Migration and Identity in a Global Context

Code

LIBA2002

School

Liberal Arts

Level

2

Credits

20

Semesters

Autumn UK

Summary

Population mobility and displacement represents one of the key challenges for the twenty-first century. As a result of war, climate change, or persecution, the number of refugees, stateless populations and internally displaced people has risen exponentially. In this module students will explore different patterns of displacement in a global context and how migration shapes society, politics and economies. This module will focus on geographies and migrant populations from the Global South, as this is where the vast majority of the world’s refugees and displaced live. It will draw upon a range of disciplines, including history, sociology, politics and media studies to explore the significance of migration. Texts analysed can include interdisciplinary scholarship on migration studies, as well as policy documents, images, film, documentaries and art. The module will use specific case studies to illustrate particular patterns of displacement and identity-formation.

Topics covered can include:

· Key theorisations on causes and effect of migration

· Global and historical migration patterns · Links between migration and imperialism

· The relationship between migration and globalisation

· the impact of climate change on displacement and the rise of climate refugees, particularly in South-East Asia.

· the refugee crises unleashed by the global war on terror and the rise of Islamic State · how surveillance and national security impact lived of refugees.

· Partition and population displacement in India/Pakistan and Israel/Palestine

· Development-induced displacements, and the creation of IDPs

· the impact of climate change on displacement and the rise of climate refugees

· the refugee crises unleashed by the global war on terror and the rise of Islamic State · how surveillance and national security impact migrant lives

· Media and representation of migrants in host societies

· Memory and identity in different generation of migrants

An essay/assignment/presentation assessment will replace all failed assessment components at the reassessment stage.

Target Students

Only available to Liberal Arts students and Exchange students.

Classes

• One 2-hour seminar each week for 12 weeks
• One 1-hour lecture each week for 12 weeks

Further Activity Detail: The module will consist of a weekly lecture (1 hr per week) followed by a weekly student-led seminar. (2 hr per week). The lecture provides an overview of the topic. The seminar will provide students with an opportunity to deepen their engagement through student-led debates and analysis of a range of texts, including policy documents, media images, documentaries and interviews with refugees. The School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies operates an attendance policy. The details of this policy can be found in the student handbook on Workspace and in module handbooks.

Assessment

• 40% Coursework 1: Coursework 1 - Groupwork (3,000 words total)
• 50% Coursework 2: Coursework 2 - Individual coursework (2,500 words)
• 10% Presentation: Individual presentation

Assessed by end of autumn semester

Educational Aims

Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes of this module will include:

Knowledge and Understanding of:

• the shifting definitions of the refugee; 

• historical patterns of displacement; 

• a body of secondary literature that interprets the connections between displacement and nation-building, ethnic violence, development and climate change and an awareness of the different methodological approaches to studying displacement.

Intellectual skills in:

• interdisciplinary analysis; 

Professional and Transferable skills: 

• to synthesize and analyse information from multiple sources; 

• plan, research and write a sustained piece of interdisciplinary research; 

• collaboration, oral and written communication, lateral thinking, and global awareness.

• critical reading and reflection; 

• construction of coherent arguments.

Conveners

• Dr Uditi Sen