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CROSS CULTURAL URBAN STUDIES! ACCRA, KUMASI, DETROIT!
WEEK ONE: DEBRIEF I! ASSIGNMENT: !
! Bring in 5 journal entries from the trip and be prepared to discuss their significance.! ! ! DISCUSSION: !
(as a class)! -What has your experience coming back from Ghana been?! -Do you feel like there is anything you cannot communicate clearly to people in your life here?!
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(small groups)! -share journal entries (these can be poetry, drawing, writing, etc.) and how they represent significant aspects of your experience in Ghana.!
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WEEK TWO: DEBRIEF II!
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READING: !
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“Using post-study-abroad experiences to enhance international study” -Kevin W. Dean and Michael B. Jendzurski!
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LECTURE: “WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?”! DISCUSSION: !
-Have you studied/travelled abroad before? What was that experience like?! -What criticism do you have of our University’s study abroad programs (from your own experience or others’)?!
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WEEK THREE: WHAT IS “INFORMAL?”!
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READING: !
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“The Returns to Formality and Informality in Urban Africa” - Paolo Falco! Lecture: Realities and Myths of “Informality”!
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DISCUSSION: !
-Where did you see “informality” in Accra and Kumasi?!
-Do you believe informal systems are helpful or necessary in Ghana? Elsewhere?! -Discuss articles!
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ASSIGNMENT:!
-Pick an article from The Informal City Dialogues Accra and be prepared to lead a discussion on it (GROUP #1 only)!
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WEEK FOUR: HERE!
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READING: !
-Pick 3 articles about Detroit from a reputable news source that have been published in the last 6 months.!
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LECTURE: NOW WE ARE HERE: DETROIT! DISCUSSION: !
-Discuss your articles and what they tell you about where the city of Detroit is and has been in the past!
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ASSIGNMENT: !
Pick an article from The Informal City Dialogues and be prepared to lead a discussion on it (GROUP #2 only)!
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WEEK FIVE: REIMAGINING CITIES!
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READING: !
! 1st half of “Reimagining Detroit” - John Gallagher! ! ! ! LECTURE: REIMAGINE, REINVENT, REMEMBER! DISCUSSION:!
-In what ways do you think that Accra, Kumasi, and Detroit could be reimagined as cities?! -What difficulties do you see with that process?!
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ASSIGNMENT: !
Pick an article from The Informal City Dialogues and be prepared to lead a discussion on it (GROUP #3 only)!
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WEEK SIX:!
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DETROIT TRIP!
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-African Bead Museum with tour! -City busses!
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WEEK SEVEN:!
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DETROIT TRIP!
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-Eastern Market! -Brightmoor Neighborhood Alliance!
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WEEK EIGHT:!
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DETROIT TRIP!
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-Southwest Detroit Market! -Vernor highway tour!
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WEEK NINE:!
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READING: !
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-Detroit Future City Framework, ! -”Closing the Loop: Community-Based Organic Solid Waste Recycling, Urban Gardening, and Land use Planning in Ghana, West Africa.”- Raymond Asomani-Boateng!
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LECTURE: LAND USE IN ACCRA, KUMASI, AND DETROIT! DISCUSSION:!
-How have you seen land use as an important aspect of city planning?! -What do you think urban communities can do to affect land use in their cities?!
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ASSIGNMENT: !
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Pick an article from The Informal City Dialogues and be prepared to lead a discussion on it (GROUP #4 only)!
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WEEK TEN:! ASSIGNMENT: !
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Print photos that you took that best exemplify the urban experience/urban systems in Accra, Kumasi, and Detroit (at least 5 from each).!
! ! See MBox for your classmates’ and professor’s photos. ! ! ! ! As a class, assemble photos on the wall into a narrative about these three cities.! !! READING: !
LECTURE: WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO WITH IT? EXPERIENCE AS RESEARCH! DISCUSSION: !
WEEK ELEVEN:!
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ASSIGNMENT: !
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Find 3 articles that relate your personal/academic interest to Accra, Kumasi, or Detroit. Write a paragraph describing this interest and its relevance to your study and a brief paragraph on each article and how it relates to your topic.!
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DISCUSSION: !
Share your articles and topics in small groups and begin brainstorming potential projects.!
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WEEK TWELVE:! ASSIGNMENT: !
Create a proposal for a project that connects the field of urban studies with your own academic interests. You may highlight any combination of Accra, Kumasi, and Detroit.!
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DISCUSSION:!
-Critique projects in your small groups. Give feedback that is thoughtful and based on your experience and reading. !
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WEEK THIRTEEN:!
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ASSIGNMENT: !
Come prepared to share your project proposals with the class. Present them in a way that is clear and engaging in whatever format you desire.!