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Fall2014

URBANANTHROPOLOGY
ANT3930/Sec2D52

Monper57(11:452:45p),TurlingtonHallrm.2333
Dr.BrendaChalfin,bchalfin@ufl.edu
OfficeHrs:Tues13p&byAppt.451GrinterHall
Classemailaccount:sec2d52@gmail.com,pw:urbananthro

BodysIsekKingelezmodelofFantasticCity(Congo)

CourseOverview:

TOPICSCOVERED:GlobalCities;UrbanYouth;SecurityandInsecurity;CitiesandCitizenship;Urban
CultureandConsumption;SexandtheCity;EcoCitesandSustainability;UrbanPlanning,
InfrastructureandExclusion;UrbanEverydayLifeandInformal,IllicitandUndergroundEconomies;
DigitalCities.

THEORIESANDMETHODS:UrbanMappingandNetworkStudies;PracticeTheoryandthe
AnthropologyofEverydayLife;UrbanPhenomenologyandInterpretiveEthnography;Urban
CommunicativeandCulturalLandscapes.

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CENTRALQUESTIONS:
Howcananthropologistsrepresentthelifeworldsofurbandwellers?
Isethnographythemosteffectivetoolformakingsenseofurbanlandscapesandlifestyles?
Istheanthropologyofthecitythesameasanthropologyinthecity?
Howcanwecomprehendthecityasatonceaplaceofculture,aesthetics,peopleandpolitical
economy?
Howcanthetheoriesandmethodsofanthropologyextendourunderstandingofurbanlife
past,present,andfutureandraisenewquestionsaboutthenatureoftheurban?
Howmightanthropologybeinconversationwithalliedfieldssuchasgeography,sociology,
architecture,planning,education,economicsandpoliticalstudiestogainacomprehensive
understandingofurbanphenomena?Howcananthropologyengagewithpractitionersand
activistsinthepublicandprivatesectoraroundurbanissuesandconcerns?
Isurbanizationauniversalandunidirectionalprocessmarkedbycommonmeansandends
worldwide?Orisurbanizationdrivenbydiverseforceswithdiverseoutcomes?

Thesequestionswillbeaddressedthroughtheconsiderationofcasestudiesfromaroundtheglobe.
Studentswillalsoreceivetrainingindifferentwaysofwritingabout,researchingandrepresenting
urbanexperience.Nopriorknowledgeofurbananthropologyisrequired.Itissuggestedthatstudents
havesomeexperienceinculturalanthropologyorcityrelatedsubjectmatter.Theclassisappropriate
forstudentsenrolledintheCollegeofLiberalArtsandScienceaswellastheCollegeofDesign,
ConstructionandPlanning.

LEARNINGOBJECTIVES:
Gainanunderstandingofurbanformandvariationacrosstheglobe.
Becomeconversantinthemethodsandapplications
ofurbanethnography.
Masterdifferenttheoreticalperspectivesonthenatureofurbanexperience.
Identifypastandfutureurbantrends.
Devisemultimediarepresentationsofurbanexperience.
Understandthevalueofaninterdisciplinaryapproachtocitiesandurbanlife.

URBANPORTFOLIOASSIGNMENT:
Eachstudentwillbeaskedtoselectaspecificcitytocomparewiththerequiredcoursematerialand
casestudies.Focusedontheselectedcity,courseassignmentswillculminateinaMultiMediaUrban
Portfolio(MMUP)drawingonclassdiscussions,lectures,presentations,readingandresearch.Thinkof
theMMUPasanintellectualguidebooktoyourcityoramultimedianotebook.Thecomplete
MMUPisworth90%ofthegrade.Itwillincludeaseriesofshortreadingnotes,citationlists,andmulti
mediaposts(text,audio,map,diagram,video,graphic,artistic,orarchitectural)basedonyour
selectedcityandrespondingtothetheoriesandmethodsintroducedinclass(totaling60%)anda
longerresearchorientedsectiondueattheendofthesemester(totaling30%).TheMMUPisnota
finalprojectbutasemesterlongeffort.Eachsectionhasaspecifiedformatandduedate.TheMMUP
canbecompiledinanynumberofformats,includingdigitalonline,largeformatposteroraphysical3
dportfolio,amongotheroptions.Theonlystipulationisthatitisreadilyaccessibletotheinstructorand
otherstudents.

