The Anthropology of the City
Course description
This course is a study of everyday life in cities across the Americas, past and present. Using the theory and methods of historical and urban anthropology, we will analyse how ordinary people make a living, create community, and respond to inequity in urban regions built on colonised land.
The course consists of three parts. Part One, Urbanisation, introduces students to urban and historical anthropology, and analyses a selection of key moments in the development of urban regions across the Americas. Part Two, Diversity, is a series of case studies of the interplay between urban design, cultural diversity, and systemic inequity in everyday life. Part Three, Struggle, examines conflicts over territory, resources, and representation from the perspectives of marginalised city-dwellers. Topics covered throughout the three parts include globalisation, urban planning, multiculturalism, gentrification, social movements, and popular culture.
Learning goals
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Provide an informed perspective on social and political issues faced by urban regions in the Americas;
- Use anthropological research methods to see power and politics in everyday life;
- Construct an ethnographic case study from original primary research and secondary scholarly sources; and
- Present research findings in a variety of formats, and with the depth and confidence required for postgraduate studies and professional contexts.
