Professor McGuire: Trinity 113: Tu 10:30-12:00, 1:30-3:00; WF 1:450-2:45; tel: x3423
Professor Spates: Trinity 305: MWF 9:45-11:00; tel: x3441
Appointments can be made at other times.
Both of us can be reached via e-mail: mcguire@hws.edu, spates@hws.edu

INTRODUCTION AND COURSE OBJECTIVES

It is our intention this semester to introduce you, in systematic and multivaried ways, to two of the world's great cities-New York and Toronto, each, in its own way, the premier city in its country. As you will learn shortly, cities the world over share many processes in common (we will be focusing primarily on the economic and social ones)-which is why, no matter which one you might be in, all cities have a tendency to "feel the same." Just as importantly, however, you will learn that cities are also intense reflections of their local cultural settings. Thus, New York, whatever characteristics it shares with London, Paris, Tokyo, and Toronto, is uniquely "New York," a product of its particular location and history and, hardly incidentally, its Americanness. The same is true of Toronto. Strolling its streets no one would deny that the experience is, in many ways, like walking any city's streets. Yet, as you will learn at first hand, Toronto is a very different city from New York. Like the great American colossus to the south, it is not only "a city," but a special reflection of its own geographic setting and history; it is also-and here is the important part-a quintessentially Canadian city. In short, Toronto, is not New York. Just as surely, New York is not Toronto. In other words, this is a course which will analyze two cities in two different countries using the perspectives of two different intellectual disciplines. And that is where all the fun and fascination lies.

During our weeks together, we will make these similarities and differences palpable in a variety of ways-(a) by teaching you some of the economic and sociological principles of cities generally and, once these ideas are firmly established; (b) by showing you how these processes play out in the cities we are examining; (c) by having you do a lot of reading and writing about these theories and cities; (d) by showing you quite a few films about each city and, most importantly; (e) by paying incredibly intensive visits to each of these places. In other words, this is a "hands on" course and you must expect to be worked hard. (Past graduates of the course can-and probably should-be consulted on this!) However, your reward for all the effort you put in will not only be a bevyfull of beautiful memories, but the evolution of an understanding of each city in particular and cities in general which, previously, you wouldn't have imagined possible. As a delightful side-bonus, you will also get to know some incredible people-some of whom are awaiting your arrival (with barely bated breath) in the two astonishing urban centers we are shortly to visit, some of whom are sitting around you right now, and two of whom (we know from long experience) are standing at the front of the room at this very moment. So: get ready.

The first step of which "getting ready" is to continue reading this syllabus very carefully all the way to the end. It is our "bible" for the course-an outline of what we will be doing day-by-day and week-by-week. It is, in short, what you need to know and what you agree to do if you decide to be part of this remarkabel bicultural urban adventure.

BOOKS AND READINGS

There are eight books required; all are available at the College Store. In addition, a number of readings will be placed on Library Reserve (hereafter, R). You will need to make copies of these for study purposes and flass use. (It would be a good idea to make your copies soon and avoid being caught in the procrastinators' rush.) The list below follows our order of use.

Jane Jacobs, The Economy of Cities
Plato, "On the Nature of Justice and on the Formation of the City" (R)
John Ruskin, "Two Essays from Unto This Last" (R)
E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime
George Sternlieb and James W. Hughes, "New York City" (R)
Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities
Jonathan Kozol, "The Savage Inequalities of Public Education in New York" (R)
Jonathan Kozol, Ordinary Resurrections
Michael Goldberg and John Mercer, The Myth of the North American City (excerpt) (R) John Sewell, The Shape of the City
Julie-Anne Boudreau, The Mega City Saga
John Hagan and Bill McCarthy, Mean Streets: Youth Crime and Homelessness
John Kenneth Galbraith, The Good Society

Other Important Notes: First, our course keeps evolving, sometimes day-by-day, as we learn more, get new ideas, or find new material. Hence, from time to time, you can expect that we will assign other materials for you to read or see, or substitute this for that. Second, in order to help you understand the living reality of our two cities and, simultaneously, help prepare you for the trips, we will expect that you will read, daily, the relevant parts of The New York Times and The Toronto Star. Specifically: before our trip to New York-beginning today-you are required to read the "Front Page" and "Metro" sections of The Times; similarly, after our New York trip and before our Toronto excursion, you are required to read The Star's analogous portions: its "Front Page" as well as its "Greater Toronto," and "Ontario" sections. On campus, The Times is available by hard copy subscription (much preferable as it really is the nation's "paper of record"); it can also be read on the web at nytimes.com (by following appropriate links you can get each day's headlines sent to your e-mail account); The Star can only be accessed on the web-go to thestar.com.

