HMØK0006FU Global Urban Studies

Today, more people live in cities and urban environments than outside of them – indeed, we live in a world of cities. What does urban culture mean at a time of global urbanization? How can we study culture in cities in a truly global fashion, beyond the traditionally West-centric perspectives of urban studies? And can we compare cultural processes in cities around the world?

This course introduces the student to a multi-disciplinary field of comparative and cross-cultural studies of structure and change in urban societies. The focus is on combining ethnographic and textual analyses of urban life, economy, politics and social relations. The aim is to foster a critical awareness of the interrelations between cultural imaginaries, material conditions and the built environment.

Examples of urban cultural analyses are drawn from research and case studies from across the world. The students will learn to connect micro-processes on the local level to regional and global processes on the macro-level by applying relevant theories and methods.

The course is offered through the Global Urban Studies Master’s Elective (urban.tors.ku.dk) and is open to all MA-level students who will be awarded 15 ECTS upon passing the exam.