James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2024

AN2100 - City Life: Anthropology of Urban Spaces

Subject Description

Cities are vital spaces for creativity, diversity and exchange. Cities are also undergoing rapid social, cultural, and economic transformation. Many cities face serious challenges to social equality, infrastructure, security and sustainable development. This subject asks what makes a city a good place to live, and how people experience life in different cities. How do architecture and urban design influence social behaviour and cultural vitality? How are cities imagined in film and popular culture? How is public space used and by whom? What struggles exist for the future of life in the city? Lectures and discussions cover a range of topics including urban design, memory and heritage, development and gentrification, artistic practice and public space, citizenship, social justice and sustainability. Students are introduced to critical theories of urban space, and have the opportunity to engage this theory by conducting their own fieldwork on city life.

Learning Outcomes

• engage ethnographic techniques for studying public space and public life
• critically apply urban theory to understand your local urban environment and city case studies from around the world
• combine creative and analytic faculties and methods to produce a group project
• develop awareness of social justice and sustainability issues relating to urban design, heritage and development

Subject Assessment

• Participation > Class participation - (20%) - Individual
• Written > Essay (including multi-draft) 1 - (50%) - Individual
• Written > Essay (including multi-draft) 2 - (30%) - Individual

Note that minor variations might occur due to the continuous subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.

Availabilities