GEOG 341 - Social Justice and the City: Segregation, Integration, and Gentrification

Cross-Listed as AMST 341

This course connects students with urban social geography, which studies the social and spatial dimensions of city life. The course explores some of how forces of social exclusion and efforts to promote inclusion contribute to the geographical organization of cities. Our exploration focuses on several issues of contemporary significance in the US context: (1) attempts to ameliorate social inequalities connected to racist patterns of housing and neighborhood segregation; (2) the problematic nature of gentrification; and (3) how to promote social well- being through how we design and manage the urban built environment. Our exploration will include studying theories of justice and prompt recurring reflection on the problems of urban inequality and the possibilities for creating more equitable, inclusive, and just cities. Race, class, gender, and ability are at the heart of these issues. This course therefore also considers how the intersectionality of race, class, gender, and ability affect and are affected by urban landscapes. Prerequisite(s): AMST 101 or GEOG 241 or GEOG 261 or GEOG 262 or permission of instructor. Offered every year. (4 Credits)