THE FILMS AND THE TRIPS

All of the following are required. You must attend the films and go on the trips No excuses accepted. So consult your calendars now and mark them appropriately. If you cannot do these things you will have to take another, much less exciting, course. J

Films

You should treat our films as "texts," as "life analogues," as ways of illustrating the theories we will be presenting, as "records" of the eras, life-styles, and social groups we will be studying, as-finally-preparations for our trips. Even if you have seen some of these films before, you must see them again in our special context. All films-with one exception (see below)--will be on Monday evenings in Albright Auditorium and begin at 7:15 PM. Note that, in most cases, you will be seeing two films in a given evening-so plan your studies and other engagements accordingly.

The New York Films
.
January 13-tonight! "The Out-of-Towners"

January 20: "Brooklyn Bridge" and "Hester Street"

January 27: "Blue in the Face" and "Do the Right Thing"

February 2 (Sunday-this is the exception): "Wall Street" and "Dark Days"

February 10: "Flawless" and "La Ciudad"

February 17: "Changing Lanes" and "Startup.com"

February 24: "Six Degrees of Separation" and "Fresh"

March 3: "Sunday" and "WTC: The First 24 Hours"

The Toronto Films

March 24: "Brown Bread Sandwiches" and "Goin' Down the Road"

March 31: "Heartaches" and "I Heard the Mermaids Singing"

April 7: "Return to Regent Park" and "Sam and Me"

April 14: "East Side Showdown" and "Last Night"

The Trips

General Considerations

As you know, there is a required trip to each city. If your schedule, for any reason, does not permit you to go on one or both of these trips, you cannot take the course--no "ifs," "ands," or "buts." The trips are the lifeblood of our endeavors and everyone must go. You can't miss a day, you can't miss an afternoon, you can't miss a minute!

Other Considerations: First: There is a "field trip fee" associated with the trips. Although our course is partially subsidized by the Provost's Office and Urban Studies Program, we need a contribution from each of you to defray our considerable costs. That contribution is $600, which includes the basic expenses for both trips. (So call home tonight!) For your investment, however, you shall, we promise, get your money's worth. (Ask previous participants.) Your fee includes round-trip transportation, accommodations for nine nights in our two cities (five in NYC, 4 in Toronto) in safe, secure, well-lighted places, some of the best tours of these cities imaginable and, of course, the continuing and loving presence of your two incomparably city-addicted professors. All of which provisions are, we believe, an amazing bargain given that hotel accommodations alone in each of these world-class cities, for "middle of the road" rooms, typically runs between $150-$400 a night!

Second: The fee doesn't include everything, however. Additionally, in each city, you will have to pay for the public transportation we use and your food (except for those lovely moments when we have been able to convince some particular friends of our course that we are worth putting food on the table for). Although exact figures are a little difficult to predict given different eating habits and pocketbooks, an additional $150-$250 should be enough for both cities. Note: we are committed to keeping the expenses part of the course as light as possible for those with true need; if you believe yourself to be in this category, you should speak with one of us immediately.

Third: Regarding accommodations: in each city, you must live with the group. While we expect that none of you have homes in or near Toronto, it is possible that one or two of you live in New York or its environs. That's nice, but forget it! Again: no "ifs," "ands," or "buts." These are working days, not opportunities to visit Ma, Pa, Buddy, Sis, Aunt Marian, Uncle Ernie, or Sweetie. (Such worthies, of course, are more than welcome to come on our tours and chat with you and us during our delightful days.) There are reasons for such an inflexible condition-not the least of which are ensuring that everyone experiences the intensity of our schedule as we have planned it and, crucially, the complexities of getting a large group to so many places on time (not always an easy task, as you shall see).