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MMUPSHORTENTRIES(60%):
ShortReadingNotes1(200words):dueinclass9/8(5%)
MultimediaPost1(CityFactsandFigures):dueinclass9/8(5%)
Citycitations:dueinclass9/15(5%)
ReadingNotes2:writeinclass9/22(5%)
ReadingNotes(500words)/MultimediaPost3:dueinclass9/29or10/6or10/13(10%)
ReadingNotes(500words)/MultimediaPost4:dueinclass10/.13or10/20(10%)
ReadingNotes(500words)/MultimediaPost5:dueinclass10/27,11/10(10%)
ReadingNotes/MultimediaPost6ondigitalenvironmentinyourcity:due11/2(10%)
*ReadingNotes/MultiMediaPostsmustaddressthecoursetopicsandmaterialonthedaytheyare
due.

MMUPLONGENTRY(30%)Due12/1:Thisisacomparativeresearchprojectcenteredonyourcitythat
developsatopicandsetofmethodsraisedintheassignedclassreadings,lectures,activitiesand
discussions.YouwillneedtochooseonefromamongthetopicareascoveredinClasses311.Youalso
needtoattendtothemethodsofurbanresearchandrepresentationcoveredinourclasses.Youcan
startandfinishyourLongEntryassignmentatanypointinthesemesterandyoucancontinuetorevise
itduringthesemester.ItisdueDecember1.AnyrevisionsmustbefinalizedbyDec.8whentheentire
URBANPORTFOLIOispresentedtotheclass.Itshouldincludethefollowingcomponents:
A500wordcompilationofterms,claimsandconceptsdrawnfromthereadingandreadingnotes5%
A2500wordtextualinvestigationofthetopicinyourchosencitydrawingonscholarly(atleast3
scholarlysources)andnonscholarlysourcematerial(15%)andamultimediasectionillustratingyour
data,impressions,orarguments(10%).

ATTENDANCEANDPARTICIPATIONPOLICY:
Theremainingportionofthecoursegradeisdevotedtoattendanceandclassparticipation(10%).Class
attendanceismandatory.Unexcusedabsencewillresultingradereductionof5%perabsence.Because
thisclassmeetsonlyonceaweek,missingevenoneclasswillinterferewithlearninggoalsandultimate
successinthecourse.Pleasefeelfreetocommunicatewiththeinstructoraboutanyspecialneedsor
circumstances.

GRADINGRUBRIC:
A90100
A8889
B+8687
B8085
B7879
C+7677
C7075
C6869
D+6667
D6065
D5859
E57&below

REQUIREDREADINGANDRESOURCES:BooksandOnlineMaterials.Usedandpdf/electronic
versionsareacceptable.

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RequiredTextbooks:
P.Bourgois,InSearchofRespect:SellingCrackinElBarrio,1996,Cambridge.
S.Newell,TheModernityBluff:Crime,ConsumptionandCitizenshipinCoteDIvoire,2012,Chicago.
D.Goldstein,Outlawed:BetweenSecurityandRightsinaBolivianCity,2013,Princeton.

ElectronicCopiesofotherrequiredreadingwillbepostedontheclassaccount:
sec2d52@gmail.com(pw:urbananthro)seeGoogleDriveorGoogleDocs

Requiredreadingsmaybesubjecttominormodificationsbasedontheinstructors
discretion.

StronglyRecommendedText:PileandThrift,CityAZUrbanFragments,2000,Routledge
OptionalText:Hannerz,ExploringtheCity,Columbia,1983.

INFORMATIONONUNIVERSITYPOLICYISINCLUDEDATTHEENDOFTHISDOCUMENT.

COURSESCHEDULE:

Class18/25TheCityandtheAnthropologicalImagination

IntroductiontoUrbanAnthropology

Inclassdiscussion:UrbanRepresentationsandImaginations
I.Calvino,selectionfromInvisibleCities
H.Miner,1953,ThePrimitiveCityofTimbuctoo,Princeton
F.Deboeck,2004,Kinshasa:TalesoftheInvisibleCity,Ludion,pp.9498
M.Castells,1996,Megacities,inTheNetworkSocietypp.434436

Reminder1:PickyourcityandgetDr.Chalfinsemailapprovalby9/5.

NOCLASS9/1:LABORDAYHOLIDAY

Reminder2:PickyourcityandgetDr.Chalfinsemailapprovalby9/5.

