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Urban Society and Social Change
Why Urban Society and Social Change?
Many students are drawn to Urban Studies by their desire to understand and address the unique problems confronting cities today. This concentration focuses on issues in contemporary urban society, and on the tools and concepts that can bring about change to improve urban life. Courses focus on a diverse range of issues, from environmental degradation to racial and class inequality. Students also learn how community action, urban planning and design, and organizations in nonprofit, for-profit, and government sectors address these challenges.
This concentration prepares students to enter graduate programs concerned with urban affairs, community service, and public policy, and to work with local governmental agencies and for-profit and nonprofit organizations engaged in community service and development.
Advising
Students in this concentration may select as their advisor either
Michael Kahan (email) (read more)
Or Doug McAdam (email) (read more)
Special Programs and Opportunities
Students in the Urban Society and Social Change concentration should consider applying for a Haas Center Summer Fellowship, which provides funding for a summer spent working for a non-profit or government organization.
Those interested in policy should also consider applying for a summer placement with Stanford in Government, or a quarter at Stanford in Washington. Consult your Urban Studies advisor to determine if courses or internships taken in Washington can fulfill Urban Studies course requirements or the internship requirement.
Required Course
The following course is required for the Urban Society and Social Change concentration:
POLISCI 133. Ethics and Politics of Public Service
Additional Courses
The following courses may be counted toward the Urban Society and Social Change concentration. Please consult with your advisor to select a program of courses that suits your intellectual and personal goals.
CASA 88. Theories in Race and Ethnicity
CASA 115. Race and the American City
CEE 64. Air Pollution: From Urban Smog to Global Change
CEE 100. Managing Sustainable Building Projects
CEE 131. Architectural Design Process
CEE 142A. Sustainable Development
CEE 171. Environmental Planning Methods
CEE 172. Air Quality Management
EARTHSYS 124. Environmental Justice: Local, National, and International Dimensions
ECON 150. Economic Policy Analysis
ECON 155. Environmental Economics and Policy
EDUC 270A. Learning to Lead in Public Service Organizations
ENGR 150. Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship
GES 138. Urbanization, Global Change and Sustainability
GES 142. Remote Sensing of Land Use and Land Cover Change
HISTORY 105. Gandhi, King and Non-Violence
HISTORY 252G. Environmental History of Urban America
HISTORY 255. Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Social Gospel and the Struggle for Justice
HISTORY 260. Race and Ethnicity in the American Metropolis: Cities of Color—Los Angeles and East Palo Alto
MS&E 196. Transportation Systems and Urban Development
POLISCI 143. Nongovernmental Organizations and Development in Poor Countries
POLISCI 221F. Race and American Politics
POLISCI 236. Theories of Civil Society, Philanthropy, and the Nonprofit Sector
PUBLPOL 180. Social Innovation
PUBLPOL 183. Philanthropy and Social Innovation
PUBLPOL 185. Managing Public Policy
SOC 118. Social Movements and Collective Action
SOC 137. Homelessness: Its Causes, Consequences, and Policy Solutions
SOC 140. Introduction to Social Stratification
SOC 141. Controversies About Inequality
SOC 141A. Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, Health
SOC 143. Prejudice, Racism, and Social Change
SOC 144. Race and Crime in America
SOC 145. Race and Ethnic Relations
SOC 160. Formal Organizations
or MS&E 180. Organizations: Theory and Management
URBANST 111. Urban Politics
URBANST 126. Spirituality and Nonviolent Urban and Social Transformation
URBANST 131. Social Innovation and the Social Entrepreneur
URBANST 132. Concepts and Analytic Skills for the Social Sector
URBANST 133. Social Entrepreneurship Collaboratory
URBANST 162. Managing Local Governments
URBANST 163. Land Use Control
URBANST 165. Sustainable Urban and Regional Transportation Planning
URBANST 171. Urban Design Studio