Urban Anthropology: Poverty & Affluence

This course will investigate the ways in which cities are places of economic and political opportunity for some and of deprivation, discrimination, violence, and impoverishment for others. By reading ethnographies, we will explore different theories of urban poverty and inequality and examine the impact of immigration, racial segregation, suburbanization, public policies, and social movements on U.S. cities and their inhabitants. The class will pay special attention to the existence of inequalities based on race, class, gender and sexuality and will analyze proposals to reduce these inequalities.