Introduction to Urban Anthropology

elective courses

Classroom

Roughly half a century ago, the accelerating rate of world population growth, rapid migration

processes, and profound socio-technological transformations led to a blurring of the boundaries

between "urban" and "rural" and forced anthropologists to undertake research on the spontaneous

social processes in urbanized areas.

These days, more than half of the Earth's population already lives in urban areas. Urban

anthropology, on the one hand, emerges from the search for a holistic account of the social

processes taking place in them, on the other hand, from the application of ethnographic methods to

the study of small social settings. Its particular value lies in looking at urban areas and their

inhabitants from a cultural, internal perspective, taking into account differences and details that

escape other social sciences.

Roughly half a century ago, the accelerating rate of world population growth, rapid migration

processes, and profound socio-technological transformations led to a blurring of the boundaries

between "urban" and "rural" and forced anthropologists to undertake research on the spontaneous

social processes in urbanized areas.

These days, more than half of the Earth's population already lives in urban areas. Urban

anthropology, on the one hand, emerges from the search for a holistic account of the social

processes taking place in them, on the other hand, from the application of ethnographic methods to

the study of small social settings. Its particular value lies in looking at urban areas and their

inhabitants from a cultural, internal perspective, taking into account differences and details that

escape other social sciences.

The lectures will begin with a discussion (including a critical one) of the issues that first urban

anthropologists were interested in. These include: the origins of cities in different parts of the world,

their typologies, and their specificity, defined, among other things, in opposition to other forms of

settlement life. Next, the theoretical concepts and examples of fascinating empirical monographs of

the social worlds of American metropoles, which originated within the so-called Chicago School, will

be discussed. Further, various research approaches to the phenomena of poverty, slums and

ghettoization will be problematized based on classical and contemporary research studies.

Anthropology developed in the era of colonialism - the course will present how it translated into the

planning of cities in selected parts of Africa or Asia and into the manner in which they were studied

by Western anthropologists. It will be followed with an analysis of the policies and trends associated

with the transformation of port cities, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, along with their

decolonization and the emergence of new collective identities.

The processes of social production of space and various ways of studying and conceptualizing them

will be widely discussed in the course. The most prominent urban utopias and their influence on city

planning in different parts of the world will be discussed. Socialist and post-socialist cities will be

dealt with specifically. Humanist theories of space, concepts developed within the framework of

urban symbolism studies, iconosphere and landscape concepts will be used to analyze the history of

specific cities at crucial historical moments.

The course will address the use and development of ethnographic research techniques and

anthropological theoretical concepts to study social life in urban environments. The final part of the

program includes a discussion of recent research areas and challenges in urban anthropology.

Simmel G. Socjologia, r. „Mentalność mieszkańców wielkich miast PWN, Warszawa, 1975 s. 513-531.

Wirth L. On Cities and Social Life, r „Urbanism as a way of life” The University of Chicago Press, 1964, s. 60-83.

Wallis A. r. „Przestrzeń jako wartość”, r. „Obszar kulturowy”, r. „Pojęcie centrum”, w: Socjologia przestrzeni, Niezależna Oficyna Wydawnicza, 1990, s. 19-32, s. 99-110, s. 123-131.

Auge M. „Nie-miejsca. Wprowadzenie do antropologii hipernowoczesności”, PWN, Warszawa, 2012, r. „Od miejsc do nie-miejsc” s. 51-80.

Mike D. Planeta slumsów, r. 2 „Wszechobecność slumsów”, Instytut Wydawniczy Książka i Prasa, 2009, s. 34-75.

Jakubowska L., "Paradoks nowoczesności: poligamia wśród zurbanizowanych Beduinów", w: (red.) Pakszys E. Międzykulturowe i interdyscyplinarne badania feministyczne. Daleki - Bliski Wschód, Wydawnictwo Naukowe UAM, Poznań, 2005.

Pessel W. Antropologia nieczystości. Studia z kultury sanitarnej Warszawy, rozdział III, Trio, Warszawa, 2010, s. 119-147.

Pessel W. Antropologia nieczystości. Studia z kultury sanitarnej Warszawy, r. I, Trio, Warszawa, 2010 s.15-56.

Wirth L. “The Getto” w: On Cities and Social Life, The University of Chicago Press, 1964, s. 84-98.

E. Blakely, N. Snyder p. „Forting Up”, „The Search of Community” s. 1-45, Fortress America, Brookings Institution Press, 1999.

