Transnational Migration

Catalog description

This course proposes to look at migration from a contemporary perspective and to examine how it reconfigures identity and citizenship. It looks at the present situation through a historical perspective, taking the current 'refugee crisis' as a point of departure, and placing it in a European and global context. The course is intentionally multidisciplinary and incorporates debates from history, sociology, anthropology, political science, geography as well as cultural and urban studies. This will permit students from different backgrounds to approach the subject from their own vantage point and with their chosen methodological instruments. The course starts from observation and media analysis to lead students to theoretical approaches, instead of using a more common deductive approach. Field trips are included where Berlin is the case study, which will give students an opportunity for experiential learning. Structured discussions are a central element of the course and follow several methods: fishbowl, panel, open space, world café etc. There is an emphasis on teamwork in class, although assessment is based upon individual performance.