Course Description:
This is an introductory course in urban sociology, designed to familiarize you with major debates on the process of urbanization both within and beyond the discipline of sociology. Broadly speaking, the course will explore the what of urbanization—the ontological dimension—and the how of its study and conceptualization—the epistemological & methodological dimension. As we will see throughout the semester, there are wide-ranging debates and disagreements over what constitutes the city, what has it been historically and what processes do and do not make up urbanization. Moreover there are equally complex debates on how such processes of urbanization should be approached, examined, conceptualized, and theorized. Among the many possible entry points, one of the central anchors around which we will organize our discussions will be the relationship between urbanization and surplus production. Historically, urbanization has always relied on the sustained production of surplus, and how this surplus is distributed, deployed, and spatialized constitutes the central concern of this course.
Requirements:
Doing the assigned readings before coming to class—and, yes, actually coming to class—are required. You must attend at least 70% of class meetings; if you miss 8 sessions, you will automatically receive an N/A grade. Please note that it is entirely your responsibility to keep track of your absences; I will not respond to inquiries about them.
Since I often refer to specific paragraphs and read them aloud before explaining and discussing them, having access to the assigned reading in the classroom, either in hard copy or digital form, is also required.
Assessment:
Midterm Exam: 50% - Multiple Choice
Final Exam: 50% - Multiple Choice
**** PLEASE BE INFORMED ABOUT THE ACADEMIC RULES AND REGULATIONS CONCERNING UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES, EXAMINATIONS AND ASSESSMENTS.
https://oidb.metu.edu.tr/orta-dogu-teknik-universitesi-lisans-egitim-ogretim-yonetmeligi