Fourth: When we are afoot in our cities, you are to regard yourself as being in class. You are required to go on every function. You cannot come late, you cannot leave early. In short, during our scheduled times, we own you (which is, for all intents and purposes, every minute, except those few when you are sleeping)! As a few foolhardy former students learned when they missed part or all of a day's activities in one or the other of our cities, such faux pas are mistakes most serious because the later pain visited upon these sillies in the form of additional course work brought home the reality that we had meant what we said (reading and writing a thirty-page paper on the entire Republic of Plato was just one little task we gave a couple of legendary miscreants; we still have their addresses if you wish to check with them directly).

Fifth and critically! If any of you are not US citizens, you must talk with us immediately. Canada is, literally, another country, and non-US residents are required to have visas. It takes time to procure them.

Trip Preparation Nights

Each trip is preceded by a Monday evening session where we go over our pending itinerary, let you know where we will be staying, tell you what you to bring with you, and answer any questions you may have (after we finish expatiating). These are mandatory meetings. Again: mark your calendars now! Prep nights will be in Coxe 7 and begin at 7:15 PM.

New York Trip: Monday, March 18

Toronto Trip: Monday, April 16 (Note: we have films this night as well; the
prep will precede them.)

The Trips

Below are the dates for our trips. Put them in indelible ink on your calendars-with circles, arrows, and other signifiers of prime significance. In each case we shall leave-at a specified time-from Williams Parking Lot. (We shall let you know the exact time of leaving for each trip by the end of this week.) In both cases, you can expect to return to campus late Sunday evening. Obviously, these trips will make it necessary for you to miss your other course meetings more than once. It is your responsibility to inform your other professors immediately of your pending absences, procure their permission for such absences, and make arrangements for making up any work missed. To help in this process, we are handing out today a letter for you to give to your other professors. Whenever possible-i.e., whenever an issue arises-we shall attempt to intercede on your behalf with our colleagues. However, if a given professor will not allow the absences the trips require, you will not be able to take the course. Finally, we need to know that you have gained such permission no later than Friday of this week (January 17), so we can allow those on the waiting list a chance. Here are the dates you need:

New York Trip: Tuesday, March 18 through Sunday, March 23

Toronto Trip: Wednesday, April 16 through Sunday, April 20

EVALUATION

Grades: Your course grade will determined as follows: (a) you will take two mid-term exams, each worth 20% of the grade (40% total); (b) you will submit two bidisciplinary paper proposals, each worth 10% (20% total); (c) you will submit a final bidisciplinary paper, worth 40%. In addition, class participation will be taken into account. You are expected to be prepared for class, be attentive and participate. (Expect to be called upon.) In general, the more you say, as long as it is thoughtful and of high quality (i.e., no BS), the better. More details about exams and papers follows.

Attendance: Attendance is required for all aspects of the course: classes, films, prep nights, trips. During the semester you may have three unexcused absences for any reason you like-sleep, sweetie, preparing for someone else's exam, whatever. After that, each additional absence will cost one-third of a grade on your final grade Example: if you end the course with a B- and are one missed class over the limit, you'd drop to a C+ (and so on). We recognize that this is a stringent requirement. However, we have learned that, in order for the course to have its full impact, you must be "there" at all times. We are serious about what we are about and expect you to be as well. If, after considering the all the additional sessions we have noted above, you decide that it's "just too much," take another course. No hard feelings. However, if you stay, these are our rules.

Exams: They will be of the essay variety and be given in class. The first will be Wednesday, March 5, the second, Monday, April 14.

Papers: General Concerns. All proposals and the final paper must be typed and double-spaced. They are to be submitted on the dates specified on the daily schedule which follows at the end of the syllabus. If papers are late, there will be a full grade penalty. In addition to content, papers will be evaluated for correct usage of English-grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. You will lose credit and/or have to redo your paper, if, in our estimation, it contains more than an absolute minimum of such mistakes. We mean this. Hence, you are strongly advised (a) to use your spell and grammar checks and (b) proof-read your papers after performing such checks before submitting them.

