GEO 367 - Urban Social Geography

Spring 2006

Class Meetings: Mon/Wed/Fri 1:00 - 1:50 in Fillmore 355

Office Hours: Wed. 10:00am - 12:00pm or by appt. in Wilkeson 118 (Ellicott Complex)

Teaching Assistant: Aubrey Balcom e-mail: asbalcom@geog.buffalo.edu

Contact Dr. Cope... best way is by e-mail: mcope@buffalo.edu or try voice mail: 645-2722 ext. 25

Quick Links

Syllabus    Reading & Assignment Schedule   Mid-Term Info    Final Project Info    UBLearns Log-in    Internships & Jobs    Useful Urban Links    MyUB Main Page

Announcements:

Please note the change in reading schedule and assignment for Brief #4. - April 10, 2006

Required Text Materials:

1. Knox, P. and S. Pinch, 2000. Urban Social Geography: An Introduction; 4th Edition. NY: Prentice Hall.
Available at the UB bookstore and Greeks & Sneaks, or through on-line textbook sellers.

2. Selected chapters from: Kaplan, D., J. Wheeler, and S. Holloway, 2003. Urban Geography. NY: Wiley Publishers.
These readings are available in pdf on UBLearns in the "Course Documents" section.

Syllabus

Overview:

The purpose of this course is to examine the internal workings of cities*, with a focus on North American cities, viewed in a context of 'globalization', fragmentation, and difference. In this course, we take the social-spatial dialectic, that is, the idea that society and space mutually condition each other, as a lens through which to view the inner workings of urban areas -- how and where people work, play, raise families, engage in economic and political exchanges, grow communities, and shape cities. Further, processes of social stratification and discrimination that foster class, race, gender, and other differences and cause their expression on the urban landscape are taken as particular areas of interest. Students are not required to have a background in Geography, but an interest in urban issues and some prior coursework are helpful.

*Some students will have completed GEO366, which is offered every fall semester and studies the city as part of a broader structure. While recommended, GEO366 is not a pre-requisite.

Evaluation of Students:

Students are expected to come to class prepared, having completed the assigned readings. Four 'briefs' are due in the course of the semester: these are short (1-2 page) papers summarizing readings and raising questions or critiques. There is a mid-term exam, which will involve writing an essay. There is also a final paper/project in which students are encouraged to explore an urban topic of their own interest with some guidance from Dr. Cope. This may take the form of a traditional (~10 page) paper, or an alternative such as a cartography or web-based project (with permission and a detailed outline).

Class Participation (this is important!): 20%

4 Briefs: 10% each = 40%

Mid-term: 20%

Final Paper/Project: 20%

 

General Policies:

No late papers, please. I require a doctor's note or other documentation for the rare cases in which I grant an extension (getting stuck in the snow is not a good excuse!). If you have trouble handing in a hard-copy of your Brief, you may deposit in the "Digital Drop Box" on our GEO367 UBLearns site by the start of class on the due date.

Many issues we will discuss are contentious and deal with broader social issues of social justice, discrimination, power, and difference -- therefore, they are inherently political. I request that everyone in the class maintain tolerance and respect for divergent views and opinions among classmates (and me!). Please listen, think, and consider multiple perspectives -- these are good life skills and also are a great way to learn about how cities work.

Schedule of Readings and Assignments:

Note: For the assignment for each brief, just click on it in the table below.

Note: this schedule is also available on UBLearns under "Course Information"

Final Project Information

There are three options for the final paper/project. You may choose any one but please stick with your choice.

Option 1 (most structured)

Option 2 (a bit of structure, a bit of your own contribution)

Option 3 This is based on your own idea - recommended only for juniors & seniors who have done a term paper/project on their own before. This option does not have to take the form of a paper -- if you would prefer to do a poster, a mapping project, or a website, that is possible. If you are interested in this option, you must get permission and have your idea approved by Dr. Cope for this option. Submit a one-paragraph summary to Dr. Cope, along with a short list of references (books, articles, websites) that you will use no later than Wednesday, March 29th. I will give you feedback and permission to pursue the proposed project.

Internships, Job Opportunities, and Related Announcements (updated frequently!)

Updated 4/28/06

Funded MA degree in Community Development and Planning for minority students

Housing and Urban Development: Summer and permanent jobs (new posting April 19!)

GIS Internship with Erie County (due April 17)

Geography Career Fair April 21 (Fri) 10am-2pm in the Geography Department.

Urban links, Research Institutes, sites mentioned in class...

GaWC - Globalization and World Cities (University of Loughborough)

The Buffalo News

Lewis Mumford Center for Comparative Urban and Regional Research (Albany)

The Brookings Institution

Urban Affairs Association

Project for Public Spaces (PPS) Placemaking for Communities

Center for Urban Research, City University of New York

Institute for Community Research (Hartford, CT)

Center for Urban Policy Research Welcome (Rutgers)

Back to UB Geography

Back to Meghan Cope's Website