COURSE SYLLABUS

SOC 340
Urban Sociology
Spring 2013

MWF 11:00- 11:50 A.M.
Classroom LS 312
Office Hours
M-F 8-9 AM Other times by appointment
Office Location HUM 222
Office Phone 717-815-6412
E-Mail sjacob@ycp.edu
Website Address http://staff.ycp.edu/~sjacob/

Steve J acob
Associate Professor of Sociology
York College of Pennsylvania
Course Description:
From the catalog: A study of the sociological development of modern cities and the impact of urbanization
and urban problems on individuals, groups, and neighborhood or community formation.
Course Goals:
Explore the social forces that led to the development of early cities and to current forms of urbanization.
Have students to apply theories and concepts in urban sociology.
Be able to identify contemporary urban social problems and solutions.
Students will be able to identify issues in urban development, redevelopment, and preservation.

Required Texts:

(1) M. Gottdiener and Leslie Budd. 2005. Key Concepts in Urban Studies. Sage: London.

Electronic journal articles will be linked on the course webpage as assigned readings over the course of the
semester. These additional readings will often be the topic of assignments, so be sure to read them in a
timely fashion.
Course Requirements:
The Course will be taught through a combination of lectures, discussions and exercises. It is expected that
you demonstrate: (1) familiarity of the literature; (2) understanding of theory and concepts from the readings
and lectures; and (3) ability to relate this knowledge to contemporary issues. Students are required to:

(1) Read all assigned readings for each section of the course and contribute to class discussion from these
references. I will expect you from time to time to discuss readings or identify concepts and/or
relevant issues.
(2) Participate in all assigned exercises. Considerable time will be devoted to group interaction. It is the
philosophy of this course that human service professionals do not work in isolation. It is through the
collaborative process that we are able to address the complex issues facing society today. In order to
meet your group goals and objectives, the collective approach (team work) to issue identification,
value clarification and problem solving will be instituted. Attendance and participation is necessary
to do this.
(3) Exams: Take two exams as listed in the course calendar. The exams will be a combination of true
and false, multiple choice, short answers and essay questions. A review sheet will be provided prior
to the scheduled exam date. There will be NO makeup exams. The exams are not cumulative Un-
excused, missed examinations will receive a score of zero. Each exam will count for 25% of your final
grade (50% total).
(4) Short Papers: Each student will complete four writing assignments that are approximately 2 pages
(double spaced, with 1 inch margins, and 12 point font) in length. The papers will count for 5% of
your final grade (20% total).
(5) Quizzes, In-Class Exercises, Short Assignments and Attendance: Learning is an active process.
From time to time, I will distribute handouts or exercises to be discussed and completed in class. This
information is important to the overall class and you don't want to miss anything. I will not be taking
attendance however I will occasionally have announced quizzes and assignments. You will be
responsible for everything presented in class. If you have an excused absence, you are still
responsible for making up any quizzes or class exercises. If you miss a class exercise or quiz you may
make it up if you provide me with a written medical, legal, or valid emergency excuse within one
week of the time of your absence. Otherwise you will not be able to make up those quizzes or
assignments. Quizzes, short assignments, and exercises will count for 30% of your final grade.
(6) Late or Missed Assignments: Assignments and their due dates will be announced in class. Unless
announced otherwise, all assignments must be turned in during the beginning of class (first ten
minutes). In case of an emergency, have someone else turn in your assignment or contact the
instructor prior to the due date to make other arrangements. Late assignments will be penalized one
letter grade after the first ten minutes of class. Further, an additional penalty of one letter
grade will be assessed for each additional day late (including Saturday and Sunday). You should
look carefully at the start of the semester to see if you have potential conflicts with the due dates of
assignments, quizzes, and examinations. In the event of a conflict, you should have it resolved within
the first two classes of the beginning of the course. Important Note: I do not accept e-mails or e-mail
attachments for Assignments. If you submit an assignment via email or email attachment I will ignore it. Your
assignment will be counted as late and you will be penalized until I receive a hard copy turned in to me. No
exceptions
(7) Final Exam: The final exam will be given during the final exam period as assigned by the office of
the Dean of Academic Affairs. You may not take the exam early. If you have a conflict with another
exam you may take the exam during the conflict resolution period as assigned by the office of the
Dean of Academic Affairs as long as you make prior arrangements.
(8) This syllabus is not a contract it is a guideline. The instructor reserves the right to make changes
accordingly, including correcting mistakes, changing assignments, changing the grading scale or
weights of assignments, or adjusting the pace of the course. It is your responsibility as a student to be
aware of any changes made over the course of the semester.


