URB260 Philadelphia Urban Cross-Cultural

Course Description
Urban cross cultural deals with the theory and practice of living and studying in a culture other than your own, specifically the urban culture of Philadelphia. This course will help you develop and refine skills in cross-cultural observation to better assimilate to your current culture and other cultures you will experience in the future.

Course Rationale
This course, taken alongside another MCPC course, meets the college-wide General Education requirement in cross-cultural studies. It does so by employing Philadelphia as text and context for studying larger multiethnic realities and dynamics within American society, and the world at large. Thus, the city itself is engaged through participatory observation as a microcosm of these larger worlds.

Course Objectives
~To become aware of cultural differences and issues in North Philadelphia.
~To utilize immersion within Philadelphia to develop concepts and competencies necessary for inhabiting and interpreting urban communities.
~To learn and employ social competencies necessary for building cross-cultural relationships.

Course Text and Materials

Semester Common Text

Code of the Street by Elijah Anderson ISBN: 0-3933-2078-2

Other Articles/Readings as Assigned

Holy Bible Translation of your choice

Course Requirements
Attendance & Participation: The attendance and participation of each individual is imperative. Participation will be evaluated by reading quizzes, final examination and instructor evaluation.

Experiential Journals: Part of your cross-cultural experience will include out of class time immersing yourself in the urban culture of Philadelphia. During the course of the semester, students will document three of these experiences by completing three experiential journals.

Papers: Students will prepare three papers over the course of the semester reflecting on course readings, lecture and discussion as well as outside experiences. The papers include: Personal Origins, Cross-Cultural Observations, and the culminating Journey Paper.

Final Examination: The final examination will be a comprehensive essay format.

Course Evaluation Criteria:
Attendance & Participation: 15% (150 points)
Experiential Journals: 15% (50 points each – 150 points total)
Personal Origin Paper: 10% (100 points)
Cross Cultural Observations Paper: 25% (250 points)
Journey Paper: 25% (250 points)
Final Examination: 10% (100 points)

Grading Scale:
90 - 100%: A
80 - 89%: B
70 - 79%: C
60 - 69%: D
0 - 59%: F
( Note: pluses and minuses are at the discretion of the instructor)