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Class29/8UrbanTypologies,TrajectoriesandVocabularies

Readtwooftheseshortselectionsandwritea3sentencesummaryforeach(250wordtotal):
K.Marx,1846,Thecity,thedivisionoflaborandtheemergenceofcapitalism,pp.2228inThird
WorldUrbanizationed.J.AbuLughod(MIT)
M.Weber,1958,TheNatureoftheCity,pp.7187inTheCity(Collier).
L.Wirth,1938,Urbanismasawayoflifepp.101118inUrbanLifeed.byG.Gmelch(Waveland)
L.Mumford,1986,Whatisacity?pp.104107inTheLewisMumfordReader(Pantheon)

Trytomakesenseof:
H.Lefebvre,2003,UrbanForm,pp.115135inTheUrbanRevolution(UMinn)
Select3words,phrasesorconceptstotalkaboutinclass.

Thereadingsummaryandconcept/phraselistcomprisestheSHORTREADINGNOTE1(5%).

MULTIMEDIAPOST1(5%).Bringahardorsoftcopymapofyourcitytoclass.Includeabasicfactsheet
withpopulation,size,locationandincludeanydetailsthatdistinguishorcharacterizeyourcity.

InclassdiscussionofStateoftheWorldsCities:
http://mirror.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=3387

Class39/15Urban,IllictandInformal:StreetCornerEthnography

Read:
P.Bourgois,1996,InSearchofRespect:SellingCrackinElBarrio(Cambridge)selections
J.Goode,HowUrbanEthnographyCountersMythsaboutthePoor,pp.185201inUrbanLifeed.byG.
Gmelch(Waveland).
ReviewofC.Stack,1973,AllourKin.

CITYCITATIONS(5%):Citeandprovidea2sentenceannotationofacademicworks,(preferably
anthropologicalorothersocialscientific)onyourcity.Indicatehowyoufoundandselected
them.

http://anthropologyworks.com/index.php/2010/11/24/insearchofrespectaninterviewwithphilippe
bourgois/:http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/current/interviews/0521091.html

Inclass:
DiscussiononUrbanAnthropologyasEngagedAnthropology.DoyouagreewithGoodesclaims?

GuestLecture:Dr.RichardFreeman,UFAnthropologyLibrarianonLibraryResourcesfor
UrbanAnthropology.

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Class49/22UrbanPhenomenology:ExperiencingSubjects,Objects,andSpaceintheCity

Read:
Benjamin,Walter,1999.Thearcadesproject.Belknap.
GeorgSimmel,1903,TheMetropolisandMentalLife(1903)inTheBlackwellCity
Reader,ed.G.Bridge.Blackwell.
S.NutallandA.Mbembe,2008,Johannesburg:TheElusiveMetropolis,Duke.Briefexcerpt.

Inclass:
StevenFeld:WakinginNimahttps://soundcloud.com/sensate/stevefeld15min
SelectionsfromN.ThriftandS.Pile,2000,CityAZUrbanFragments,Routledge.
WebtalkwithMartinKriegeronUrbanTomographies
www.upenn.edu/pennpress/podcast/index.html#kreiger

READINGNOTES2:WRITEinclass(5%)

Class59/29CitiesandCitizenshipPastandPresent

Read:
J.Holston&A.Appadurai,1998,CitiesandCitizenship,Duke.selections.
H.Lefebvre,1996,TheRighttotheCityinWritingsonCities,ed.E.Kofman,Wiley.
D.Harvey,2012.TheCreationoftheUrbanCommons,inRebelCities,Verso.

READINGNOTES(500words)/MULTIMEDIAPost3:dueinclass9/29or10/6or10/13(10%)

Lookat:Occupy,Anthropologyandthe2011GlobalUprisings.http://www.culanth.org/fieldsights/63
occupyanthropologyandthe2011globaluprisings

Inclassdiscussion:DidOccupyreachyourcity?IsUrbanAnthropologyuptothetaskofrespondingto
andmakingsenseofcontemporaryurbansocialmovements?Whataretheimplicationsof
anthropologicalstrategiesofparticipantobservationfordoingso?

