draft date 1/3/2025
Sociology 149/249
Urban Studies 112
CSRE 149A
"The Urban Underclass"
Syllabus
Winter Quarter 2025
Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30A-11:50A
Building 200, room 034
Plus once a week section, day and time TBA
Michael J. Rosenfeld
Professor
Department of Sociology
McClatchy Hall (Building 120) room 124
mrosenfe@stanford.edu
http://www.stanford.edu/~mrosenfe
Office Hours TBA
TA: Britiny Cook
Introduction:
In this class we will read and discuss some of the classic work of urban sociology, and ask a series of questions about segregation, opportunity, race, class, and public policy.
Required Readings (Available at Stanford Bookstore and on reserve at Green)
* Hirsch, Arnold. 1983. Making the Second Ghetto. Cambridge University Press. $21, ISBN: 0226342441
* William Julius Wilson. 1979. The Declining Significance of Race. University of Chicago Press. $18, ISBN-10: 0226901297
* Massey, Douglas S. and Nancy Denton. 1993. American Apartheid: Segregation and the Making of the Underclass. Harvard University Press. $21, ISBN-10: 0674018214
* Robert Caro. 1974. The Power Broker. Vintage. $17, ISBN-10: 0394720245
* Kotlowitz, Alex. 1991. There Are No Children Here. Doubleday. $11, ISBN-10: 0385265565
* Murray, Charles. 1995. Losing Ground. Basic Books. $21, ISBN-10: 0465042333
* Kathryn Edin and Luke Shaefer. 2016. Two Dollars A Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America. $12. ISBN-10: 054481195X
* Anderson, Elijah. 1990. Streetwise: Race, Class and Change in an Urban Community. University of Chicago Press. $16, ISBN-10: 0226018164
* Oliver, Melvin and Thomas Shapiro. 1995. Black Wealth, White Wealth. Routledge. $29, ISBN-10: 0415951674
* Coates, Ta-Nehisi. 2015. Between the World and Me. Spiegel and Grau. $15, ISBN-10: 0812993543
* Alexander, Michelle. 2012. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness. ISBN-13: 978-1595586438. $12.80.
Plus several additional readings posted or linked on the class website, including:
* US Dept of Justice “Investigation of the Ferguson Police Department”, 2015
Plus two movies to see in the second half of the quarter:
Hoop Dreams (Director Steve James, 1994) And Do the Right Thing (Director Spike Lee 1989)
Requirements:
For Undergraduates (soc 149):
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* Midterm Exam |
25% |
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* Make one 15 minute presentation to discussion section, and lead (along with the TA) the section discussion for that week. |
20% |
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* Regular section participation |
10% |
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* Short paper using Social Explorer maps |
10% |
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* Final Exam |
35% |
For Graduate Students (soc 249):
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* Midterm Exam |
15% |
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* Make one 15 minute presentation to discussion section, and lead (along with the TA) the section discussion for that week. |
20% |
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* Regular section participation |
10% |
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* One 10 minute presentation to class, presenting a different book from the one you presented to section |
15% |
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* Short paper using Social Explorer maps |
10% |
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* Final Exam |
30% |
Class Size:
In case of class size limitations, sign-up will require consent of the professor.
Students with Disabilities:
Students with disabilities that may necessitate an academic accommodation must initiate a request with the Stanford Office of Accessible Education, https://oae.stanford.edu/.
If you need accommodations, please share your OAE letter with Professor Rosenfeld early in the quarter.
COVID-19 safety: For my own safety, I will be wearing a mask at all times. The first two rows of chairs in the lecture hall are mask required. Other seats further back are mask optional.
Computer use in class: In order to limit distractions in class, there is no computer use in class, except by special permission from Professor Rosenfeld.
The Honor Code:
Students are responsible for understanding the
University’s Honor
Code policy and must make proper use of citations of sources for writing
papers, creating, and presenting their work, and doing research.
Reading Assignments:
NOTE: Questions are posted on my website for each reading. See www.stanford.edu/~mrosenfe/urb_reading_questions.htm
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Week |
Class |
Reading Assignments Due |
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Week 1 |
Jan 7 |
Class orientation |
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Jan 9 |
Making the Second Ghetto, Ch 1-3 |
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Week 2 |
Jan 14 |
Making the Second Ghetto, finish the book |
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Jan 16 |
Wilson: Declining Significance of Race, Ch 1-3 |
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Week 3 |
Jan 21 |
Wilson: Declining Significance of Race, Ch 4-8 |
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Jan 23 |
American Apartheid, preface + Ch 1-2 |
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Week 4 |
Jan 28 |
American Apartheid, Ch 3-5 |
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Jan 30 |
American Apartheid, finish the book |
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Week 5 |
Feb 4 |
In Class Midterm Exam |
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Feb 6 |
The Power Broker, Chapters 10-15. |
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Week 6 |
Feb 11 |
There Are no Children Here, read the whole book |
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Feb 13 |
Black Wealth/ White Wealth, Intro, Ch 1-5 |
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Week 7 |
Feb 18 |
Streetwise, Chapters 1-2 Also: Social Explorer draft papers due; upload to Canvas |
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Feb 20 |
Streetwise, finish the book |
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Week 8 |
Feb 25 |
Losing Ground, Prologue, Chapter 1-4, Ch 16, Ch 17, especially p. 227-236
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Feb 27 |
Ta-Nehisi Coates: Between the World and Me, read the whole book |
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Week 9 |
March 4 |
Michelle Alexander The New Jim Crow read the whole book |
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March 6 |
Edin and Shaeffer $2 A day, Intro, Ch1-2, and Conclusion |
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Week 10 |
March 11 |
US DOJ “Investigation of the Ferguson Police Department” (linked from my website)
See also: Terry v. Ohio US Supreme Court 1968; Floyd v. New York 2013 (all linked from my website) |
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March 13 |
Last Class, Review Session. Social Explorer final papers due by midnight; upload to Canvas |
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Final Exam |
In-class Final Exam Thursday, March 20, 3:30-6:30P (as scheduled by the Registrar) |