ANTH 616: Anthropology of the City

ANTH 616-001: Anthropology of the City
(Spring 2026)

04:30 PM to 07:10 PM M

Horizon Hall 1007

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Section Information for Spring 2026

ANTH 616 - 001: Anthropology of the City

The city has long been a key site for thinking about modernity, globalization, and social change—from the industrial revolution to the postmodern and now the posthuman city. This graduate seminar brings together perspectives from anthropology, sociology, geography, and urban studies to explore how people inhabit, experience, and imagine urban environments. Drawing on key theoretical works and ethnographic, novelistic, and cinematic accounts, the course considers cities as lived, material, and political spaces shaped by everyday practices and global processes alike. Students will engage both with conceptual frameworks for analyzing urban life and with the methodological challenges of researching in and across cities. Topics will include urban planning and development, the politics of space/place and public/private, citizenship and governance, migration and transnational networks, gentrification and inequality, mobility and infrastructure, environmental struggles, and the emerging condition of planetary urbanization.

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Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Examines classic and contemporary works in urban theory, in light of broader scholarly discussions of modernity and globalization. Uses a case-study approach to analyze topics such as: public and private space, citizenship and governance, architecture and design, housing, transportation, formal and informal settlements, and the contest over space and environmental resources in cities around the world. Notes: Course may be offered fall or spring. Offered by Sociology & Anthropology. May not be repeated for credit.
Registration Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students with a class of Advanced to Candidacy, Graduate, Junior Plus, Non-Degree or Senior Plus.

Enrollment is limited to Graduate, Non-Degree or Undergraduate level students.

Students in a Non-Degree Undergraduate degree may not enroll.

Schedule Type: Seminar
Grading:
This course is graded on the Graduate Regular scale.

The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.