Master
2024/2025
Historical Urban Studies
Type:
Elective course (Global and Regional History)
Area of studies:
History
Delivered by:
Department of History
When:
2 year, 1, 2 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of all HSE University campuses
Master’s programme:
Global and Regional History
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
6
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The aim of this course is to introduce interdisciplinary trends of urban studies and focus on the functioning of these processes through historical perspective. Special attention will be given to research studies focusing on urbanization in the context of social, ecological, and technological history as well as history of science. This is a graduate course that examines the major topics of urban history from a transnational perspective. Moving through the modern period to the late 20th century, this course will focus on the analytic trends, major questions and issues shaping urban history studies today. Themes will include urban migration, mobility and governance, the city as an artefact of technology and environment, cities as the loci of various practices and places for production of knowledge and identities. This class is reading and discussion intensive.
Learning Objectives
- To give an idea of the directions and approaches in contemporary research in Urban History.
- To develop intellectual skills to discuss and provide arguments for defending their point of view, formulate questions for general discussion and moderate it.
- To develop research skills, including the preparation of a collective research project proposal.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Students would be able to perform professional activities, including research and development activities in the international environment
- Students will be able to analyze critically the literature they have read, use their knowledge in seminar discussions
- Students will master the conceptual framework of Urban history, methods and techniques of historical research and be able to use them in the preparation of collective research projects proposals
Course Contents
- What is urban history? Urban History as interdisciplinary field or research.
- ‘Urban machinery’: cities and technologies in historical perspective
- The challenge of Modernity. From Ideal City to World Metropolis
- City and Industry
- City and Trade
- City and Port
- City and its past. The problem of urban heritage
- The Growth of Cities in the Modern Era: Migration and Urban Change. Displaying History of Migration in the Museums
- Knowledge and Urbanization. The City as Space of Knowledge
- Historicizing Sustainable Urban Mobility: Transnational Perspective
- Cities and environment. Resources of the city. Urban metabolism as historical phenomenon
- Presentation of collective projects proposals. Reviews. General discussion
- Сities as the loci of scientific practice
- Growth and development of cities in the modern era: migration and urban change
- Historicizing sustainable urban mobility: transnational perspective
- What is the City? What is Urban History?
- ‘Urban Machinery’: Cities and Technologies in Historical Perspective
- Concluding seminar. Presentations of collective projects and discussion
Assessment Elements
- Moderation one of the seminars discussion (list of questions and discussion-leading)
- collective projects proposals
- Presentation of collective projects, preparing reviews, discussion
- Attendance +Participation (thoughtful contributions in the class)
Interim Assessment
- 2024/2025 2nd module0.15 * Attendance +Participation (thoughtful contributions in the class) + 0.15 * Moderation one of the seminars discussion (list of questions and discussion-leading) + 0.3 * Presentation of collective projects, preparing reviews, discussion + 0.4 * collective projects proposals
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- What is Urban History?, Ewen, S., 2018
- World Bank. (2013). A National Framework for Sustainable Urban Transport Systems : Proposals for Improving Urban Transportation in Russian Cities. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.7D9A6349
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- Jooste, A. F., de Kock, I. H., & Musango, J. K. (2019). A Systematic Literature Review of Sustainable Urban Planning Challenges Associated with Developing Countries. South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, (3), 253. https://doi.org/10.7166/30-3-2247