Class610/6UrbanYouth:Consumption/Desire,Inclusion/Exclusion,Public/PrivateLife
(akaSexintheCity)

Read:
S.Newell.2012.TheModernityBluff:Crime,ConsumptionandCitizenshipinCoteDIvoire,Chicago.
selections.
L.Rofel,2007,QualitiesofDesire:ImaginingGayIdentities,inDesiringChina:Experimentsin
Neoliberalism,SexualityandPublicCulture.Duke.
J.Binnie.2000.Cosmopolitanismandthesexedcity.CityVisions,16678.

READINGNOTES(500words)/MULTIMEDIAPost3:dueinclass9/29or10/6or10/13(10%)

Inclassdiscussion:Isurbansexualitydifferent?Why?Howcanwethinkaboutthedivision,oroverlap,
ofurbanprivateandpublicspaceandbehaviors?
Inclass:FILMSCREENINGS

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Class710/13Surveillance,InsecurityandLawintheCity

Read:
D.Goldstein,2013,Outlawed:BetweenSecurityandRightsinaBolivianCity,Princeton.Selections.
S.Graham,2010,WarReenterstheCity,inCitiesUnderSeige:TheNewMilitaryUrbanism,Verso.
K.KooningsandJ.Druijt,2009.IntroductiontoMegacitiesandthePoliticsofUrbanExclusioninthe
GlobalSouth,Zed.Skim.

ReadingNotes(500words)/MultimediaPost4:dueinclass10/.13or10/20(10%)

InclassResearchExercise:MediaDaySurveillance,Policingand(In)SecurityinYourCity.
InclassMethodsExercise:TheCityandtheScreen.S.Graham,CCTV,inCityAZUrbanFragments.

PrepareforDanielGoldstein,GuestLectureWednesday,Oct.15,2014.

Class810/20UrbanPlanning,ArchitectureandInfrastructure

Read:
GatesandPlanninginCityAZ
Jordan,D.P.1996.TransformingParis:TheLifeandLaborsofBaronHaussmann.UniversityofChicago
Press,Chicago.Excerpt.
NikhilAnand:Pressure:ThepolitechnicsofWaterSupplyinMumbai(seewebsite)
http://www.culanth.org/articles/64pressurethepolitechnicsofwatersupplyin
J.Holston,TheModernistCityandtheDeathoftheStreet,inTheorizingtheCity:TheNewUrban
AnthropologyReader,ed.S.Low.Rutgers.
S.Low.(seewebsite):
http://www.antropologi.info/blog/anthropology/2006/ethnographic_research_gated_communities

ReadingNotes(500words)/MultimediaPost4:dueinclass10/.13or10/20(10%)

Inclass:Dr.ChalfinsharesherresearchoninfrastructureandurbanplanninginGhana.

Class910/27GlobalCities:Network,ScaleandGlobalCritique

Read:
M.Castells,1996,Megacities,inTheNetworkSocietypp.434440
S.Sassen,2005.TheGlobalCity:IntroducingaConceptinBrownJournalofWorldAffairs.11/2.
ReadselectionfromA.Huyssen,2008OtherCities,OtherworldsoranothercritiqueofSassensmodel
postedbyDr.Chalfin

ReadingNotes(500words)/MultimediaPost5:dueinclass10/27,11/10(10%)

InclassMappingExercise:Howglobalisyourcity?
ReadandDiscussNetworks,Services,Telematics,MoneyinCityAZ

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Class1011/3:DigitalCitiesandDigitalAnthropology

Thisisanareaofinvestigationforwhichadevelopedliteraturebarelyexists.Pleaseprovidea
descriptionandmultimediarepresenationofthedigitalenvironmentofyourcityandsupportingdata.
Alsoshareanyanthropologicalorotherscholarlyresearchonthedigitaldimensionsofurban
experience,urbaninfrastructure,urbancultureandinequalityetc.thatyouconsiderrelevant.Please
providealinkandashortwriteup.Forsomeideas,takealookat
http://openanthcoop.ning.com/group/urbananthropology/forum/topics/unlockingthedigitalcity
http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/3.06/digcity_pr.html

ReadingNotes/MultimediaPost6ondigitalenvironmentinyourcity:due11/2(10%)
THISISDUEONSUNDAY,NOVEMBER2,by10pm.

Class1111/10Waste,SustainabilityandEcoCities.

Read:
http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/
P.Kirby,2009,TroubledNatures:Waste,Environment,Japan.Selections.
R.Fredericks,2011Devaluingthedirtywork:genderedtrashworkinparticipatoryDakar,in
EconomiesofRecycling,,edJ.Reno,Zed.

