SOC195 Cities and Social Changes

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2010
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Slavomíra Ferenčuhová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Ing. Radim Marada, Ph.D.
Division of Sociology – Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Timetable
Mon 12:00–13:30 U34
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 40 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/40, only registered: 0/40
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 11 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
It has been argued that the social changes characteristic of the last centuries have had considerable effects on forms of the cities and lives of their inhabitants. Also, the cities are often seen as places where the ongoing social transformations are best visible (Savage et al. 2003). This course explains the interconnections between economic and technological changes and the growth of modern cities, the evolution of the relation between states and cities during the 20th century and the influences of political changes on cities and their development.
Students learn how to use the selected sociological concepts in the specific field of urban studies. One part of the assigned readings pays attention to the situation in the cities in the Central and Eastern Europe. By focusing the readings partly on the context familiar to students, the course aims to motivate them to formulate their own questions regarding the places where they live. By the end of the course, the students are able to explain their observations and to apply general sociological concepts to identify and explain particular cases and events. The students eventually prove their ability to interpret concrete cases (localities, events, phenomena of urban life) in the final essay.
Syllabus
  • 1. Uvedenie do problematiky
  • 2. Core concepts and perspective
  • 3. Modern city: The growth of metropolis in Europe and USA
  • 4. Urbanization in Czech lands and the transformation of everyday life
  • 5. The planned transformation: control of the urban development and urban planning
  • 6. Migration, ethnic diversity and urban change
  • 7. Globalization and cities
  • 8. Transformation of urban policies and of the relation of the nation states and the cities in the 21st century
  • 9. Socialist and postsocialist city
  • 10. Cities and memory
  • 11. Transforming cities outside Europe and USA
Literature
  • The urban sociology reader. Edited by Jan Lin - Christopher Mele. London: Routledge. ix, 363. ISBN 0415323436. 2005. info
  • SAVAGE, Mike, Alan WARDE and Kevin WARD. Urban sociology, capitalism and modernity. 2nd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave. xi, 242 s. ISBN 0-333-97160-4. 2003. info
  • HORSKÁ, Pavla, Jiří MUSIL and Eduard MAUR. Zrod velkoměsta : urbanizace českých zemí a Evropa. Vyd. 1. Praha: Paseka. 352 s. ISBN 8071854093. 2002. info
Teaching methods
The teaching methods are a combination of lectures (presentations and explanations of the main problems and concepts) with seminars, when the students focus on interpretation and discussion of the readings. The individual and regular homework is an important part of the learning. Presentation of critical comments and questions related to the readings, or searching for illustrations of the more general concepts, takes places within the seminars. A regular attendance at the classes is therefore required. Students hand in two short essays and one position paper during the semester. These works are discussed in detail during the seminars.
Assessment methods
(1) Attendance: 75% classes or max. 3 hours absent
(2) 3 short papers handed in during the semester
(3) Final essay - case study (2000 words).
The essays are marked A-F. The mark will reflect the quality of the essay regarding its content (clarity of the problem and of the question open by the essay, clarity of argument, the use of the literature and concepts), as well as the formal requirements (language, quotation practice, editing).
Language of instruction
Czech
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2009, Spring 2011, Spring 2012.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2010, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2010/SOC195