ASOC 25A00 - Major Fields of Investigation in Sociology

The course focuses on sociological concepts and methods through the lens of the city. We will apply sociological concepts to the city that we can see when we walk around, the city of buildings and people; and also to the city that we don't notice – the city of sentiments, conflict, traffic flows, bike messengers, sewage networks, asset prices and municipal taxation, of animals and nature. This course uses key sociological readings, case studies, and in-the-news topics, to study the city as a complex space where buildings, people, animals, laws, policies, and international financial flows, intersect to produce our lived experience. The aim is for us to be able to see sociological concepts even as we walk around in the city. In this course you will learn the key strategies and skills of academic writing – how to write an effective academic research paper based on a city of your choice. A key learning objective is close reading of texts, understanding the key argument of each text, and applying concepts to the real world. The first four weeks explore foundational texts while the rest of the weeks address specific questions related to housing markets, social policy, violence, drugs, environmental change, segregation, urban infrastructure, urban regulations, and so on

Sukriti ISSAR,Laura SILVA,Cynthia SRNEC,Maxime VINCENT

Cours magistral et conférences

English

• Students are expected to read the assigned readings before each class. They are expected to participate actively in the class. The short notes that students will write before 8 of the 12 classes, are meant to prepare students for active engagement and discussion in class. • For each reading, students are encouraged to outline: (a) the main point of the reading (b) the main concepts, definitions, and factual information (c) ow the reading links to real world urban questions and can be used in your papers

Autumn 2021-2022

Grades are scored on 100. 1. Weekly notes [5% each or 40% in total]. [these will either be completed in class or the night before and uploaded – to be confirmed based on logistics]. In some weeks, there will be a question assigned from the reading. In other weeks, you will use the exercise to reflect on how the readings relate to some topic of your choice. a. This is not a big written memo, and you should not think of this as a burdensome writing requirement. The purposes of this assignment are (1) to ensure that you to read thoroughly and engage with the material before class, and (2) to give me information about what people are interested in discussing, so that I can plan our agenda and we can use our time to maximum advantage. 2. Three short papers on urban questions due in week 4, 8, 12. Ask a question, propose an argument and use the readings [60% total or 20% each]. Each paper will be 3-4 pages long, double-spaced, 1 inch margins, size 12 font. a. One paper will involve observing an phenomena in real life (e.g. observing how people behave in public transport, in a library, in a shopping mall, in a government office, on the street, in a public space, in a meeting, etc.). b. The second paper will involve analysing a land use conflict in a city of your choice. c. The third paper will add a comparison to the second paper, for instance, studying another city or studying the same phenomena at a higher level of government. The third paper will also revise the second paper following the feedback given by the instructor. This structure allows the student to have the experience of working on an original research paper on a topic and city of their choice with the opportunity to incorporate the feedback of the instructor. Please, note that the course is designed to prepare students for professional vocations. As in professional life, timely submissions are expected. Strict late penalties will apply to any late submissions.

The class is focused on discussion of key sociological themes and debates from the readings, and student participation is central. The class comprises of lectures, discussions, and in-class exercises.