Interview with Michael Kahan : Stanford Urban Studies at 50 Oral History Project
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- In this oral history, Michael Kahan, the co-director of Stanford’s Urban Studies Program, details his involvement in Urban Studies and changes in the program since his arrival in 2003. Kahan shares insight into the administrative decisions made during this period, discussing the transition period after Len Ortolano’s departure as faculty director; a critical review of the program by the Committee on Review of Undergraduate Majors (C-RUM); and subsequent efforts to reorganize the program during Doug McAdam’s directorship, including the additions of the capstone research project and the internship requirement, which later broadened into various community-engaged learning experiences. He also recounts the implementation of concentrations in urban society and social change and urban sustainability and the program’s response to a reduction in funding from the UPS Endowment Fund for Transportation, Logistics, and Urban Issues. Kahan goes on to discuss several of the courses he has taught with the program, highlighting the Senior Seminar; Introduction to Urban Studies; Gentrification; and From Gold Rush to Google Bus: History of San Francisco. He also details organizing his first community-engaged learning course in collaboration with East Palo Alto-based filmmaker Michael Levin. Finally, Kahan reflects on shifts in student interests and demographics in Urban Studies and concludes with his visions for the future of the program.
Description
| Type of resource | sound recording-nonmusical, text, still image |
|---|---|
| Extent | 1 audio file; 1 text file; 1 photograph |
| Place | Stanford (Calif.) |
| Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
| Date created | August 13, 2020 |
| Language | English |
| Digital origin | born digital |
Creators/Contributors
| Interviewee | Kahan, Michael | |
|---|---|---|
| Creator | Kahan, Michael | |
| Interviewer | Meurice, Nova | |
| Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
Subjects
| Subject | Cities and towns > Study and teaching |
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| Subject | College teachers |
| Genre | Interview |
Bibliographic information
| Biographical profile | Michael Kahan is the co-director of the Program on Urban Studies at Stanford University, a senior lecturer in Sociology, and the principal investigator for this oral history project. His interest in the historical transformation of urban space has led to publications on topics including the integration of streetcars in the 1850s, sanitation reform in the 1890s, the geography of prostitution in the 1910s, and redevelopment in California in the 1990s. He holds a BA from Yale and a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, both in history. |
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| Transcript |
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| Finding Aid |
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| Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/ss829vs7909 |
| Location | SC1580 |
| Repository | Stanford University. Libraries. Department of Special Collections and University Archives |
Access conditions
- Use and reproduction
- The materials are open for research use and may be used freely for non-commercial purposes with an attribution. For commercial permission requests, please contact the Stanford University Archives (universityarchives@stanford.edu).
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.
Collection
Urban Studies at 50
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