THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2013/2014

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Geosciences : Geography

Undergraduate Course: The Cultures of Cities (GEGR10109)

Course Outline
School	School of Geosciences	College	College of Science and Engineering
Course type	Standard	Availability	Available to all students
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate)	Credits	20
Home subject area	Geography	Other subject area	None
Course website	None	Taught in Gaelic?	No
Course description	The Cultures of Cities offers Honours-level students an introduction to cultural-geographic understandings of the city. It does so by examining the relationship between żcultureż and the economic and social processes currently at work in cities throughout the Western world. Increasingly, these economic and social processes are transformed by and through what Jameson (1984, p.53) calls żcultural logicsż. This course helps students to understand the ways in which żcultureż might be implicated in a wide range of urban processes. Students will tackle the following themes in their examination of the żcultural cityż: culture in the modern and postmodern city; the society of the spectacle; cultureżs role in regeneration and gentrification; iconic architecture; the role of cultural institutions in city life; art in the city; heritage and the heritage industry; and the place of urban sub-cultures. The course encourages students to engage with a wide range of academic material, and to consider other media such as documentary and feature films, literature, music, web-sites, blogs, etc.

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites		Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	None
Additional Costs	None

Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisites	None
Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus?	No

Course Delivery Information

Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)						Learn enabled: Yes		Quota: 35
Web Timetable	Web Timetable
Course Start Date	16/09/2013
Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Please contact the School directly for a breakdown of Learning and Teaching Activities
Additional Notes
Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info)	Please contact the School directly for a breakdown of Assessment Methods
Exam Information
Exam Diet	Paper Name		Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)			2:00

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to: 1. Understand the distinctive theoretical and methodological approach of cultural geography, with reference to the urban environment Be aware of how knowledge and understanding of the city is developed through different research methods 2. Have developed an appreciation for different methods of representing cities Understand the ways in which culture becomes part of city growth and (re)development 3. Understand the links between culture, the economy, and the political structure of cities Understand the importance of żheritageż to the contemporary city 4. Understand the important of cultural institutions ż museums, art galleries etc ż to the contemporary city. Be able to present, verbally and in writing, a reasoned argument exploring a range of issues facing cities. 5. Further develop a range of study skills including analytical reading, discussion, debate, essay composition, and oral presentation

Assessment Information
1x 2000-word degree essay (40%) 1x 2-hour examination (60%) 1x 1000-word class essay (ungraded ż learning enhancement only) Overall mark for the course (ie degree coursework and examinations) of at least 40.

Special Arrangements
None

Additional Information
Academic description	The Cultures of Cities offers Honours-level students an introduction to cultural-geographic understandings of the city. It does so by examining the relationship between żcultureż and the economic and social processes currently at work in cities throughout the Western world. Increasingly, these economic and social processes are transformed by and through what Jameson (1984, p.53) calls żcultural logicsż. This course helps students to understand the ways in which żcultureż might be implicated in a wide range of urban processes. Students will tackle the following themes in their examination of the żcultural cityż: culture in the modern and postmodern city; the society of the spectacle; cultureżs role in regeneration and gentrification; iconic architecture; the role of cultural institutions in city life; art in the city; heritage and the heritage industry; and the place of urban sub-cultures. The course encourages students to engage with a wide range of academic material, and to consider other media such as documentary and feature films, literature, music, web-sites, blogs, etc.
Syllabus	Sample lecture programme: ż What is cultural geography? ż Culture in the modern city ż Culture in the postmodern city ż The Society of the Spectacle ż The żCreative Cityż thesis ż Branding, tourism and the cultural city ż Events and mega-events ż Iconic architecture ż Gentrification and cultural capital ż Art, artists and the city ż Heritage and the heritage industry ż Cultural institutions ż Culture and cosmopolitanism ż The multi-cultural city ż Commodifying multiculture ż Summary and feedback
Transferable skills	Not entered
Reading list	Anderson, K. (1987) żChinatown: the power of place and institutional practice in the making of a racial categoryż, The Annals of the Association of American Geographers Vol 77 (4): 580-598 Charney, I. (2007) żThe politics of design: architecture, tall buildings and the skyline of central Londonż, Area Vol 39 (2): 195-205 Florida, R. (2004) The Rise of the Creative Class: And How itżs Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life. London; Basic Books. Jameson, F. (1991) żPostmodernism or the cultural logic of late capitalismż. Durham, NC; Duke University Press. Ley, D. (2003) żArtists, Aestheticization and the Field of Gentrificationż, Urban Studies Vol 40 (12): 2527-2544 Soja, Ed. (1996) Thirdspace: Journeys to Los Angeles and Other Real-and-imagined-places. Oxford; Wiley-Blackwell. Zukin, S. (1996) The Cultures of Cities. Oxford; Wiley-Blackwell.
Study Abroad	Not entered
Study Pattern	Lectures, student-led workshops and presentations.
Keywords	Culture + cultural geography, modernism + postmodernism, art, architecture, heritage

Contacts
Course organiser	Miss Ealasaid Munro Tel: (0131 6)50 9046 Email:	Course secretary	Miss Elizabeth Muir Tel: (0131 6)50 9847 Email:

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