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60714-01 - Internship: Site Immersions (7 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2025 |
| Course frequency | Every spring sem. |
| Lecturers | Maren Larsen (maren.larsen@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | This six-week field course trains students in site-specific and collaborative urban research. Students will work closely with members of a community-based organization and engage with a range of urban actors and stakeholders. They will become familiar with ethnographic, architectural, and geographic research methods. The course places particular emphasis on questions of research ethics, the possibilities and constraints of different modes of collaborative urban research, and the relationship between empirical and theoretical work. The site of focus for the 2025 track is Lamu (Kenya). In Lamu, our interest will be to understand how communities in this ancient Indian Ocean port city cope with rapid environmental and social transformation and the developmental/planning challenges that accompany them. The topical foci of our research will be co-developed between the priorities of Lamu County and the Lamu Youth Alliance. The objective of the research will be to generate actionable findings in appropriate formats that can be leveraged by the community for wider impact, broadly conceived. Logistics and Finance: Please make sure to arrive in Lamu by March 30. The course ends on May 8, so you can travel back beginning May 9. The University of Basel provides a small grant to help cover the costs of the travel and logistics of the semester. Full details provided to students who registered for the course. Logistics From Weeks 6-11, site visits will be organized in large groups and small research teams. The weeks of class in Lamu will be composed of both independent and group-based work, meaning that students will have the time and space to explore a topic that advances the priorities of the project partners and develops materials for a final presentation and public program in Week 12. Students should follow safety and security protocols and instructions from the University of Basel. Some visits will be shorter, while others may require full and long days of site exploration. For this reason, students are encouraged to stay hydrated, dress in comfortable shoes and clothing, and come prepared with note-taking tools. Costs for transportation and museum entries are covered by the program, but any additional costs are the responsibility of students. As we enter this immersion together, it is important for us all to remain open, flexible and patient as schedules and circumstances change. As such, while the schedule below is the projected plan we will aim for, the realities on the ground may require us to move around days, sites and topics. Logistics From Weeks 7-12, site visits will be organized in large groups and small research teams. The weeks of class in Lamu will be composed of both independent and group-based work, meaning that students will have the time and space to explore a topic that advances the priorities of the project partners and develops materials for a final presentation and public program in Week 12. Students should follow safety and security protocols and instructions from the University of Basel. Some visits will be shorter, while others may require full and long days of site exploration. For this reason, students are encouraged to stay hydrated, dress in comfortable shoes and clothing, and come prepared with note-taking tools. Costs for transportation and museum entries are covered by the program, but any additional costs are the responsibility of students. As we enter this immersion together, it is important for us all to remain open, flexible and patient as schedules and circumstances change. As such, while the schedule below is the projected plan we will aim for, the realities on the ground may require us to move around days, sites and topics. Logistics From Weeks 7-12, site visits will be organized in large groups and small research teams. The weeks of class in Lamu will be composed of both independent and group-based work, meaning that students will have the time and space to explore a topic that advances the priorities of the project partners and develops materials for a final presentation and public program in Week 12. Students should follow safety and security protocols and instructions from the University of Basel. Some visits will be shorter, while others may require full and long days of site exploration. For this reason, students are encouraged to stay hydrated, dress in comfortable shoes and clothing, and come prepared with note-taking tools. Costs for transportation and museum entries are covered by the program, but any additional costs are the responsibility of students. As we enter this immersion together, it is important for us all to remain open, flexible and patient as schedules and circumstances change. As such, while the schedule below is the projected plan we will aim for, the realities on the ground may require us to move around days, sites and topics. |
| Learning objectives | By the end of this course, we hope you will be able to: - Confidently experiment with different modes of site-based and collaborative urban research that align with the information sought out. These can include but are not limited to participant observation, interviewing, oral history, visual and spatial analysis, sensory mapping, and participatory action research; - Navigate the inherent tension in urban research between theorizing and generating empirics based on lived experiences; and - Reflect on your research ethics and on the ways in which your research design and positionality shapes your research outcomes. |
| Comments | This course takes place in Lamu (Kenya). ***The University of Basel provides a contribution towards travel and logistics of the field course. Full details provided to students who have been confirmed and have registered for the course, around end of November. *** |
| Admission requirements | This course is exclusively available to *first-year (*or students who have postponed their track module) MA students in Critical Urbanisms upon securing a spot in this track module. **Additionally, two spots are available for Changing Societies students, pending availability after allocation among Critical Urbanisms students and upon application with Dr. Michelle Engeler. ***Those from the MSG Changing Societies' program who wish to register with this course should do so only AFTER having secured a spot within the 'Urbanism Across Geographies' - Track. If you have been allocated a spot, please do register for both: 60670 and 60714. ****Changing Societies Students: Please apply via the Field course leaders/instructors/assessors, subject to changes. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block | See individual dates | ||
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday 30.03.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Monday 31.03.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Tuesday 01.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Wednesday 02.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Thursday 03.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Friday 04.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Saturday 05.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Sunday 06.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Monday 07.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Tuesday 08.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Wednesday 09.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Thursday 10.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Friday 11.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Saturday 12.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Sunday 13.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Monday 14.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Tuesday 15.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Wednesday 16.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Thursday 17.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | Ostern |
| Friday 18.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | Ostern |
| Saturday 19.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | Ostern |
| Sunday 20.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | Ostern |
| Monday 21.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | Ostern |
| Tuesday 22.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Wednesday 23.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Thursday 24.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Friday 25.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Saturday 26.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Sunday 27.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Monday 28.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Tuesday 29.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Wednesday 30.04.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Thursday 01.05.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | Tag der Arbeit |
| Friday 02.05.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Saturday 03.05.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Sunday 04.05.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Monday 05.05.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Tuesday 06.05.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Wednesday 07.05.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Thursday 08.05.2025 | 10.00-17.00 | - Siehe Bemerkung, -- |
| Modules |
Module: Changing Societies Lab (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources) Module: Ways of Knowing the City (Master's degree program: Critical Urbanisms) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Pass/Fail NB: A seminar paper is a mandatory component of this course. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Urban Studies |