SOC 3707 - Urban Sociology
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 01, CRN 43999,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Norman Rose
Email: nrrose01@ysu.edu
Course Description
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | The New Urban Sociology, Mark Gottdiener, Randolph Hohle, Colby King. Routledge, 2019 | Mark Gottdiener, Randolph Hohle, Colby King. | |
| Required | Legacy Cities: Continuity and Change Amid Decline and Revival | J. Rosie Tighe and Stephanie Ryberg-Webster, Eds. | |
| Required | Additional Postings to Blackboard |
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | Gottdiener, et al Chapter 1 Tighe, et al Chapter 2 |
Concepts of urban sociology, What is a legacy city? | Review the syllabus, email questions to the instructor Additional Reading: Excerpt from Louis Mumford, The City in History |
| 8/31 | Gottdiener, et al Chapter 2 | The evolution of urban society |
Additional Reading: The Absence of Towns in 17th Century Virginia Ungraded Discussion: Introduce yourself to the class, identify your paper or PowerPoint topic |
| 9/7 | Gottdiener, et al Chapter 2 | Youngstown's Case Study | First Graded Discussion |
| 9/14 | Gottdiener, et al Chapter 9 Tighe, et al Chapter 4 Youngstown NCR |
Neighborhood conditions and preservation | Additional Reading: The Model Cities Program |
| 9/21 | Gottdiener, et al Chapter 10 Tighe, et al Chapters 5 and 10 |
Housing | Additional Reading: The Revitalization of Harrison West |
| 9/28 | Gottdiener, et al Chapter 8 Tighe, et al Chapter 7 |
Social problems of the urban environment | Second Graded Discussion |
| 10/5 | Gottdiener, et al Chapter 3 Tighe, et al Chapter 1 |
Contemporary urban sociology | Midterm Exam |
| 10/12 | Gottdiener, et al Chapter 5 Tighe, et al Chapter 14 |
Impacts of suburban sprawl and regional perspectives | Additional Reading Assignment: Urban Appalachians |
| 10/19 | Gottdiener, et al Chapters 6 and 7 | Urbanization in the developed and developing world | Additional Reading Assignment: At Day's Close |
| 10/26 | Gottdiener, et al Chapter 11 | Metro planning and transit-oriented development | Additional Reading Assignment: The Color of Law |
| 11/2 | Gottdiener, et al Chapter 12 | Urban social policy in the United States | Third Graded Discussion |
| 11/9 | Tighe, et al Chapter 9 | Vacancy and Abandonment in a Legacy City | Additional Reading Assignment: Excerpt from The Jungle |
| 11/16 | Tighe, et al Chapters 8 and 11 | The human toll: intersections of race, ethnicity, and class in legacy cities | Additional Reading Assignment: Hillbillies and the color line in Detroit Paper or PowerPoint due- Comment on at least two (Comments are ungraded) |
| 11/23 | Tighe, et al Chapters 6 and 12 |
Thanksgiving week; university closed | Enjoy the Holiday! |
| 11/30 | Gottdiener, et al Chapter 13 | Reimagining our urban footprint and a sustainable future | Fourth Graded Discussion |
| 12/7 | Tighe Conclusion | Land banking: the new front in the battle against blight and abandonment | Final Exam Due 11:59 pm Dec. 12 Please fill out the Coure Evaluation Thanks for taking my UrbanSociologty Class |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.