Race, Cities, and Poverty

Catalog description

The geography of cities is in constant flux. People move in and out, businesses open and close, city government institutes social policy in response to existing changes in different communities. Many of the changes in cities have been influenced by racial-ethnic and economic dynamics. In this course we will examine the ways race has shaped our perceptions of and responses to community. Why are urban areas "racialized"? Why does talk of the underclass imply Black Americans and Latinos? We will focus primarily on Black Americans, but will also consider white ethnic groups and other ethnic groups in discussion. In our examinations we will focus on case studies of urbanization and race such as post-Katrina New Orleans, southern migration to Chicago, and Bridgeport. Graduate equivalent: SOCI 5110 .