URB 630 - Urban Social Identity (3 Credits)

Prerequisite: None
This course will identify and examine multiple and often overlapping forms of social identity, including race, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. Through readings, films, and other forms of cultural expression, students will explore the ways in which social identities are shaped and informed by the urban environment and - conversely - how the design and function of cities have been influenced by factors of social identity. In considering both cultural and economic aspects of urban social identity, students will address a number of key questions: How do the various factors of social identity intersect and how do they relate to class and class relations in the urban environment? How is social identity reflected in the nature, function and design of cities? How are public and private space defined and organized by factors of race, gender, sexual identity and class? How is social identity expressed or encountered in the workplace? How do social and government services address the needs of differing social groups and constituencies? In answering these questions, students will consider the relationship of urban social identity to issues of equality and discrimination, poverty and affluence, and power relations in the political, social, and work lives of urban inhabitants.