Session 2: Urbanization and Industrialization
Louis Wirth writes about the process of “urbanization,” connecting a number of ways that individual human beings and their societies are changing to adapt to these new forms of organization. Based on the readings this week, do you see evidence to support, qualify, refute, deepen, or complicate his analysis? How (i.e., to what extent, and in which direction) are the processes of industrialization and urbanization related? What questions do you have about this process and how it unfolds?
Sample reflections by MIT students
Session 3: Pick-a-City
[no reflection due]
Session 4: Urban Migration and Diversity
1. Later in the semester we’ll think about a number of changes in mobility within the modernizing city (streetcars, subways, automobiles) and the ways they opened up new opportunities for urban dwellers. The readings from the week (and from last week as well) present mobility on a grander scale: from the 1800s onward, massive numbers of people are moving around the country and the planet. From what you see in the readings—and being as specific as possible—please reflect on how these migrations have changed and shaped the modern city and the experiences of people living in them.
2. Earlier in our readings, Louis Wirth’s article stressed the importance of heterogeneity as a key aspect of urbanism: cities are not just large, they are diverse. Using material from this week’s primary sources, reflect on the benefits—and challenges—of this aspect of modern cities.
Sample reflections by MIT students
Session 5: Urban Politics
Using the examples provided by party insiders like George Washington Plunkitt, Richard Croker, and Big Tim Sullivan, what aspects of machine politics do you think would be particularly appealing to urban voters? What concerns or questions might you have about this system of representation and urban governance?
Sample reflections by MIT students
Session 6: Reformers
Reflecting on your thoughts and our discussion last week about the potentially appealing aspects of the machine system for urban residents (especially immigrant and working class ones), how did the authors of this week’s reading—the social reformers—intend to meet these desires/needs? What systems and cultural practices are necessary to realize these hopes and visions? Feel free to be as specific as possible, concentrating and elaborating on just one or two examples.
Sample reflections by MIT students
Session 7: In-Class Exercise
[no reflection due]
Session 8: Work and Play
Focusing on one specific form of nightlife or entertainment covered in the readings, discuss how this example relates to—deepens—your understanding of the trends explored earlier in the semester (industrialization, technology, diversity/immigration, capitalism, etc.).
Sample reflections by MIT students
Session 9: Order and Disorder
Most of the topics we are discussing over the previous and coming weeks describe services or amenities provided to urban residents for their benefit: parks, healthcare, schools, transit, entertainment, and the like. The services included in this week’s readings seem different: the people being policed or otherwise controlled might not regard these services as a benefit.
To what extent does this represent a new dynamic in the relationship between residents and city governments? Does it change your thinking about the increasing size and scope of urban governments? Use specific examples from the readings to illustrate your thoughts or explore your concerns.
Sample reflections by MIT students
Session 10: Public Services and Safety Nets
In some ways, this week’s readings can be regarded as a natural extension of the topics we covered last week under the broad umbrella of “order and disorder.” In other ways, these aspects of the city—water and sewer infrastructure, schools and juvenile reform programs, and public health systems—represent different ways of envisioning the relationship between the city government and the urban residents. Which way of seeing it do you think is a better fit? Why?
Session 11: Urban Mobility
In what ways are these new transportation services and amenities—and the systems necessary to support and deliver them—similar to those discussed in previous weeks? In what important ways are they different? How are physical mobility and social mobility connected in an urban context? Be sure to think about the scale of these systems, how they are delivered and managed, the effects they have on urban development, and who they serve.
Sample reflection by an MIT student
Session 12: Parks for the People
In what ways are these new parks and open space amenities—and the systems necessary to support and deliver them—similar to those discussed in previous weeks (especially those addressing public health)? In what important ways are they different? Be sure to think about the scale of these systems, how they are delivered and managed, the effects they have on urban development and the urban environment, and who they serve.
Sample reflection by an MIT student
Bonus! Take a field trip to Boston’s Public Garden in the Back Bay, and reflect on how the design and management of this park reflects the ideals discussed in the reading.
Session 13: Housing
[no reflection due]
Session 14: Reflection
No specific question or prompt—just write about what’s on your mind relative to the readings you selected, and help share your thoughts and insights for others who didn’t read these ones.