ReadingNotes(500words)/MultimediaPost5:dueinclass10/27,11/10(10%)

Inclass:
TalkingPointsandEcoResearchAgendas
ScreenJamieFurnissTEDTalk.
DiscussPigeonsandSlumsinCityAZ

Class1211/17IndividualMeetingstodiscussMMUP
ScheduleindividualmeetingswithinstructortoplanorevaluateLongEntryresearchproject.

NoClassNov24AfricanStudiesAssociationAnnualMeetings

NoClassDec1AmericanAnthropologicalAssociationAnnualMeetings

Class1312/8MultimediaUrbanPortfolioPresentationsandDiscussions

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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
UNIVERSITYPOLICY

ThefollowinginformationisprovidedinconformancewithUniversityPolicy:

1.Policyrelatedtoclassattendance,makeupexams,andotherwork
Requirementsforclassattendance,makeupexams,assignments,andotherworkinthiscourse
areconsistentwithuniversitypoliciesthatcanbefoundintheonlinecatalog:
https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/attendance.aspx.

2.Accommodationsforstudentswithdisabilities:Studentsrequestingclassroom
accommodationmustfirstregisterwiththeDeanofStudentsOffice.TheDeanofStudents
Officewillprovidedocumentationtothestudentwhomustthenprovidethisdocumentationto
theProfessorwhenrequestingaccommodation.Uponreceiptofdocumentation,theProfessor
willgranttheaccommodation.Studentswithdisabilitiesshouldfollowtheseproceduresas
earlyaspossibleinthesemester.

3.Onlinecourseevaluationprocess:Studentsareexpectedtoprovidefeedbackonthequality
ofinstructioninthiscoursebasedon10criteria.Theseevaluationsareconductedonlineat
https://evaluations.ufl.edu.
Evaluationsaretypicallyopenduringthelasttwoorthreeweeksofthe
semester,butstudentswillbegivenspecifictimeswhentheyareopen.Summaryresultsof
theseassessmentsareavailabletostudentsathttps://evaluations.ufl.edu/results

4.ReligiousObservances:Studentsseekingmodificationofduedatesforclassparticipation,
assignments,andexamsforreligiousreasons(e.g.,holidayobservances)shouldcontactthe
Professorandrequestthismodification.

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5.AcademicHonesty:UFstudentsareboundbyTheHonorPledgethatstates,We,the
membersoftheUniversityofFloridacommunity,pledgetoholdourselvesandourpeerstothe
higheststandardsofhonorandintegritybyabidingbytheHonorCode.Onallworksubmitted
forcreditbystudentsattheUniversityofFlorida,thefollowingpledgeiseitherrequiredor
implied:Onmyhonor,Ihaveneithergivennorreceivedunauthorizedaidindoingthis
assignment.TheHonorCode(http://www.dso.ufl.edu/sccr/process/studentconducthonor
code/)specifiesanumberofbehaviorsthatareinviolationofthiscodeandthepossible
sanctions.Furthermore,youareobligatedtoreportanyconditionthatfacilitatesacademic
misconducttoappropriatepersonnel.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsorconcerns,pleaseconsult
withtheinstructororanyTAsassignedtothisclass.Instancesofdishonestyincludeconducting
unauthorizedresearchontheinternetandfailingtocitesourcesofinformationonanywork
submitted,aswellasunauthorizedcollaboratingwithstudentsorotherstodeterminethe
answersonassignmentsandexams.

6.CounselingandEmergencyServices
theUniversityCounselingCenter,301PeabodyHall,3921575
http://www.counseling.ufl.edu/cwc/Default.aspx
StudentHealthCareCenter,3921171CareerResourceCenter,ReitzUnion,3921601
CenterforSexualAssault/AbuseRecoveryandEducation(CARE),StudentHealthCareCenter,
3921161UniversityPoliceDepartment3921111(nonemergency);call911foremergencies
7.ElectronicCourseReserves:TheelectroniccoursereserveserviceisofferedbytheGeorgeA.
SmathersLibraries.UndertheRehabilitationActandtheAmericanswithDisabilitiesAct,studentswith
disabilitieshavetherighttoequalaccess,useandbenefitofthecoursematerialsthathavebeenplaced
onreserveintheLibraries.

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