Specific Concerns: The final bidisciplinary paper, which you will write in lieu of a final exam, is meant to be the capstone experience of the course. As such, we expect you to start preparing for it this week! Whatever you decide to write upon-and there are literally hundreds of possibilities -you will analyze your problem from two disciplinary points of view-economics and sociology-and use, as evidence for your analysis, material you have heard about in lecture, read, seen in films, or collected during our trips. That last point needs a little amplification: namely: whatever topic you choose, we will expect that, while you are on our trips, in addition to doing whatever the group is doing, you will be actively working on your paper-gathering information via your own observations and from your conversations with people we meet en route-our guides, people we sit next to on the subway, etc.

Preparing for and Writing the Bidisciplinary Paper: (a) in order to help you with the process of selecting and organizing your paper topic, as in past years, we are using the good help of the Colleges' Writing Colleagues Program. During this first week, each of you will be assigned a Writing Colleague (WC). Throughout the semester, it will be your responsibility to meet with your WC at least every other week to discuss ideas, work on outlines, drafts, and the like. Such meetings (we will schedule the first one with your colleagues) are mandatory. If you have not kept your appointments with your WC along the way, we will accept neither your paper proposals nor your final paper; (b) the following are the dates when you will submit your two proposals: the first will be due on Thursday, March 6 (Note that this is not a regularly scheduled class day); the second will be submitted in class on Friday, April 4; each proposal will be no less than three pages long and will be submitted in triplicate (one for each of your esteemed professors, one for your Writing Colleague); (c) the final bidisciplinary paper will be due at the time of the regularly scheduled final exam for this course-Tuesday, May 6 (5 PM deadline); the final paper will be no less than 15 pages long and will also be submitted in duplicate (no copy for Writing Colleagues this time).

What follows is your daily guide to the course. It tells you everything you need to know about a given week or day regarding the class sessions, your assignments, the films, the trips, the lot! Notes: (1) Readings are due (i.e., to be completed) on the date indicated; (2) Given its length, we want you to begin reading Tom Wolfe's The Bonfire of the Vanities right away; you should read about a chapter a day in order that, by the time it is to be completed-February 12--you will be finished! Happily, all other readings-with a few exceptions-are pieces of sweet cake... J

Week 1

M, 1/13 Introduction to the Course
Film: "The Out-of-Towners"

W, 1/15 Images of New York and Toronto

F, 1/17 The Economy of Cities 1
Reading: Jacobs, Chs. 1-2; note: begin Bonfire of the Vanities

Week 2

M, 1/20 The Economy of Cities 2
Readings: Jacobs, Chs. 3-4; more Bonfire
Films: "Brooklyn Bridge" and "Hester Street"

W, 1/22 The Economy of Cities 3
Readings: Jacobs, Chs. 5-6; more Bonfire

F, 1/24 The Sociology of Cities 1
Reading: Plato, "On the Nature of Justice and the Formation of the City"; read twice! (R)

Week 3

M, 1/27 The Sociology of Cities 2
Reading: Ruskin, "Two Essays from Unto This Last": First essay: "The Roots of Honour" (R) Note: For comprehension, it is essential that you read the appended notes to this and the next Ruskin essay; it is essential that you set aside time to read it twice!.
Films: "Blue in the Face" and "Do the Right Thing"

W, 1/29 The Sociology of Cities 3
Reading: Ruskin, "Two Essays from Unto This Last": Second essay, "The
Veins of Wealth" (R)

F, 1/31 The Sociology of Cities 4
Reading: Re-read Plato and both Ruskin essays above

Week 4

M, 2/3 New York: Introduction and History 1
Readings: Doctorow, first half; more Bonfire
Films: "Wall Street" and "Dark Days"

W, 2/5 New York History 2
Readings: Doctorow, last half; more Bonfire

F, 2/7 New York History 3
Readings: Sternlieb and Hughes (R); more Bonfire

Week 5

M, 2/10 New York: The Fiscal Crisis
Reading: Bonfire, almost done
Films: "Flawless" and "La Ciudad"

W, 2/12 New York: After the Fiscal Crisis
Reading: Bonfire, done!

