Urban diversity and living with difference: current perspectives on social encounters

ogólnouniwersyteckie

Basic knowlegde of the social sciences (e.g. prior courses in sociology or related disciplines) is encouraged.

w sali

The aim of the course is to analytically reflect on issues related to urban diversity, particularly ethnic diversity. The course will give an overview of important concepts and perspectives present in the current academic debate, where traditional notions of diversity and integration have become complemented and sometimes replaced by notions further nuancing social encounters in the urban context. Students will become acquainted with these concepts, their understandings, operationalisations and on-going research in the topic. The course will provide an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from various fields, primarily sociology, social and environmental psychology, ethnography and human geography.

The aim of the course is to analytically reflect on issues related to urban diversity, particularly ethnic diversity. The course will give an overview of important concepts and perspectives present in the current academic debate, where traditional notions of diversity and integration have become complemented and sometimes replaced by notions further nuancing social encounters in the urban context. Students will become acquainted with these concepts, their understandings, operationalisations and on-going research in the topic. The course will provide an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from various fields, primarily sociology, social and environmental psychology, ethnography and human geography.

We will focus on recent literature, based to a large extent on empirical research, that explores and problematizes issues related to urban ethnic diversity, intergroup contact and everyday encounters. Students will have the opportunity to understand and discuss current notions, focusing especially on local interactions.

Each class will be organized thematically around two texts, related to such concepts as:

• Diversity and Super-Diversity

• Commonplace Diversity

• Living with Difference

• Conviviality

• Meaningful Encounters

• Symbolic boundary-making

• Social cohesion

Students will:

- be able to identify significant academic discussions and arguments concentrating around urban diversity

- be able to define concepts related to these discussions, such as super-diversity, conviviality, social cohesion

KW01

KU01

KU02

K_K01

Active participation in class discussions and activities.

Completing reading assignments and presentation.

ogólnouniwersyteckie

w sali

The aim of the course is to analytically reflect on issues related to urban diversity, particularly ethnic diversity. The course will give an overview of important concepts and perspectives present in the current academic debate, where traditional notions of diversity and integration have become complemented and sometimes replaced by notions further nuancing social encounters in the urban context. Students will become acquainted with these concepts, their understandings, operationalisations and on-going research in the topic. The course will provide an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from various fields, primarily sociology, social and environmental psychology, ethnography and human geography.

The aim of the course is to analytically reflect on issues related to urban diversity, particularly ethnic diversity. The course will give an overview of important concepts and perspectives present in the current academic debate, where traditional notions of diversity and integration have become complemented and sometimes replaced by notions further nuancing social encounters in the urban context. Students will become acquainted with these concepts, their understandings, operationalisations and on-going research in the topic. The course will provide an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from various fields, primarily sociology, social and environmental psychology, ethnography and human geography.

We will focus on recent literature, based to a large extent on empirical research, that explores and problematizes issues related to urban ethnic diversity, intergroup contact and everyday encounters. Students will have the opportunity to understand and discuss current notions, focusing especially on local interactions.

Each class will be organized thematically around two texts, related to such concepts as:

• Diversity and Super-Diversity

• Commonplace Diversity

• Living with Difference

• Conviviality

• Meaningful Encounters

• Symbolic boundary-making

• Social cohesion

Our readings will include:

- Vertovec S. (2007) Super-diversity and its implications, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 30:6, 1024-1054

- Vertovec S. (2019), Talking around super-diversity, Ethnic and Racial Studies, 42:1, 125-139.

- Hewstone M. (2009). Living apart, living together? The role of intergroup contact in social integration, Proceedings of the British Academy, nr 162, s. 243–300.

- Valentine G. (2008). Living with Difference: Reflections on Geographies of Encounter. Progress in Human Geography 32(3): 323–337.

- Valentine G. (2013). Living with Difference: Proximity and Encounter in Urban Life. Geography 98(1): 4–9.

- Wessel T. (2009). Does diversity in urban space enhance intergroup contact and tolerance?, Geografiska Annaler: Series. B, Human Geography, t. 91, nr 1, s. 5–17.

- Amin A. (2002). Ethnicity and the Multicultural City: Living with Diversity. Environment and Planning A 34(6): 959–980.

- Peterson M. (2017), Living with difference in hyper-diverse areas: how important are encounters in semi-public spaces? Social and Cultural Geography, vol. 18, issue 8, pp. 1067 – 1085.

- Nowicka, M., and Vertovec, S., 2014. Comparing convivialities: dreams and realities of living-with-difference. European journal of cultural studies, 17 (4), 341–356.

- Wise A., Noble G. (2016), Convivialities: An Orientation, Journal of Intercultural Studies, vol. 37, issue 5, pp.423-431.

- Neal S., Bennet K., Cochrane A., Mohan G. (2013). Living Multiculture: Understanding the New Spatial and Social Relations of Ethnicity and Multiculture in England. Environment and Planning C 31(2): 308–323.

- Noble G. (2013). Cosmopolitan Habits: The Capacities and Habitats of Intercultural Conviviality. Body & Society 19(2–3): 162–185.

- Wessendorf S. (2013). Commonplace Diversity and the ‘Ethos of Mixing’: Perceptions of Difference in a London Neighbourhood. Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power 20(4): 407–422.

- Wessendorf S. (2014). ‘Being Open, but Sometimes Closed.’ Conviviality in a Super-Diverse London Neighbourhood. European Journal of Cultural Studies 17(4): 392–405.

- Mayblin L., Valentine G., Andersson J. (2015). In the Contact Zone: Engineering Meaningful Encounters Across Difference. The Geographical Journal, February 3.

- Blockland T., Van Eijk G. (2010), Do People Who Like Diversity Practice Diversity in Neighbourhood Life? Neighbourhood Use and the Social Networks of ‘Diversity-Seekers’ in a Mixed Neighbourhood in the Netherlands, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, vol. 36:2, pp. 313-332.

- Sandercock L. (2000). When strangers become neighbours: Managing cities of difference, Journal of Planning Theory and Practice, t. 1, nr 1, s. 13–20.

- Eijk van, G. (2011) ‘‘They Eat Potatoes, I Eat Rice": Symbolic Boundary Making and Space in Neighbour Relations, Sociological Research Online, 16(4).

- Putnam R.D. (2007). E pluribus unum: Diversity and community in the twenty-first century,the 2006 Johan Skytte Prize Lecture, Scandinavian Political Studies, nr 30, s. 137–174.

- Gijsberts M., Meer T. van der, Dagevos J. (2011). ‘Hunkering down’ in multi-ethnic neighbourhoods? The effects of ethnic diversity on dimensions of social cohesion, European Sociological Review, t. 28, nr 4, s. 527–537.

- Meer T. van der, Tolsma J. (2014). Ethnic diversity and its effects on social cohesion, Annual Review of Sociology, nr 40, s. 459–478.

- Laurence J. (2014). Reconciling the contact and threat hypotheses: does ethnic diversity strengthen or weaken community inter-ethnic relations?, Ethnic and Racial Studies, t. 37, nr 8, s. 1328–1349.