Course Syllabus

Geography 200: Social Geography

Winter 2000

Class schedule:
MTWF 11:30-12:20 in Smith 304

Course website: http://courses.washington.edu/geog200

Professor:
Dr. Mark Purcell
Office: Smith 406B
Tel.: (206) 616-8668
E-mail: mpurcell@u.washington.edu
Home page: http://faculty.washington.edu/mpurcell
Office Hours:
Monday, 12:30-2:30
and by appointment

Teaching Assistant:
Nick Velluzzi
Office: Smith 430
Tel.: (206) 543-7156
E-mail: nvelluzz@u.washington.edu
Office Hours:
Wednesday 10:30-11:30, 12:30-1:30
and by appointment

Course Summary:

This course introduces you to the range of possible topics in social geography. Social geography is the broadest of all sub-fields in human geography. In the course we will use the term "social" to mean virtually all interactions among human beings. Therefore, "social" can refer to political, economic, or cultural issues, as well as those more conventionally thought of as social. Because we are casting such a broad net, the course will range widely across issues such as homelessness, sexuality, globalization, nationalism, and gender.

The second part of the course title, of course, is geography. The course differs from a course in sociology because geographers are explicitly interested in the geography of the social phenomena they study. Thus if we are examining the topic of ethnicity (a social category) we would want to know how ethnicity is expressed geographically--for example why different ethnic groups live in different areas of the city. We would also want to know why that geography is important: how would ethnic relations be different if there were no ethnic segregation--if every group were mixed evenly across space?

Above all, social geography takes a spatial approach to understanding society. It starts from the premise that geography and social relationships are inescapably linked. People are not just floating randomly in some sort of detached ether, interacting with each other only on the basis of class, or race, or gender. They are rooted in a real geography that has a profound influence on their social relationships. Understanding how society and geography interact is the central goal of this course.

Required Texts:

Course packet, available at Rams Copy Center, 4144 University Way, 632-6630. They are open M-F from 8am-11pm and Sat./Sun. from 10am-8pm.
Various readings to be distributed in class and in section

Grading:

*Item*	*Percent of grade*	*Date*
Section*	25%	Assignments throughout the quarter
Midterm Exam	35%	February 4
Final Exam	40%	March 15

*You will receive a separate syllabus for section.

Academic honesty:

It is essential that you be graded only on your own work. The University takes the offenses of cheating and plagiarism very seriously, and so do I. Cheating is taking advantage of the work of others. Plagiarism is representing the work of others as your own, without giving appropriate credit. If you are not sure if it is appropriate to work with others on a given assignment, come see Nick or me and make sure—don’t assume.

A note on Tuesdays:

Lectures for the course are scheduled for MTWF from 11:30-12:20. However, during the quarter we will generally not meet for regular lectures on Tuesdays. Do not schedule other activities during this time, though. Unforeseen circumstances may cause it to be necessary for us to meet on Tuesday. If we do need to meet on a Tuesday, I will inform you in class and by e-mail well in advance.

For the Tuesdays we do not meet, you do not have these days off. They are explicitly set aside for you to focus on your reading and on preparing assignments for section.

The other class periods (MWF) and Thursday’s sections will meet as scheduled.

Course Outline:

COURSE THEME READINGS FOR THAT TOPIC (numbers refer to the numbers on the reading list, below)

Suburbanization #1-3

Race/ethnic segregation #4-7

Gender #8-12

Sexuality #13-15

Homelessness #16-18

Urban politics #19-20

Urban sprawl #21-25

Urban social movements #26-27

Crime/Gated communities #28-31

Globalization and citizenship #32-35

Nationalism and territory #36-38

Reading list and schedule:

The following schedule is to help you pace yourself throughout the quarter. You should complete the readings for each week by the end of that week. Each week contains roughly 70 pages of reading.

