SPA 2520 - Lawrence City of Immigrants

Credits: 4

Course taught in english. This interdisciplinary course provides an introduction to the study of Lawrence, MA, as a complex system. Drawing from Urban Studies, Cultural Theory and other disciplines in the Liberal Arts, the course approaches Lawrence as a racialized urban geography where multiple social, political and cultural issues such as immigration, suburbanization, segregation and deindustrialization can be observed through time, from the birth of the city until our days. The course will pay special attention to the Latinx community’s role in the history of the city, as well as to the tension between media discourse on Lawrence and community efforts to make the city more livable. The course will challenge perceptions of Lawrence, as well as the way in which we perceive cities.