Urban sociology in theory and practice

Seminars: 1 meeting / week, 3 hours / week

Permission of the instructor is required for this course.

This seminar introduces students to core writings in the field of urban sociology and explores the creative dialectic—and sometimes conflict—between sociology and urban policy and design. Topics include the changing conceptions of "community," the effects of neighborhood characteristics on individual outcomes, the significance of social capital and networks, the drivers of categorical inequality, and the interaction of social structure and political power. We examine several of the key theoretical paradigms that have constituted sociology since its founding, assess how and why they have changed over time, and discuss the implications of these shifts for urban research and planning practice. The course has two primary aims: To give students a more critical appreciation of the contemporary, comparative, and historical contexts in which planning skills and sensibilities have been developed and are applied; and to offer a "sociology of knowledge" approach to the field of urban sociology.

The seminar will take place in the Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Norfolk, with half of the class from MIT and half of the class from the Boston University Metropolitan College Prison Education Program at MCI Norfolk. The location and composition of the class was chosen based on the belief that bringing together students of sociology and urban studies who are incarcerated with those who are at MIT will create a unique and valuable environment in which to generate new knowledge about our social world and the repeated mechanisms that contribute to persistent socio-economic inequality and other pressing social problems. Participation in the course accordingly involves a commitment to a new learning environment and a significant dedication of time (from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm every Friday, including travel time for those coming from MIT). Students should feel free to raise questions or concerns about the environment at any time, but should be prepared for the time commitment and new context.

The seminar is centered on intensive and often Socratic discussion, as well as brief lectures, about the assigned readings and study questions. Students will be encouraged to discuss how the theoretical and practical concerns that have preoccupied sociologists can be applied to their individual interests and the future of planning.

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