Reading Number of pages

Week 1

1. Palen, J. (1981). The urban world. New York, McGraw-Hill Book Company, pp. 155-181. 26

2. Jackson, K. (1985). Crabgrass frontier: the suburbanization of the United States. Oxford, Oxford University Press, pp. 45-72. 27

3. Fishman, R. (1987). Bourgeois utopias: the rise and fall of suburbia. New York, Basic Books, pp. 3-17. 14

Week 2

4. van Kempen, R. and A. Ozuekren (1998). "Ethnic segregation in cities: new forms and explanations in a dynamic world." Urban Studies 35(10): 1631-1656 25

5. Massey, D., A. Gross, et al. (1991). "Segregation, the concentration of poverty, and the life chances of individuals." Social Science Research20(4): 397-420. 23

6. Wilson, W. (1988). "American social policy and the ghetto underclass." Dissent35(1): 57-64. 7

7. Patterson, O. (1995). "The paradox of integration: why whites and blacks seem so divided." The New Republic 213(19): 24-27. 3

8. Irving, W. (1964). The broken heart. The legend of Sleepy Hollow. New York, Airmont Books: 77-81. 4

9. Women and Geography Study Group of the IBG (1984). Geography and gender: an introduction to feminist geography. London, Hutchinson, pp. 43-66. 23

Week 3

10. England, K. (1991). "Gender relations and the spatial structure of the city." Geoforum 22(2): 135-147. 12

11. Marston, S. and M. Saint-Germain (1991). "Urban restructuring and the emergence of new political groupings: women and neighborhood activism in Tucson, Arizona." Geoforum 22(2): 223-236. 13

12. Valentine, G. (1989). "The geography of women's fear." Area21(4): 385-390. 5

13. Myslik, W. (1996). Renegotiating the social/sexual identities of places. Bodyspace: destabilizing geographies of gender and sexuality. N. Duncan. New York, Routledge: 156-169. 13

14. Valentine, G. (1994). "Toward a geography of the lesbian community." Women & Environments 14(1): 8-10. 3

15. Valentine, G. (1993). "(Hetero)sexing space: lesbian perceptions and experiences of everyday spaces." Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 11(4): 395-413. 18

Week 4

16. Wolch, J. and Dear, M. (1993) Malign neglect: homelessness in an American city. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1-43. 42

17. Worsnop, R. (1996) Helping the homeless. CQ Researcher 6: 75-95. 20

Week 5

18. Dolgon, C., Kline, M. and Dresser, L. (1995) "House people, not cars!": economic development, political struggle, and common sense in a city of intellect. In M. Smith, ed. Marginal spaces. New Brunswick, NJ: Transactions Publishers, pp. 1-36. 35

19. Logan, J. and H. Molotch (1996). The city as a growth machine. Readings in urban theory. S. Fainstein and S. Campbell. Malden, MA, Blackwell: 291-337. 46

MIDTERM EXAM, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4

Week 6

20. Stoker, G. (1995). Regime theory and urban politics. Theories of urban politics. D. Judge, G. Stoker and H. Wolman. Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage. 54-71. 17

21. Cooper, M. (1997) Urban sprawl in the west. CQ Researcher 7: 865-888. 23

22. Geddes, R. (1997). "Metropolis unbound." The American ProspectNovember/December 1997: 40-46. 6

23. Longman, P. (1998). "Who pays for sprawl? Hidden subsidies fuel the growth of the suburban fringe." US News & World Report 124(16): 22-24. 3

24. Adler, J. (1995). "Paved paradise." Newsweek 125(20): 42-46. 4

25. Totilo, S. (1999). "Sprawling, sprawling…move to a suburb--and the world moves out with you. A case study in hypergrowth." Newsweek134(3): 22-24. 3

26. Fainstein, S. and C. Hirst (1995). Urban social movements. Theories of urban politics. D. Judge, G. Stoker and H. Wolman. Thousand Oaks, Sage. 181-204. 23

Week 7

27. Marston, S. and G. Towers (1993). Private spaces and the politics of places: spatioeconomic restructuring and community organizing in Tucson and El Paso. Mobilizing the community: local politics in the era of the global city. R. Fisher and J. Kling. Newbury Park, CA, Sage. 75-102. 27

28. McKenzie, E. (1994). Privatopia: homeowner associations and the rise of residential private government. New Haven, Yale University Press, pp. 1-28. 27

