Undergraduate Course: Cross-disciplinary Perspectives on Forced Migration and Asylum (SCWR10038)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Through a combination of conceptual lectures, empirical case studies, and seminars, this course introduces students to theories and multi-disciplinary approaches that will allow students to engage with forced migration as a multi-layered, global phenomenon. Its aim is to provide students with the theoretical and empirical tools to historicise, contextualise, and intervene in contemporary debates about forced migration, and to feel empowered about the ways in which students too could enact positive change in this field. |
| Course description |
This course is designed to provide students with the theoretical tools and analytical skills to better understand the complexity of contemporary forced migration. Drawing on theories from anthropology, development studies, political theory and international relations, international law and geography, it will demonstrate the importance of adopting multidisciplinary approaches for responding to glocal issues, such as displacement. The focus on applying these different approaches to real-world case studies in conversation with practitioners, researchers, and displaced experts by experience will also support students in developing further critical analysis and communication skills that will be of benefit upon graduation.
This course will cover the topics such as: the history of forced migration in relation to empire, colonialism, capitalism, borders and securitisation; international refugee law and its limitations; institutional and emic perspectives on durable solutions for refugees; alternatives to asylum; new frontiers in forced migration research and responses, including climate refugees; the moral case for movement and asylum; and and how successful advocacy and political change has been conceptualised, critiqued, and achieved.
This course will be taught through a combination of conceptual lectures, empirical case studies delivered by academics, practitioners and displaced experts by experience, and film screenings. Students will also be expected to attend weekly seminars, for which they will be asked to prepare short presentations and to participate in debates. There will be two non-compulsory film screenings during the course to both introduce the students to new case studies and to develop their skills in critically engaging with popular representations of forced migration. The students attainment of the learning outcomes will be assessed through two different means: the first will be through the submission of an annotated op-ed or public letter, in which the students respond to a contemporary forced migration issue that they consider has been inaccurately represented or explained, drawing on their knowledge of international refugee law, histories of forced migration, labelling theory, etc.; and the second will be via a 3000 word essay in which the students will have to show their knowledge of key theories and approaches for understanding the histories, politics, and ethics of forced migration research and practice.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 30 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
A mid-semester written intervention in a contemporary migration debate (25%, max 1250 words).
A 3000 word summative essay at the end of the course (75%, max 3000 words) in response to a question on the ethics and politics of forced migration and asylum.
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| Feedback |
Feedback on all assessed work shall normally be returned within three weeks of submission. Where this is not possible, students shall be given clear expectations regarding the timing and methods of feedback.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate familiarity with complementary analytical approaches (Anthropology, Politics & International Relations, Law) to understanding forced migration
- Demonstrate historically informed knowledge of the basic concepts, issues and problems in the study of forced migration, including displacement categories and labelling processes
- Show an ability to situate diverse forms of forced migration in the wider political economy of (neo)colonialism and racial capitalism
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of top-down and bottom-up solutions to displacement and recognise forced migrants agency in navigating these
- Show an ability to apply conceptual tools and empirical evidence to make informed contributions to contemporary asylum debates
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Reading List
Achiume, E.T. (2022). Empire, Borders, and Refugee Responsibility Sharing. Cal. L. Rev., 110, p.1011.
Allan, Diana (2013). Refugee of the Revolution: Experiences of Palestinian Exile. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Fiddian-Qasmiyeh, Elena, et al., eds. (2014) The Oxford Handbook of Refugee and Forced Migration Studies. OUP: Oxford.
Mayblin, Lucy (2017). Asylum after empire: Colonial legacies in the politics of asylum seeking. Rowman & Littlefield.
Schenk, Marcia C. & Reed, Kate (eds.) (2023). The Right to Research. Historical Narratives by Refugee and Global South Researchers. McGill-Queens University.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
The course will help students to:
Critically analyse and reflect on complex theoretical and empirical texts [Aspiration and Personal Development]
Discuss nuanced topics in a considered, respectful and sensitive manner that respects diversities of thought and involves truly listening to others [Enquiry and Lifelong Learning]
Debate complex topics with peers at an advanced, yet accessible, level [Personal and Intellectual Autonomy]
Communicate through writing and speech to form original and persuasive arguments [Communication]
Identify mechanisms and opportunities for engaging with local and global problems to create positive change [Personal Effectiveness]
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Georgia Cole
Tel:
Email: Georgia.cole@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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