The Identity of the City in Latin America

Description

What are the ideosyncracies of Latin American cities? What does citizenship mean in a Latin American context? When are people proud to be an urbanite? When and how do insecurities shape urban life? And how do socio-spatial patterns influence such experiences? In this course students will explore the characteristics of Latin American cities and urban societies, making use of geographical, sociological and anthropological studies. In the introductory part an overview will be given of Latin American urban studies and the history of urban development in the region. The attention will subsequently shift towards contemporary social movements, socio-spatial segregation, violence, urban policies and urban governance. The course rounds up with attention for the everyday experiences in the city, as well as with urban imaginaries and identities. Objectives: Students that have attended this course are expected to be able to: Describe urban development processes for the discussed cases in Latin America; Explain and use core concepts from the urban studies literature; Apply knowledge about Latin American cities in broader development debates, for example with regard to social movements, livelihood strategies, social mobility, spatial segregation, violence, and urban spatial policies.