SOC410H1

Identity and Interaction in the City

Cities are unique environments for social interactions and relationships. For well over a century, urban sociologists have studied how anonymity, density, spatial mobility, and other features of urban life shape community, identity, and interaction. Underlying this body of work are fundamental worries about what urban life means for the individual and society. But is this skepticism warranted? Where, when, and how do conflict or positive social interactions materialize and what consequences do those interactions have? This course engages select contributions to this scholarly tradition while focusing on specific types of spaces, encounters, and relationships. Students will have the opportunity to learn the theories, methods, and findings that comprise this body of work. Moreover, each student will gain in-depth familiarity with some local aspects of community, identity, and interaction in one particular city of their choosing.