Sociology of Boston

Catalog description

Introduces students to American urban studies and urban theory, with a special focus on spatial expressions of intra-urban inequalities. Focuses on theories of formation of urban inequalities, social and immigrant segregation, segregation and integration, gentrification as a process and how it impacts displacement, and theories of formation of neighborhoods and the evolution of collective efficacy. The class tests theories discussed in class by exploring specific neighborhoods in Boston. Offers students an opportunity to learn about the Irish influence in Dorchester, the Italian influence on the West End, and the African-American influence in Roxbury. Concludes with a concentration on how globalization has fueled a new wave of immigrant communities to grow and evolve in the twenty-first century.