F, 2/14 New York: The Sociological Issues 1
Reading: Kozol, "The Savage Inequalities of Public Education in New York" (R)
Week 6

M, 2/17 New York: The Sociological Issues 2
Reading: Kozol, Ordinary Resurrections (first half)
Films: "Changing Lanes" and "Sunday"

W, 2/19 New York: The Sociological Issues 3
Reading: Kozol, Ordinary Resurrections (last half)

F, 2/21 New York: Sociological and Economic Issues: A Summary View
Reading: Goldberg and Mercer, Ch. 1 (R)

Week 7

M, 2/24 Toronto: Another City, Another Country
Reading: Goldberg and Mercer, Chs. 2 (R)
Films: "Six Degrees of Separation" and "Fresh"

W, 2/26 Toronto: History 1
Reading: Sewell, "Introduction" and Ch. 1

F, 2/28 Toronto: History 2
Reading: Sewell, Chs. 2-3

Week 8

M, 3/3 Toronto: History 3
Reading: Sewell, Chs. 4-5
Films: "Brown Bread Sandwiches" and "Goin' Down the Road"

W, 3/5 MID-TERM 1

Th., 3/6 BIDISCIPLINARY PAPER PROPOSAL 1 DUE-in triplicate (one for each of us, one for your Writing Colleague; in our mailboxes in Trinity Hall and where your WC specifies)

SPRING BREAK: FRIDAY, 3/7 to SUNDAY, 3/16: Have fun, get some rest-you're gonna need it!

Week 9

M, 3/17 Toronto History 4
Reading: Sewell, Chs. 6-8
New York Trip Prep Night (Attendance Mandatory!)

Tu, 3/18- THE FIRST ASTONISHING TRIP: NEW YORK! NEW YORK!
Su 3/23 After all our preparatory work, it is our time to take a very big bite of the Apple! We shall never be the same. That's a promise!!

Week 10

M, /24 New York Debriefing 1: The Experience
Films: "Heartaches" and "I Heard the Mermaids Singing"

W, 3/26 New York Debriefing 2: The Analysis

F, 3/28 Toronto the Good 1
Reading; Boudreau, "Prologue" and Ch. 1

Week 11

M, 3/31 Toronto the Good 2
Reading: Boudreau, Chs. 2-3
Films: "Heartaches" and "I Heard the Mermaids Singing"

W, 4/2 Toronto: Another Form of Government
Reading: Boudreau, Chs. 4-5

F, 4/4 Toronto: The Mega City
Reading: Boudreau, Ch. 6

Week 12

M, 4/7 Toronto: The Good City at Risk?
Reading: Hagen and McCarthy, "Forward" and Ch. 1-2
Films: "Return to Regent Street" and "Sam and Me"

W, 4/9 Toronto: What Now?
Reading: Hagen and McCarthy, Chs. 3-5

F, 4/11 Toronto: Sociological and Economic Issues: A Summary Perspective
Reading: Hagen and McCarthy, Chs. 6-8
BIDISCIPLINARY PAPER PROPOSAL 2 DUE (in places specified previously)

Week 13

M, 4/14 MID-TERM EXAM 2
Reading: Hagen and McCarthy, Chs. 9-10 (Note: these chapters due for exam)
Films: "East Side Showdown" and "Last Night"
Toronto Trip Prep Night (Attendance Mandatory)

W, 4/16 THE SECOND ASTONISHING TRIP: THE GREAT TORONTO
-Su, 4/20 ADVENTURE!

Week 14

M, 4/21 Toronto Debriefing 1: The Experience

W, 4/23 Toronto Debriefing 2: The Analysis
Reading: Galbraith, Chs. 1-3

F, 4/25 The Good City
Reading: Galbraith, Chs. 4-11

Week 15

M, 4/28 Two Cities, Two Countries, Two Cultures-Awards and Celebration!
Reading: Galbraith, Chs. 12-18

FINAL BIDISCIPLINARY PAPER DUE IN SECRETARIES' OFFICE IN TRINITY NO LATER THAN 5 PM, TUESDAY, MAY 6. Notes: (1) Remember to submit two copies (no copy necessary for Writing Colleagues this time); (2) Whatever other theories you deal with in your final, brilliant analysis, we will expect that will deal with Galbraith at some length.