Criteria for Evaluating Student's Performance:
The student's grade will be comprised of the following:
Two Exams 50% (25% each)
4 Short Papers 20% (5% each)
Quizzes and Short Assignments 30%
Total 100%
Grading Scale: 4: 90-100 3.5: 88-89.999
3: 80-87.999 2.5: 78-79.999
2: 70-77.999 1: 65-69.999
0: <65
I do not round grades up.
Course Outline Lecture Topics

Modules
Key Concepts in Urban Studies Text
Readings
Additional Assigned Readings
(available on the website)
Introduction: The Rise of Cities,
Suburbs, and MSAs
The City 4-11
Urbanization & Urbanism 183-188
The Community Question
Statistical Definitions Counties, Places, MSAs & other Census
Definitions 16-19
Multi-Centered Metropolitan Regions 87-95
Do Communities Act?
The Chicago School, Human
Ecology, Central Place, and
Global Systems
Models of Urban Growth 83-87
Globalization 44-49
Global Cities 39-44
Over-Urbanization and the Primate City 104-107

Community, Neighborhood, and
Belonging in the Urban
Environment
Neighborhoods 92-96 Bowling Alone
The Economy and Related Forces Fiscal Crisis 29-32
Education and the Reproduction of Labor 21-24
The Informal Economy 76-81
Uneven Development and Boom and Bust
Cycles 165-169
Uneven Development
Development, Redevelopment,
and Sustainable Development
Real Estate 130-135
Housing 53-60
Gentrification 32-34
New Urbanism 96-100
Sustainable Urbanization 158-165

Post-Modern and Modern Urbanism 121-126
The City as a Growth Machine
Planning, Preservation, and
Emerging Trends
Planning Cities, Suburbs, and Metro Regions
114-121
Preservation 126-130
Pedestrians and the Automobile 107-114

Suburbs Suburbs and Suburbanization 154-158
Sprawl 145-154
The Strength of Weak Ties
Race and Poverty Ghettos and Racial Segregation 34-39
Environmental Concerns 24-27
Inequality and Poverty 65-76
Slums and Shanty Towns 135-140

Fear of the City, Social Problems,
and Competing Views of City
Life
Urban Violence and Crime 179-183
Homelessness 49-53
Immigration and Migration 60-65
Nightlife and the Urban Nightscape 100-104
Metropolis and Mental Life or Living in
the City
This is an approximate topical list for the course; it may change as the semester unfolds. You should be
aware of any changes in this outline that are announced in class. Since it is a new course I am unsure as to
how long each module will take to complete.


Important Dates:
1/23 First Class (Late Registration Fee Applies)
1/30 Last day to enter, switch or add classes (Drop/Add) for the semester
2/5 Last day to elect Pass/Fail option in stated courses
3/11-3/16 Warning Grades
3/2-3/10 Winter Vacation NO CLASSES
4/5 Last day to withdraw from classes or from the college for the semester
3/28-4/1 Spring Vacation NO CLASSES
5/11 Final Exam, May 15th from 10:15 A.M.-12:15 A.M. in LS312


Tentative Assignment Dates:
Exam I 3/15
Exam II 5/15 @ 10:15 A.M. in regular classroom
Quizzes Unannounced
In-Class Exercises Announced in Class
Short Assignments Announced in Class
Papers Announced in Class

Academic Dishonesty
As stated in the General Catalog 2012-2014: Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated at York College. Academic Dishonesty
refers to actions such as cheating, plagiarism, etc., and includes all situations where students make use of the work of others and
claim such work as their own. This includes copying from the Internet. Students of this course agree to the following statement:
"I understand that the York College of Pennsylvania expects its students to be honest in all their academic work. I agree to adhere
to this commitment to honesty and understand that my failure to comply with this commitment may result in disciplinary action,
which may include receiving a 0in the course and possible suspension or dismissal from the college. This policy will be upheld
at all times in this course.

Syllabus
I have read and fully understand the syllabus for this course. I agree to abide by all of the policies and procedures that it contains.

YCP Counseling Services They are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. during the fall semester. Counseling
Services offers confidential one-on-one personal counseling sessions, support groups/group counseling, a library of valuable
information, and workshops on counseling-related issues.
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career choice. They are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and their goal is to help students learn
that they have a great deal of control and responsibility in choosing their appropriate career paths. They also give
coaching, support, and concrete help to assist students in achieving their goals. Their approach is four-fold and includes
1) Education & Workshops, 2) Support Services, 3) Resource Library , and 4) Internship & Employment Opportunities