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Soc 2028: Sociology of New York City (in the city) Prof.
Slater E-mail:
slatere@mville.edu Phone:
914 798 2732 Office: Dammann G3 |
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Aim:
To make sense of the city from a sociological and historical perspective, with the use of the city as our primary resource.
Course Description:
An examination of the city's recent social changes: the formation of new immigrant communities; the emergence of a metropolitan economy that is closely tied to globalization; and the tension between the commercialization of the city and its renowned street life. The city houses some of the richest and the poorest in the nation; is a center for mass media and the arts; and is hailed by many as the leading global city. We will consider how this unique urban environment forms the experiences and identities of New Yorkers; framing issues such as ethnic succession and segregation; inequality and education; policing and social control; public spaces and homelessness. Also covered is the changing image of New York in national and world consciousness; and September 11 and its aftermath. Frequent field trips will reinforce and expand material covered in the course.
Requirements:
Organized around readings, discussions, field trips, lectures, student forums, films, use of local media and direct observation, attendance and participation are essential. We will take advantage of our location in the city by following local media, keeping a journal consisting of one article/entry per week, and at least one direct observation. Additionally, written reviews of select readings and oral presentations will be a regular feature of the course.
Texts:
Mitchell
Duneier, Sidewalk
Lee
Stringer, Grand Central Winter
All
other readings are available through the Manhattanville College Library
website. Follow the link “Electronic
Reserves” to the course page at Docutek.
Grading:
There
are three parts to the grade: participation and journal entries; writing
assignments; and the final project.
Weekly
Schedule:
I. Organizational Meeting
II. New York’s Renaissance
E.B. White, Here is New York
Kurt Anderson, City of Schemes
Frank Rich, The De Facto Capital
Timothy Egan, Technology Sent Wall Street into
Markets for Pornography
III. ‘Cosmopolitan’ New York: Immigration
Nancy Foner, Who They Are and Why They Have Come
Mike Davis, Magical Urbanism:
Latinos Reinvent the US Big City
Recommended:
Francisco L. Rivera-Batiz, The Socio-Economic Status
of Hispanic New Yorkers Grossfoguel, et al. (ed.) Immigration, Transnationalization
and Race in a Changing New York
IV.
Field
trip: the 7 train
V.
Immigration, cont’d
Recommended:
Derek Walcott, Antilles: Fragments of Epic Memory
Joseph Mitchell, King of the Gypsies & Mohawks
in High Steel
VI. Gentrification and Displacement
Marshall Berman, Robert Moses: The
Expressway World
Yilu Zhao, Complaints of Safety Violations now
Coming from Landlords
Jim Nelson, Hipification
Recommended:
Robert Caro, The Power Broker
Christopher Mele, Selling the Lower East Side
Lee
Stringer, Grand Central Winter
Rosalyn Deutsche, Evictions
VII. Field trip: Public Lecture at CUNY Graduate Center
VIII. Sidewalk I: Marginality, Informal Economy,
and Community
Mitchell Duneier, Sidewalk
IX.
Sidewalk II: Policing and Social Control
Keller, Broken Windows
Jane Jacobs, The Uses of Sidewalks
Recommended:
Michael Winerip, Why Harlem Drug
Cops Don't Discuss Race
X.
Field
trip: Public Spaces in the City
Stringer, Grand Central Winter
XI.
The Global City
Recommended:
Saskia Sassen, The Global City
Fernand Braudel, The Perspective of
the World
XII.
Field
trip: Transnationalism in Upper Manhattan
XIII.
Street Life through Film: Graffiti, Hip Hop
& Etc.
XIV. Presentations
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