5 ECTS credits
144 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 4014936FNR for all students in the 1st semester at a (F) Master - specialised level.
Course subject: urban sociology
Course description:
The course consists in developing a sociological approach of the city in terms of interdependencies between society (social organization) and city (spatial organization). The city is both a social product - a physical and social space shaped by social, economical, political logics, etc. - and an invested environment of social representations and of meanings owing to the social activities that itself is unfold. This environment is presented as a set of resources and constraints for the actors and social groups.
Part of the course is dedicated to theoretical approaches that, historically situated, illustrate both the evolution of the principal mains of interest of urban research and the different paradigms used by researchers. The second part focuses on the sociological factors that accompany the process of metropolisation.
Methods :
Literature consulted (required reading)
(1) GOTTDIENER, M., HUTCHINSON, R. (2006). The New Urban Sociology, Third Edition, Westview Press: 21-40.
(2) TÖNNIES, F., “Community and Society” (1887), in LIN, J. & MELE, C.(ed.), The Urban Sociology Reader, Routledge, 2005 : 16-22.
(3) SIMMEL, G., “The Metropolis and Mental Life” (1903), in LIN, J. & MELE, C.(ed.),(2005) The Urban Sociology Reader, Routledge,: 23-31.
(4) WIRTH, L.(1938), “Urbanism as a Way of Live”, The American Journal of Sociology, Vol.44, No.1., Jul.: 1-24.
(5) BURGESS E.W.(1925) “The Growth of the City : An introduction to a Research Project” , in LIN, J. & MELE, C.(ed.), (2005)The Urban Sociology Reader, Routledge : 73-81.
(6) LEFEBVRE, H., “The Urban Revolution” (1968), in Brenner, N. et Keil, R., The Global Cities Reader, Routledge, 2005 : 407-413.
(7) CASTELLS, M., “The Space of Flows” (1996, 2nd edn 2000), in Susser, I. (ed) (2001), The Castells Reader on Cities and Social Theory, Blackwell Publishers: 314-387.
(8) AUGE, M., Non-Places. An Introduction to Supermodernity, (1992), Verso, 2008 : 60-93.
(9) BECK, U., “Living Your Own Life in a Runaway World : Individualisation, Globalisation and Politics”, in HUTTON, W., GIDDENS, A. (eds),(2000). On the Edge, Living with Global Capitalism, London, Jonathan Cape: 164-174.
(10) BAUMAN, Z.(2007) Liquid Times. Living in an Age of Uncertainty, Polity: 71-93.
(11) FLORIDA, R., “Cities and the Creative Class”, in LIN, J. & MELE, C.(ed.), (2005) The Urban Sociology Reader, Routledge: 290-301.
Aims and objectives:
The students can
(1) Discuss how sociology can contribute to explain and clarify the logic at work in the contemporary development of Western cities.
(2) Master a corpus of analysis and concepts allowing them
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Other Exam determines 100% of the final mark.
Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
written exam (50%) and essay (50%)
The written exam includes four questions and lasts about two hours.
Evaluation criteria for the essay (scientific paper) include: clarity of the central question and general structure of the paper, readability of the text and precision of the vocabulary, depth of the developed arguments and comments on literature, references and sources.
For the essay, students have to write a short scientific paper on a subject in a sociological perspective and in relation to the course.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Urban Studies: 4CITIES Classical track
Master of Urban Studies: Standard track
Master of Urban Studies: 4CITIES ResearchPractice track