Cities and Urban Culture - SOC00075I
- Department: Sociology
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: I
- Academic year of delivery: 2026-27
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2026-27 |
Module aims
How are cities and urbanisation crucial to understanding modern, diverse societies? This module seeks to provide a thorough introduction to urban sociology. You will learn about the key theories and ideas of urban sociologists, and gain an insight into the major urban transformations from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century which is defined by industrialisation, urban renewal, ghettoisation and gentrification. Reflecting on these historical developments shows how our lives have been shaped , even if we don’t live in a major metropolis. Linking these transformations to the reproduction of social class, race and gender inequalities will help you explore how these experiences are articulated and debated in urban culture such music, cinema, literature, art and heritage. . You will be encouraged to think and act as (global) urban citizens, not simply as individuals with rights but as agents capable of initiating change in the environments that we live in.
Module learning outcomes
- Articulate theoretically informed explanations for the relationships between cities and urban culture
- Critically analyse contemporary cities and urban culture using visual methods
- Evaluate the legacies of race, imperial, gender and class inequalities in the contemporary city
- Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the social construction of cities and mechanisms of exclusion in urban life., and how more socially just cities may be created
- Demonstrate ability to undertake critical analysis and to convey complex ideas in written and verbal formats
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100.0 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100.0 |
Module feedback
Students will receive peer-to-peer feedback on their images/ themes in week 6.
For summative visual essay - students will receive an overall mark and grading according to clearly defined criteria for assessing their knowledge, skills and abilities in line with MLO 1-4. They will also receive written feedback showing areas in which they have done well, and those areas in which they need to improve that will contribute to their progress.
Indicative reading
tbc