Urban Situations and Education
Professor George C. BondITSF4014 A
375 Grace Dodge HallSummer 2007
(212) 678-3311Tu & Th 2:00-4:05 p.m.
This seminar is intended as an introduction to the study of socio-cultural patterns of populations residing in urban settings with emphasis on domestic, racial, ethnic, class and educational relationships. A cross cultural perspective will be used in the description and analysis of forms of urban social life and education. The course will consider a selected range of monographs, themes and principles. A great deal of attention will be given to the historical development of approaches and problems in urban studies and the manner in which they relate to specific studies and the development of the field. Notions such as "culture of poverty" and "urban underclass" as well as processes of urbanization in developing countries will be considered. Issues of class, ethnicity and race will be discussed in relation to education. As the Instructor, I reserve the right to make changes to the course to suit the needs of students.
Requirements
Class Papers: Each student will be expected to write and present three class papers based upon the readings. The papers should be no longer than five type written double spaced pages. They should be in 12 point font with one inch margins and properly paginated. They will be read in class and provide the basis for discussion. At the end of the class the paper should be submitted to the instructor. The course grade will be based on the class papers, participation in class discussions and attendance.
REQUIRED LIST OF READINGS
General Texts:
Bond, H.M. 1972.Black American Scholars.Detroit: Balamp Publishing. (Library Reserve)
Gibson, M 1988.Accommodation Without Assimilation.Ithaca:CornellUniversity Press.
Hannerz, Ulf. 1980.Exploring the City.New York:ColumbiaUniversity Press.
Lacey, C. Hightown Grammar.ManchesterUniversity Press. (Library Reserve)
Liebow, E. 1967. Tally’s Corner.Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1967.
Valdes, G. 1996. Con Respecto.New York: Teachers College Press.
Articles:
Bond, G.C. 1981. "Social Economic Status and Educational Achievement: A Review Article."Anthropology and Education Quarterly XII/4 (Winter): 227-258.
Fordham, S. and John Ogbu “Black Students’ School Success: Coping the “Burden of Acting White”, The Urban Review, Vol. 18, No. 3, 1986.
Lewis, Oscar 1966 “Culture of Poverty” Scientific American 215:4: 19-25
Mitchell, J.C. 1966. "Theoretical Orientations in African Urban Studies." In The Social Anthropology of Complex Societies, Edited by M. Banton. Tavistock.
Sowell, Thomas. “Black Excellence-The Case of DunbarHigh School” In New Perspectives on School Integration. Friedman, Murrayet. al. (ed.) Philadelphia: Fortress Press
Wirth, L. "Urbanism as a Way of Life." Bobbs Merrill Reprint, S320.
SUGGESTED READINGS
Anderson, D. 1990.Street Wise.ChicagoUniversity Press.
Ferguson, James 1999. Expectations of Modernity: Myths and Meanings of Urban Life on the Zambian Copper belt.Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Stack, C. 1974.All Our Kin.New York: Harper and Row.
Taylor, C.S. 1990.Dangerous Society.MichiganStateUniversity Press:East Lansing.
Venkatesh, Sudhir 2006 Off The Books: The Underground Economy of the Urban Poor. Cambridge: HarvardUniversity Press.
Williams, B. 1988. Upscaling Downtown: Stalled Gentrification in WashingtonD.C.Ithaca:CornellUniversity Press.
Willis, Paul. 1981.Learning to Labour. New York: ColumbiaUniversity Press.
REQUIRED READINGS
I.Introduction to Urban Anthropology
Hannerz, U. Exploring the City. (pp.1-58)
II.Problems and Approaches
1. Hannerz, U.Exploring the City (pp. 59-119)
2. Mitchell, C."Theoretical orientations in African Urban Studies"
3. Wirth, L."Urbanism as a Way of Life"
III.Individuals, Networks and Adjustments in an Urban Setting
1. Hannerz, U.Exploring the City (pp. 118-201)
2. Valdez, G.Con Respecto
3. Liebow, E.Tally’s Corner
Class Papers June 5
IV.Kin, Friends, and Neighbors
1. Hannerz, U.Exploring the City (pp. 118-201)
2. Valdez, G.Con Respecto
3. Liebow, E.Tally’s Corner
V.Class, Ethnicity and Peers
1. Bond, G.C."Social Economic Status and Educational Achievement"
2. Gibson, M.Accommodation Without Assimilation
3. Bond, H.M.Black American Scholars
4. Fordham“Black Students’ School Success”
and Ogbu
VI.Class and Education
1. Bond, H.M.Black American Scholars
2. Hannerz, U.Exploring the City (pp. 242-315)
3. Lacey, C.Hightown Grammar
Final Class (July 1)
Class Papers
May 22ThursdayGeneral Introduction
Lectures: May 27 Tuesday – June 3 Thursday
I.Introduction to Urban Anthropology
Hannerz, U. Exploring the City. (pp.1-58)
II.Problems and Approaches
1. Hannerz, U.Exploring the City (pp. 59-119)
2. Mitchell, C."Theoretical orientations in African Urban Studies"
3. Wirth, L."Urbanism as a Way of Life"
III.Individuals, Networks and Adjustments in an Urban Setting
4. Hannerz, U.Exploring the City (pp. 118-201)
5. Hannerz, U.Exploring the City (pp. 242-315)
Class Presentations:
IV.Kin, Friends and Neighbors
A. Class and Poverty
Readings: June 5 Thursday
1.Lewis, Oscar 1966 “Culture of Poverty” Scientific American 215:4: 19-25
2. Liebow, E. 1967. Tally’s Corner. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1967.
(Chapters: 1, 2, and 3)
V.Class, Ethnicity and Peers
Readings: June 10 Tuesday
1. Hannerz, U. 1988 Exploring the City (pp163-201)
2. Liebow, E. 1967. Tally’s Corner. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1967.
(Chapters: 4, 6, and 7)
B. Overview: Class, Ethnicity and Education
Readings: June 12 Thursday
1. Bond, G.C. "Social Economic Status and Educational Achievement"
2. Fordham, S “Black Students’ School Success”
and Ogbu, J.
Readings: June 17 Tuesday
1. Sowell, Thomas “Black Excellence-The Case of DunbarHigh School”
2. Bond, H.M. 1972. Black American Scholars
C. Ethnicity and Education
Reading: June 19 Thursday
1. Valdez, G. Con Respecto
Reading: June 24 Tuesday
2. Gibson, M. Accommodation Without Assimilation
VI.Class and Education
Reading: July 26 Thursday
Lacey, C. Hightown Grammar (selected chapters)
Final Class:July 1 Tuesday
Discussion and possible presentations