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| Semester | spring semester 2017 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers |
Kenny R. Cupers (kenny.cupers@unibas.ch)
Manuel Herz (manuel.herz@unibas.ch) Sophie Oldfield (sophie.oldfield@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Our world is rapidly urbanizing, with an increasing share of the population living in metropolitan regions and mega-cities, especially in the global South. Housing is a major tool to make cities livable and to improve and govern them. Yet, the outcomes of these large-scale modernization projects are often socially and politically contested. What is the role of housing in shaping cities? What are the sometimes-radical dreams of architects and planners and the moneymaking schemes of developers that underpin housing development? How do governments and policy makers push these types of projects? How do ordinary people, those simply needing a place to live, adapt to and trans- form housing? In this course we explore the disjunction between what is planned and envisioned, and the concrete lived experiences and transformations of these environments once built. The course focuses on three concrete sites of state-driven housing development in Paris, Abidjan, and Cape Town. We will explore the role of national policy-making, local histories, social and ethnic dynamics, architecture and technology, and transnational developments in shaping the successes and failures of housing. Students will enjoy introductory lectures, participate in discussion seminars, and conduct group research. The course format fosters an informal and open atmosphere of learning, and there will be ample time to work independently and in groups. On the final day, we will synthesize our group research efforts in the form of a structured debate focused on housing problems and solutions. |
| Learning objectives | The course will introduce students to literature on housing and its role in global southern and northern cities. Students will also engage critically with varied interdisciplinary perspectives on the role of housing in addressing past legacies as well as shaping city futures. The course will engage with housing as a form of large-scale modernisation project that brings together state actors and developers as well as ordinary citizens. Students will gain skills in participating in interdisciplinary debate, integrating and critically engaging with historical, contemporary, social scientific, as well as visual and architectural materials essential to urban studies. |
| Bibliography | A course syllabus and access to readings will be provided to students in mid-January 2017. |
| Comments | For further information please contact Professor Sophie Oldfield (sophie.oldfield@unibas.ch) and Michelle Killenberger (michelle.killenberger@unibas.ch). |
| Weblink | Critical Urbanisms |
| Admission requirements | The course is designed for senior-level undergraduate students with varied disciplinary backgrounds (ranging from the fields of design and architecture to social sciences and humanities). We are happy to consider graduate students interested in urban studies as well. |
| Course application | Students from Basel register via MOnA. Additionally we ask all students to submit a short motivation letter to michelle.killenberger@unibas.ch by 12 January, explaining your academic background and your interest in the course. The number of participants is limited to 15. THE COURSE IS FULLY BOOKED! |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Course auditors welcome |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|
No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Electives: Recommendations (Bachelor's degree subject: Anthropology) Modul Environment and Human Well-Being (Master's degree program: African Studies (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Europäisierung und Globalisierung (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) Modul Fields: Environment and Development (Master's degree program: African Studies) Modul Internationales Zusatzwissen (Master's Studies: European Studies (Start of studies before 01.02.2015)) Modul Raum/Bewegung (Bachelor's degree subject: Social Sciences (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Assessment will be based on participation and engagement in the course. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Departement Gesellschaftswissenschaften |