Inside the City of Diversity

This subject examines differences in diverse people’s experiences of urban life, the opportunities and challenges it offers them, and their ability to shape the city. We will examine how social differences such as class, gender, ethnicity, race, and disability have been understood in urban studies from varied theoretical perspectives, including liberalism, Marxism, feminism and postcolonialism. We will explore these themes with case studies from many cities around the world, with a particular interest in Melbourne, where students will undertake independent field research. Specific issues to be investigated include: the social and cultural lives of rich, poor, middle-class and gentrifying neighbourhoods; the negotiation of gender roles and relations in the private and public spheres of the city; intergenerational conflicts in urban housing and labour markets; inequalities in the spatial distribution of urban infrastructures such as roads, transport, education and health services; racial segregation and conflict; the displacement and marginalization of Aboriginal communities in Australian cities, and their activism. Students completing the subject will demonstrate in-depth understanding of how social inequalities develop and manifest in cities; but also, how cities can become places of resistance, inter-cultural encounter and transformation.