Bachelor
2024/2025
Urban and Regional Research
Type:
Elective course (Sociology and Social Informatics)
Area of studies:
Sociology
Delivered by:
Department of Sociology
When:
4 year, 1, 2 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Anna Nemirovskaya
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
5
Course Syllabus
Abstract
This course provides an insight into the methodological approaches and practical methods of sociological research on urban and regional issues in an interdisciplinary and practical perspective. This course focuses on the results of applied research into the issues of urban and regional development within the context of socio-economic processes taking place in Russia and other parts of the world. It includes the discussion of issues of urban and regional economic development, urban and regional demographics, quality of life, effects of inequality and poverty on the urban environment and regional development, land use and housing policy, sustainable and efficient transportation, public health concerns, environmental politics and ecological economics, local identity and regional history. The study of smart cities and innovations in the local and regional sphere is given particular emphasis. Seminars and project work will provide students with the opportunity to explore methods, tools and data sources used to assess indicators and trends of urban and regional growth as well as how they relate to sustainable development and quality of life.
Learning Objectives
- Gain skills in searching, reading and analyzing academic literature
- Study the key issues in current urban and regional studies
- Get an overview of major theories and methodological approaches and apply them to posing research questions and solving practical problems in urban and regional studies
- Practice research design development
- Learn professional standards for applied research of urban and regional problems
- Explore current areas of research and up to date methods in urban and regional studies
- Discuss practical issues in urban and regional research
- Practice the skills of team work in elaboration and presentation of a research project
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Be able to find and analyze relevant academic publications
- Know the core practical and methodological problems in urban and regional studies and basic theories and approaches to tackle them
- Be able to analyze practical issues in urban and regional studies by applying sociologicaltheories and concepts
- Develop multidisciplinary view of research problems in urban and regional studies
- Gain skills in designing own research project of urban and regional issues
- Learn trends and perspectives in urban and regional research
- Know how to selectappropriate research tools for professional tasks
- Be acquainted with theup to dateresearch methods and theoretical approaches applied in urban and regional studies
Course Contents
- Introduction to urban and regional studies
- Urban systems and processes: urban structure, urban planning, transport system, environmental problems of cities
- Regional systems and processes: geographical distribution of population and resources, economic development of regions, regional development policy
- Social aspects of urban and regional studies: the social structure of the city, migration processes, problems of poverty and social inequality.
- Environmental aspects of urban and regional studies: the impact of cities on the environment, sustainable urban development, waste and resource management.
- Cultural aspects of urban and regional studies: cultural diversity of cities, preservation of historical heritage, urban culture and art.
- Applied aspects of urban and regional studies: urban design and planning, management of urban and regional processes.
- Cross-national comparative research in urban planning and regional development
- Discussion of research cases and elaboration of student`s group research
- Presentation and discussion of group research projects
Assessment Elements
- Class activity
- HomeworkWrite an analytical essay on research on the social problem of a city or region. The text volume is no more than 5 A4 pages (Times New Roman font, size 12, interval 1.15), file extension - doc or docx. The topic is chosen by the students themselves, and the task is performed individually. The essay must contain visual materials (for example, graphs, diagrams, drawings), links to data sources and information resources, a list of sources used (not less than 10 items), an indication of the search engines used and query forms.
- Exam
Interim Assessment
- 2024/2025 2nd moduleClass activity * 0.4 + Homework (Analytical essay) * 0.2 + Exam (Group research project proposal)* (0.4)