Caldeira T. “Fortified enclaves: the new urban segregation” (ed.) Low S. Theorizing the City. The new urban anthropology reader, 2005, s. 83-106.

Anderson E.Street Wise. Race, Class and Change in an Urban Community, p. “Street Etiquette and Street Wisdom”, The University of Chicago Press ,1990, s. 207-236.

Anderson E. Street Wise. Race, Class and Change in an Urban Community, p. “The Black male in public” The University of Chicago Press ,1990, s. 190-206 .

Nas P, Samuels A. r. “Urban Symbolic Ecology and the Hypercity: State of the art and Challenges for the Future” w: Hypercity. The Symbolic Side of Urbanism, Kegan Paul, London, 2006, s. 1-20.

Tazbir J. „Wojna na pomniki i o pomniki”, w: Kultura i Społeczeństwo, nr 1, 1997.

Krajewski M. (red.) „Nie-widzialne miasto”, Krajewski M. „ Niewidzialne miasto – uspołeczniająca moc fotografii”, Drozdowski R. r. „Agory i kluby – społeczny pomysł na uspołeczniające miasto”, Bęc Zmiana, Warszawa, 2012, s. 9-22, s. 47-61.

Krajewski M. (red.) „Nie-widzialne miasto”, r. Kietlińska B. „niewidzialnomiejskie estetyki”, Rosińska M. „Projektując niewidzialne miasto..”, Bęc Zmiana, Warszawa, 2012, s.147-165.

Jacyno M. „Mieszkanie i moralna architektura” kultury indywidualizmu w: (red.) G. Woroniecka „Co znaczy Mieszkać?”, TRIO, 2007.

Łukasiewicz J.„Dom jako społeczne minimum. Spojrzenie na okres okupacji” w: (red.) Siciński A. Dom we współczesnej Polsce. Szkice, 1990, WIK, Warszawa.

Cichomski M. r. „Dziś obcy rzadko się tu zapuszczają …” lata dziewięćdzisiąt…” w: Kurczewski, Cichomski, Wiliński Wielkie bazary warszawskie, TRIO, 2010 89-126.

Cichomski M. r. 4 „Bazarowa społeczność – przemiany struktury społecznej na Bazarze Różyckiego w latach 1987-2007” w: Kurczewski, Cichomski, Wiliński Wielkie bazary warszawskie, TRIO, 2010 89-126.

Przybył E. Pałac Kultury i Nauki jako socjalistyczna sakralizacja przestrzeni w: (red.) Zuzanna Grębocka, Jakub Sadowski „Pałac Kultury i Nauki. Między ideologią a masową wyobraźnią”, Nomos, 2007, s. 89-124.

Zieliński J. „Realizm socjalistyczny w Warszawie”, r. „Doktryna socjalizmu realistycznego w architekturze i jej społeczno-technologiczne zaplecze”, Hereditas, 2009, s. 33-68.

Murzyn M. r. 1 „Podejście teoretyczne do rewitalizacji. Kontekst postsocjalistycznej Europy Środkowej” w: Murzyn M. „Kazimierz. Środkowoeuropejskie doświadczenie rewitalizacji”, Międzynarodowe Centrum Kultury, Kraków, 2006.

Murzyn M. r. 6 „Wizerunek i interpretacja dziedzictwa kulturowego dzielnicy” w: Murzyn M. „Kazimierz. Środkowoeuropejskie doświadczenie rewitalizacji”, Międzynarodowe Centrum Kultury, Kraków, 2006.

K_W13 Is aware of the importance of a reflective and critical approach to the results of social research, analyses and research procedures

K_U01 Can identify causes and predict potential effects of past and current social events; can form critical judgments about current and past social events

K_U03 Can perform a critical analysis of social phenomena and processes, particularly those concerning contemporary Polish society

K_U04 Can critically select information and materials for academic work, using various sources in Polish and a foreign language as well as modern technologies

K_U05 Can independently form and verify judgments about the causes of selected social phenomena

K_U06 Can use theoretical categories and research methods in the description and analysis of social and cultural changes in modern societies, as well as their consequences

K_U19 Can prepare a presentation of a selected problem or study in Polish and in a foreign language

K_K05 Can gather, find, synthesize and critically assess information about social sciences

K_K06 Can argue a thesis using scientific evidence

K_K07 Can justify the choice of sources

K_K09 Actively searches for new ways and sources to broaden his/her knowledge and improve professional competences

Exam, presentation