Week 8

29. Blakely, E. and M. Snyder (1997). Fortress America: gated communities in the United States. Washington, D.C., Brookings Institution Press, pp. 1-28. 27

30. Davis, M. (1990). City of quartz: excavating the future in Los Angeles. New York, Vintage Books, pp. 223-263. 40

31. Clark, C. (1993) Suburban crime: is the middle class threatened by a crime wave? CQ Researcher 3: 771-791. 20

Week 9

32. Scott, A. (1996). "Regional motors of the global economy." Futures28(5): 391-411. 20

33. Teaford, J. (1979). City and suburb: the political fragmentation of metropolitan America. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 76-104. 28

34. Clark, C. (1995). "Revitalizing the cities." CQ Researcher5(38): 897-920. 23

Week 10

35. Orfield, M. (1997). Metropolitics: a regional agenda for community and stability. Washington, D.C., Brookings Institution Press, pp. 1-14. 13

36. Taylor, P. (1993). Political Geography: world-economy, nation-state, and locality. New York, John Wiley & Sons, pp. 192-228. 36

37. Anderson, B. (1991). Imagined Communities. London, Verso, pp. 1-7. 6

38. Purcell, M. (1998). "A place for the Copts: imagined territory and spatial conflict in Egypt." Ecumene 5: 432-451. 19

FINAL EXAM, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15

Professor: Dr. Mark Purcell Office: Smith 406B Tel.: (206) 616-8668 E-mail: mpurcell@u.washington.edu Home page: http://faculty.washington.edu/mpurcell	Office Hours: Monday, 12:30-2:30 and by appointment
Teaching Assistant: Nick Velluzzi Office: Smith 430 Tel.: (206) 543-7156 E-mail: nvelluzz@u.washington.edu	Office Hours: Wednesday 10:30-11:30, 12:30-1:30 and by appointment

COURSE THEME	READINGS FOR THAT TOPIC (numbers refer to the numbers on the reading list, below)
Suburbanization	#1-3
Race/ethnic segregation	#4-7
Gender	#8-12
Sexuality	#13-15
Homelessness	#16-18
Urban politics	#19-20
Urban sprawl	#21-25
Urban social movements	#26-27
Crime/Gated communities	#28-31
Globalization and citizenship	#32-35
Nationalism and territory	#36-38

