University of Gujrat

MPhil Sociology (Urban Sociology)

Course Description

This course is being conducted in collaboration with The Urban Unit, Planning & Development Department, Government of Punjab. The course is intended to introduce M.Phil students to a wide range of subjects in the field of Urban Sociology.

Our aim in this course is to not only familiarize students with the theoretical frameworks of Urban Sociology but to also enable them to link these theories to the real world. This will help them to acquire a better understanding of the environment around them. Real life case studies, examples and research topics will be incorporated by the Urban Unit to make this an enriching learning experience for the students.

Students will learn how to analyze social trends in the urban areas of Pakistan (with a special focus on Punjab) and gain an understanding about how cities reflect the changing socio economic basis of their respective societies. They will receive in-depth knowledge about the complexities of the urbanization process in Pakistan. Public policy issues such as the Slum (Kachi Abadis) Rehabilitation and the clean drinking water act (Changa Pani Schemes) will also be examined in detail.

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Learning Objective:

Students who successfully complete this course will be expected to:

Provide an introduction to and a sociological perspective on the concepts and phenomena of urbanization.
Understand the significance of the contribution of the various urban development theorists.
Apply sociological concepts, methods, & research to social problems in contemporary urban society and to social policy analysis.
Describe models of urban growth and structure.
Examine cities from a critical perspective with emphasis on both the positive and negative consequences of urbanization.
Discuss and evaluate proposed solutions to contemporary metropolitan crises.
Demonstrate an ability to apply theoretical arguments and develop arguments in a persuasive and cogent manner.

Course Structure

The course will be taught mainly by expert practitioners from the Urban Unit. For some lectures special guest speakers will also be invited. This ensures that the course will be based on the latest trends and developments taking place in Pakistan with regards to urbanization. The course will have a greater emphasis on practical application to real world problems. The course will involve intensive discussion of assigned readings.

Classes will be a combination of lecture, case-study/examples/demonstration and discussion.

Course Evaluation

Grading Scheme
Class Presentation on any urban issue of Pakistan	30%
Class Presentation on synopsis of research project	20%
Submission of final research project report	50%
Total Marks	100%

Presentation on the urban issues of Pakistan
Students will be expected to research on any urban issue of Pakistan and then prepare a presentation of their findings for the class.

Research Project
At the end of the semester all students are required to submit a complete report of their research topics. Details on the research project will be discussed in class. Students are also required to conduct a presentation the synopsis of their research project to the class

Reading Material

A list of assigned readings will be provided for each lecture. Students are expected to read all of them. A dedicated web link for the course has been prepared by the Urban Unit which provides maximum details .The web link can be accessed at: www.urbanunit.gov.pk/uog

Course Coordinators:

Ms. Alina Din
Research Analyst,
The Urban Unit, Lahore
Phone #:042-99213579-83,
Email: alinadin09@gmail.com

Mr. Tauqeer Hussain Shah
Lecturer/Coordinator M.Phil Program,
Department of Sociology, University of Gujrat
Phone #: 0302-4264767,
Email: tauqeer.hussain@uog.edu.pk

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