Course finder

<< return to browsing

Semester 2

Global Cities: Seoul and comparative perspectives (ASST10156)

Subject

Asian Studies

College

CAHSS

Credits

20

Normal Year Taken

4

Delivery Session Year

2023/2024

Pre-requisites

Visiting Students are expected to have the equivalent academic background to University of Edinburgh 4th year degree students. Entry is at the discretion of the Course Organiser.

Course Summary

This course aims to introduce students to international urban studies with a focus on cities in South Korea such as Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, as well as other global cities in comparative perspective. While global cities share common features such as the presence of multinational corporations, international financial services, and multicultural societies, among others, each city is also shaped by its own history, culture and the broader geophysical and geopolitical environments. The course starts with the debates on the origins of global cities, before moving on to introducing various theoretical approaches to the study of cities and urbanisation. The course explores factors driving urban growth and discusses how economic growth affects the urban environment. The course also examines questions of urban culture, social organisations, hybrid and multi-level governance, urban planning, and the future of the city.

Course Description

Globalisation has led to greater interconnectedness, but also greater inequality and polarisation. The course explores urban politics and policies focusing on Seoul and, comparatively, on other global cities in East Asia. Over half of the world's population lives in cities, bringing new challenges to governance, environment and social stability. The need for cutting-edge research on changing urban lives is growing rapidly. Old metropolises have morphed into global cities. These, in turn, have become dynamic sites of artistic and scientific creativity, melting pots of ethnic and cultural diversity. Larger cities are competing with regions and states to be attractive economic and creative hubs. New forms of multilevel governance are taking shape, with profound implications for economic globalisation, hybridity and transborder mobility. This course examines how globalisation shapes processes of social, cultural, economic and political transformations in contemporary cities. It uses the city of Seoul as its main vantage point on those changes, before proceeding with a select number of comparisons with other key Asian cities. Issues discussed in the course include the origins of global cities, transportation and access, housing and land, city poverty and gentrification, labour migration and multicultural society and environment and health and sustainability.

Assessment Information

Written Exam 0%, Coursework 100%, Practical Exam 0%

view the timetable and further details for this course