Reading		Number of pages
	Week 1
1.	Palen, J. (1981). The urban world. New York, McGraw-Hill Book Company, pp. 155-181.	26
2.	Jackson, K. (1985). Crabgrass frontier: the suburbanization of the United States. Oxford, Oxford University Press, pp. 45-72.	27
3.	Fishman, R. (1987). Bourgeois utopias: the rise and fall of suburbia. New York, Basic Books, pp. 3-17.	14
	Week 2
4.	van Kempen, R. and A. Ozuekren (1998). "Ethnic segregation in cities: new forms and explanations in a dynamic world." Urban Studies 35(10): 1631-1656	25
5.	Massey, D., A. Gross, et al. (1991). "Segregation, the concentration of poverty, and the life chances of individuals." Social Science Research20(4): 397-420.	23
6.	Wilson, W. (1988). "American social policy and the ghetto underclass." Dissent35(1): 57-64.	7
7.	Patterson, O. (1995). "The paradox of integration: why whites and blacks seem so divided." The New Republic 213(19): 24-27.	3
8.	Irving, W. (1964). The broken heart. The legend of Sleepy Hollow. New York, Airmont Books: 77-81.	4
9.	Women and Geography Study Group of the IBG (1984). Geography and gender: an introduction to feminist geography. London, Hutchinson, pp. 43-66.	23
	Week 3
10.	England, K. (1991). "Gender relations and the spatial structure of the city." Geoforum 22(2): 135-147.	12
11.	Marston, S. and M. Saint-Germain (1991). "Urban restructuring and the emergence of new political groupings: women and neighborhood activism in Tucson, Arizona." Geoforum 22(2): 223-236.	13
12.	Valentine, G. (1989). "The geography of women's fear." Area21(4): 385-390.	5
13.	Myslik, W. (1996). Renegotiating the social/sexual identities of places. Bodyspace: destabilizing geographies of gender and sexuality. N. Duncan. New York, Routledge: 156-169.	13
14.	Valentine, G. (1994). "Toward a geography of the lesbian community." Women & Environments 14(1): 8-10.	3
15.	Valentine, G. (1993). "(Hetero)sexing space: lesbian perceptions and experiences of everyday spaces." Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 11(4): 395-413.	18
	Week 4
16.	Wolch, J. and Dear, M. (1993) Malign neglect: homelessness in an American city. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1-43.	42
17.	Worsnop, R. (1996) Helping the homeless. CQ Researcher 6: 75-95.	20
	Week 5
18.	Dolgon, C., Kline, M. and Dresser, L. (1995) "House people, not cars!": economic development, political struggle, and common sense in a city of intellect. In M. Smith, ed. Marginal spaces. New Brunswick, NJ: Transactions Publishers, pp. 1-36.	35
19.	Logan, J. and H. Molotch (1996). The city as a growth machine. Readings in urban theory. S. Fainstein and S. Campbell. Malden, MA, Blackwell: 291-337.	46
	MIDTERM EXAM, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4
	Week 6
20.	Stoker, G. (1995). Regime theory and urban politics. Theories of urban politics. D. Judge, G. Stoker and H. Wolman. Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage. 54-71.	17
21.	Cooper, M. (1997) Urban sprawl in the west. CQ Researcher 7: 865-888.	23
22.	Geddes, R. (1997). "Metropolis unbound." The American ProspectNovember/December 1997: 40-46.	6
23.	Longman, P. (1998). "Who pays for sprawl? Hidden subsidies fuel the growth of the suburban fringe." US News & World Report 124(16): 22-24.	3
24.	Adler, J. (1995). "Paved paradise." Newsweek 125(20): 42-46.	4
25.	Totilo, S. (1999). "Sprawling, sprawling…move to a suburb--and the world moves out with you. A case study in hypergrowth." Newsweek134(3): 22-24.	3
26.	Fainstein, S. and C. Hirst (1995). Urban social movements. Theories of urban politics. D. Judge, G. Stoker and H. Wolman. Thousand Oaks, Sage. 181-204.	23

	Week 7
27.	Marston, S. and G. Towers (1993). Private spaces and the politics of places: spatioeconomic restructuring and community organizing in Tucson and El Paso. Mobilizing the community: local politics in the era of the global city. R. Fisher and J. Kling. Newbury Park, CA, Sage. 75-102.	27
28.	McKenzie, E. (1994). Privatopia: homeowner associations and the rise of residential private government. New Haven, Yale University Press, pp. 1-28.	27
	Week 8
29.	Blakely, E. and M. Snyder (1997). Fortress America: gated communities in the United States. Washington, D.C., Brookings Institution Press, pp. 1-28.	27
30.	Davis, M. (1990). City of quartz: excavating the future in Los Angeles. New York, Vintage Books, pp. 223-263.	40
31.	Clark, C. (1993) Suburban crime: is the middle class threatened by a crime wave? CQ Researcher 3: 771-791.	20
	Week 9
32.	Scott, A. (1996). "Regional motors of the global economy." Futures28(5): 391-411.	20
33.	Teaford, J. (1979). City and suburb: the political fragmentation of metropolitan America. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 76-104.	28
34.	Clark, C. (1995). "Revitalizing the cities." CQ Researcher5(38): 897-920.	23
	Week 10
35.	Orfield, M. (1997). Metropolitics: a regional agenda for community and stability. Washington, D.C., Brookings Institution Press, pp. 1-14.	13
36.	Taylor, P. (1993). Political Geography: world-economy, nation-state, and locality. New York, John Wiley & Sons, pp. 192-228.	36
37.	Anderson, B. (1991). Imagined Communities. London, Verso, pp. 1-7.	6
38.	Purcell, M. (1998). "A place for the Copts: imagined territory and spatial conflict in Egypt." Ecumene 5: 432-451.	19
	FINAL EXAM, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15