CSER W3925y Comparative Social Formation in Urban Space 4 pts.Not offered in 2009-2010. This course critically considers the varied social formations of urban space from the nineteenth century until the present. In particular, we interrogate the notion of "minoritized space." Can we clearly determine the geographical borders of a "Chinatown," does a "black" ghetto contain the dreams and hopes of more than African Americans, do areas defined by sexual difference offer liberatory possibilities to others than those who see themselves as part of queer subcultures? By looking at a number of different cities, in the United Sates and abroad, we approach the question of borders of city-spaces historically and cross-culturally. While we gaze at specific communities, including those based in racial and ethnic identification, class stratification, gender and sexual difference, we also develop a broad theoretical understanding of spatiality and movement.