SO 337A - Urban Sociology

Institution:

Merrimack College

Subject:

Description:

The study of the urban form at its most elementary level, is the study of the fundamental social nature of human life. Urban Sociology is the study of the diverse and complex patterns of social life associated with people and places characterized as a city. It examines the various historical, cultural, geo-political and economic factors that help explain the origin and development of the city as a social invention and changing human form. The sociological study of the city, therefore, explores the range of topics that relate to the promises and problems of social life of those who live or work or visit the urban setting. The course begins with a general review of the historical origins of urbanization and a more specific focus on urbanization, suburbanization and the growth of metropolitan regions in the United States. Traditional and American theories of urbanization are reviewed. Life as it is experienced in the city and its neighborhoods is examined in terms of class, gender, race-ethnicity, and lifestyles. Common problems of urban life such as poverty, racism, crime, and homelessness areaddressed. Patterns and theories of political power at the local level are explored. A brief lookat urbanization in the Third World serves as a stark juxtaposition to the experience of industrialized or western societies. The course concludes by considering the impending impact of the environmental issue on urban prospects and the role that metropolitan planning will play in shaping the form and place collective life will assume in the future. Prerequisite: SO 201A or consent of the instructor. Satisfies the social science distribution requirement. Three hours a week.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.merrimack.edu

Phone Number:

(978) 837-5000

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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