Urban History

6 ECTS credits
180 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 4018418ENR for all students in the 1st semester at a (E) Master - advanced level.

Semester

1st semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Taught in

English

Faculty

Faculty of Languages & Humanities

Department

History, Archaeology, Arts, Philosophy and Ethics

Educational team

Anne Winter (course titular)
Mattijs De Graeve
Wouter Ryckbosch

Activities and contact hours

20 contact hours Lecture
24 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
90 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

This course covers key debates in the discipline of urban history, with a focus on European experiences. After an introduction into processes of ‘urbanization’ in a long-term perspective, and a survey of the main historiography, the course addresses central debates in urban history around key themes such as the historical relationship between cities and economic growth, state formation, migration, social inequality and and the spatial development of cities. These themes are addressed in a comparative long-term perspective that draws in case studies from ancient history to the recent past. The meetings consist of lectures and seminars and possibly an excursion that involve active reflection and participation from students on the basis of reading and reflection. The course teaches students to analyse historical literature and debates on urban history.

Course material

Course text (Required) : Reader Urban History
Digital course material (Required) : Slides, assignments, additional course materials, Canvas
Practical course material (Required) : Course notes

Additional info

Learning Outcomes

Eindcompetenties

Upon completion of the course, students can
- recognize key debates in the field of urban history
- identify basic chronological and spatial patterns of urbanization processes
- identify different types of European cities and provide examples of other cities in global history compared to European cities
- critically reflect on the role of cities in historical development by mobilizing knowledge from historical case studies
- autonomously read, synthesise and critically reflect upon academic literature on urban history in a comparative perspective
- critically reflect on the role of cities in historical development by giving examples of case studies
- formulate their insights and reflections in a structured way, both orally and in writing, and can conduct a structured discussion

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 70% of the final mark.
Other determines 30% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Written Exam with a relative weight of 70 which comprises 70% of the final mark.

Within the Other category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Assignments with a relative weight of 30 which comprises 30% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written exam: 70% of the final mark
Assignments: 30% of the final mark

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context