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Special Topics in Political Science (390-0-24)

Topic

Cities and Power: Urban Politics Around the World

Instructors

Nicole Elizabeth Wilson

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-331: Thurs 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

When you imagine a city, what comes to mind? Perhaps New York, L.A., or Paris? Today, over half of the world's population lives in urban areas, and the most rapid urbanization is happening in cities in Africa and Asia. While urbanization can have positive effects, such as increased wages and accelerated innovation, population growth can also create strain on institutions and infrastructure. In addition, the forces of colonialism, capitalism, and racism exclude certain people and groups from the benefits of urbanization. This course will be organized around key questions. How are the cities that are urbanizing most rapidly today similar to or different from industrialized or post-industrial cities in the Global North? Who has power in a city? What determines this? And what are the implications?

In this course, we will examine how politics relates to the lives of urban residents around the world, including right here in Chicago. We will engage with work from a variety of different regions (with an emphasis on the Global South) and media (including podcasts, videos, and blog posts). We will discuss theoretical debates with an eye toward how they are relevant to public policy and to people's everyday lives. We will also think critically about how to evaluate the evidence presented for different claims about cities.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students should be able to…
• Articulate ways that urbanization affects politics and vice versa
• Identify who has power in cities and under what circumstances
• Critically evaluate evidence presented for arguments about urbanization
• Communicate about key concepts clearly, accessibly, and creatively

Teaching Method

Discussion; short lectures

Evaluation Method

Class participation, three short response papers, and a final project (including a proposal and peer feedback session earlier in the quarter)