URBS 350 Page 1 CCoolllleeggee ooff SSoocciiaall && BBeehhaavviioorraall SScciieenncceess,, DDeeppaarrttmmeenntt ooff UUrrbbaann SSttuuddiieess && PPllaannnniinngg CCSSUU NNoorrtthhrriiddggee UURRBBSS 335500:: TThhiirrdd WWoorrlldd CCiittiieess SSuummmmeerr 22001122,, OOnnlliinnee MMaayy 2299,, 22001122 –– JJuullyy 1100,, 22001122 Instructor: Abhishek Tiwari, PhD, MPH Email: [email protected] Office hours: via email or telephone (by appointment) Background “The distinctive feature of the mode of living of man in the modern age is his concentration into gigantic aggregations around which cluster lesser centers and from which radiate the ideas and practices which we call civilization. The influences which cities exert upon the social life of man are greater than the ratio of the urban population would indicate, for the city is not only in ever larger degrees the dwelling place and the workshop of modern man, but it is the initiating and controlling center of economic, political and cultural life that has drawn the most remote parts of the world into its orbit and woven diverse areas, peoples and activities into a cosmos…..” Louis Wirth (1938) In 2008, for the first time, more than half of the world’s population was living in an urban area. The increasing heft, in terms of population, of towns and cities in both developing and developed regions of the world underscores the importance of understanding urbanization processes and their link to the global economy. Population growth in many developing countries is proceeding at such a pace that the word metropolis no longer suffices. These areas, teeming with tens of millions of persons, demand the use of the word “megalopolis.” Though globalization exerts a homogenizing influence on these rapidly growing areas, a unique urban landscape exists in many regions as the forces of the global economy intersect with local cultural and social forms. Against the backdrop of globalization, we will undertake a vivisection of the city, excavating its various features, some obvious and others less so. Much of our discussion will focus on the issues confronting rapidly urbanizing regions in developing countries (or the 3rd world), though there will be some comparison with cities or regions in the US. Course Objectives By the end of the term you will be able to: articulate the various concepts, characteristics and indicators typically employed to describe and assess urban areas, particularly those in the third world; comment on the potential of globalization as well as its more dire implications; and provide an appraisal of the issues and problems concomitant with urbanization Grading and Policies Review of power point notes and completion of assigned reading are essential to mastering the substantive aspects of the course. The bulk of your grade will be determined by 5 online exams or quizzes (16% each or 80% total). The remainder will be determined by a short paper (20%), approximately 3-5 pages in length (double spaced). Alas, there will be no opportunity for extra credit; nor will there be any make-up exams or assignments. Only in the event of a verifiable extenuating circumstance will you have an opportunity to submit an in-lieu or ‘make-up’ paper of substantial length (the instructor will determine the topic and length at the time of the request). Similarly, an “Incomplete” will only be given for extraordinary circumstances. Any instance of cheating, plagiarism and the like will be reported to the Dean and result in a course grade of “F.”URBS 350 Page 2 Course Readings Course readings and other materials will be made available online. All uploaded readings will be included in the exams. Exam Topics Exam I – Demography, Population Projections Exam II – Economics (or Political Economy), Globalization and Poverty Exam III - Housing Exam IV - Public Health Exam V – Water, Energy, Food, Sustainable Development All exams will be online on Moodle and will be posted by the end of the week (Saturday) and remain open for a maximum of 4 days after opening. A study guide will be provided for each exam. Paper As this is an upper vision GE course, you will be required to complete writing assignments totaling a minimum of 2500 words. This requirement will be satisfied through a short individual paper in which you will discuss a specific problem in a developing country employing the concepts articulated in class. Your 3-5 page (max) paper (1.5 spaced, 1” margin, 12 pt Times New Roman), replete with proper in-text citations (APA or other format), will be primarily analytic. A rubric and sample paper will be provided by 2nd week of class and the paper will be due by the 6th week of class (Friday, June 6, 2012, 8pm). Papers longer than 5 pages will not be read. You will upload the paper to Turn-it-In on Moodle (Please ‘make sure’ that you cite all direct quotes and sections of your paper that paraphrase other sources or you run the risk of plagiarizing).URBS 350 Page 3 Course Readings Course readings and other materials, which will be made available online, include the following: 1. Population Reference Bureau (2011) World Population Data Sheet (Exam I) and Population Reference Bureau (2011) Key Findings from 2010 Population Sheet (Exam I) 2. Ethiopia at Crossroads: Demography, Gender and Development, Population Reference Bureau (Exam I) 3. (The World Bank) Population, Poverty and Sustainable Development (Exam I) 4. Europe Comes Home to a Demographic Bombshell (Exam I) 5. Falling Fertility (Economist) (Exam I) 6. (The Economist) China’s Disastrous One Child Policy (Exam I) 7. Does Globalization Hurt or Help the World’s Poor (Economist) (Exam II) 8. (The World Bank) The Developing World’s Bulging (but Vulnerable) Middle Class (Exam II) 9. United Nations Development Program, Measuring Human Development (A Primer), Chapter 2 (Exam II) 10. (The World Bank) Diagnosing Development Bottlenecks: China and India (Exam II) 11. World Bank Poverty Supplement (Exam II) 12. (UN Habitat) Designing a Land Records System for the Poor (Exam III) 13. Tuhus-Dubrow, R (2009) Learning from Slums (Exam III) 14. US Census, Housing: 2005 (Exam III) 15. (United Nations) Hidden Cities: Unmasking and overcoming health inequities in urban settings (Exam IV) 16. World Health Report (2012) (Exam IV) 17. Urban World Vol. IV (Dec 2011) (Exam V) 18. UN Habitat (2006)