Høst 2024

SPL-3010 Culture, Politics and Planning - 10 stp

The course is administrated by

Institutt for samfunnsvitenskap

Type of course

The course is required in the Joint Master's Program in Nordic Urban Planning (NUPS).

The course may also be part of other disciplinary Master programmes within Social Sciences and Humanities and may be taken as a single course.

Course contents

This course starts out with a brief theoretical introduction to major contestations around the concept of culture in contemporary social sciences and humanities. This is followed by an overview of shifts in interdisciplinary and thematic angles on "culture in development", from the classical era of development in the late 20th century to current rather instrumental uses of culture as a result of the neo-liberal turn and a policy focus on integration and smart city concepts, within which privatization and securitization figures prominently. A major focus is on how planning cultures and urban projects in Asian and African mega cities respond to mega trends (climate changes, tourism, youth unemployment, voluntary and involuntary migration, violent conflict, privatization of security and basic services) and emerging and future implications for Arctic cities.

Admission requirements

Bachelor degree in a social science subject is required as a general rule.

Applicants must have a minimum grade average comparable to a Norwegian C (2,5) in the ECTS scale.

The course requires solid competence in reading and writing English.

Application code: 9371.

Objective of the course

The students have the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

The student has:

A basic theoretical insight in challenges of development and North-South relations with special emphasis on aspects of culture and planning and the interfaces of culture and planning.

Skills

The student is able to:

Make sense of historical and current perspectives on culture, knowledge production, social capital, gender and planning with relevance for development and NGOs.

Competences

Competent application of theoretical and analytical concepts relevant to culture, planning and development

Language of instruction

The language of instruction is English.

Language of examination is English or Norwegian.

Teaching methods

The course consists of 10 double lectures and 10 single hour seminars.

The course will be evaluated at the end of the semester.