Classroom behavior
Students attend class to hear the lectures (or the majority do) and since they pay good money to go to the U of A they have the right to peace and quiet in the class room. I, in addition, do not think anyone should be in attendance merely to get credit so people will be asked to leave for infringing class rules which prohibit:
a) reading of newspapers or popular magazines
b) use of headphones or earbuds
c) inappropriate internet browsing, talking on phones, texting, etc.
d) interruptions of the lecture or any form of disruptive behavior.
Note: I am not timid and have no inhibitions about asking students to leave the lecture but this does not mean you will receive any further punishment – once you have quietly left - your slate is clean though you will not get credit for questions that day unless you come to my office to discuss the material. If someone is disturbing your concentration you are encouraged to bring this to my attention.
Implicit and Explicit Treatment of other students
The University of Arizona does not tolerate racist or sexist remarks and you are, more generally, expected to avoid disparaging personal remarks about other people. You are explicitly forbidden from making sexist or racist remarks. Tolerance is often a virtue but hate speech is unacceptable in a classroom. You will be asked to leave the lecture or discussion section if you engage in hateful remarks and may well face further disciplinary action at the discretion of the U of A administration.
Honors Contracts
Students who wish to take this course as an Honors course are encouraged to meet with me to set up an Honors contract which will be tailored to individual interests but always involve additional work over and above the normal requirements for the course. Honors contract general requirements are available at http://www.honors.arizona.edu/future-students/honors-credit-across-campus.
Late Work Policy
As a rule, work will not be accepted late except in case of documented emergency or illness. You may petition the professor in writing for an exception if you feel you have a compelling reason for turning work in late.
Attendance Policy
The UA’s policy concerning Class Attendance and Administrative Drops is available at: http://catalog.arizona.edu/2014-15/policies/classatten.htm
The UA policy regarding absences on and accommodation of religious holidays is available at http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/policies-and-codes/accommodation-religious-observance-and-practice.
Absences pre-approved by the UA Dean of Students (or Dean designee) will be honored. See:
http://uhap.web.arizona.edu/chapter_7#7.04.02
Participating in course and attending lectures and other course events are vital to the learning process. As such, attendance is expected at all class meetings. Students who miss class due to illness or emergency are required to bring documentation from their healthcare provider or other relevant, professional third parties. Failure to submit third-party documentation will result in a zero on in-class questions.
Assignment Format
Please write all essays using only your own words, no citations, no references, no plagiarism.
Classroom Behavior
You may not use headphones or earbuds, play video games, read the newspaper, or interrupt the class in any way that prevents your fellow students from paying attention. You are explicitly forbidden from making sexist of racist remarks in the classroom. Tolerance is often a virtue but hate speech is unacceptable in a classroom. You will be asked to leave the lecture if you engage in hateful or demeaning remarks and may face further disciplinary action at the discretion of U of A administration.
The Arizona Board of Regents’ Student Code of Conduct, ABOR Policy 5-308, prohibits threats of physical harm to any member of the University community, including to one’s self. See: http://policy.arizona.edu/threatening-behavior-students.
Notification of Objectionable Materials
Although course content may be deemed offensive by some students, such materials are deemed important for the learning process. Students are not excused from interacting with such materials, but they are certainly encouraged to express well-formed opinions that express those objections and their reasons for them.
Accessibility and Accommodations
It is the University’s goal that learning experiences be as accessible as possible. If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability, please let me know immediately so that we can discuss options. You are also welcome to contact Disability Resources (520-621-3268) to establish reasonable accommodations. For additional information on Disability Resources and reasonable accommodations, please visit http://drc.arizona.edu/.
If you have reasonable accommodations, please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate.
Please be aware that the accessible table and chairs in this room should remain available for students who find that standard classroom seating is not usable.
Student Code of Academic Integrity
Students are encouraged to share intellectual views and discuss freely the principles and applications of course materials. However, graded work/exercises must be the product of independent effort unless otherwise instructed. Students are expected to adhere to the UA Code of Academic Integrity as described in the UA General Catalog. See: http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/codeofacademicintegrity http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/academic-integrity/students/academic-integrity.
The University Libraries have some excellent tips for avoiding plagiarism available at: http://www.library.arizona.edu/help/tutorials/plagiarism/index.html.
Additional Resources for Students
UA Non-discrimination and Anti-harassment policy: http://policy.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/Nondiscrimination.pdf
UA Academic policies and procedures are available at:
http://catalog.arizona.edu/2014-15/policies/aaindex.html
Student Assistance and Advocacy information is available at:
http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/student-assistance/students/student-assistance
Confidentiality of Student Records
http://www.registrar.arizona.edu/ferpa/default.htm
Subject to Change Statement
Information contained in the course syllabus, other than the grade and absence policy, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.