Towards an International Political Sociology of Migration - Einzelansicht

Wichtiger Hinweis:

Dieses Seminar wird primär auf Englisch unterrichtet. Dies bedeutet jedoch nicht, dass nur Studierende an dem Seminar teilnehmen können, die bereits mehr oder weniger perfekt Englisch sprechen und schreiben. Vielmehr versteht sich das Seminar als ein Angebot an all diejenigen, die ihr Englisch auffrischen, erproben und verbessern wollen. Es werden dafür zahlreiche Anregungen und Hilfestellungen geboten. Studierende die eine Teilnahmebescheinigung erhalten möchten, müssen (neben einigen kleineren Aufgaben) eine 15-minütige Präsentation auf Englisch zu einem der Seminarthemen halten. Falls Studierende das Seminar zum Bestandteil ihrer Modulprüfung machen möchten, kann diese wahlweise - je nach Präferenz der Studierneden - auf Deutsch oder Englisch abgehalten werden. Bei Rückfragen melden Sie sich gerne bei mir!

Ankündigungstext:

In Europe, the “summer of migration 2015” has spurred various processes of rebordering – the refinement of existing and the deployment of new methods of border control. Some of these measures raise important questions for social scientific inquiry: Can the erection of walls and other physical barriers – such as the border fence between Hungary and Serbia – really bring migration to a halt? What does the outsourcing of border controls beyond geopolitical demarcation lines – for instance through dubious agreements with transit countries like Turkey, Libya or Niger – imply for our understanding of borders? And in how far does the establishment of transnational spaces by migrants, fuelled by new modes of communication and transport, call for a reconceptualization of migration beyond its understanding as movement from one national container to another one?

This seminar engages with these questions in a theoretically informed way by introducing students to cutting-edge debates of border and migration studies. Since migration is an intrinsically transnational phenomenon which involves, qua definition, the crossing of nation-state borders, the seminar is particularly interested in questions that are raised by processes of transnationalisation: What is problematic about methodological nationalism and how can we avoid this epistemic bias in our own research? How do scholars contribute – even if involuntarily – to the framing of migration as a security issue? And why are migration levels increasing despite the fact that most governments have adopted a harsh anti-migration rhetoric in the past two decades?

By engaging with these and other migration-related questions and debates students will be introduced to the field of International Political Sociology (IPS). The latter seeks to transcend deeply entrenched traditional boundaries between sociology and political science, on the one hand, and IR theory, on the other hand which all (used to) define their respective fields of study along the inside/outside distinction of nation-state borders. Thus, the seminar seeks to open up an intellectual space to think about migration beyond the established parameters of policy and media discourses which frame migration either as a security issue, an economic asset or a humanitarian concern.

Participation and Assignments

Active participation in class is expected from all students. This includes a thorough preparation of the mandatory readings and the willingness to assume smaller role such as providing a summary of the last session or acting as a discussant for a fellow student giving a presentation.

Students wishing to obtain a written confirmation for active participation in class (Teilnahmebescheinigung) in preparation of the final examination for the module 5c on "Comparison of Soceities and Transnationalism" are required to complete the following assignments:

1. Regular and active participation in class, including a thorough preparation of – at least!!! – the mandatory readings for each session.
2. Give a 15-minute presentation on one of the topics of the seminar sessions (to be agreed with the lecturer), based on the additional readings as well as independent research.
3. Should you sign up for a presentation it is mandatory to meet with the lecturer at least two weeks prior to your presentation to discuss details in terms of content and additional readings. For this meeting you have to prepare a 1-2-page hand out in which you explain your ideas for the structure and content (questions and hypothesis you wish to raise and discuss) of your presentation. You are also required to use Powerpoint or another presentation program like Impress for your presentation.
4. Provide a short (2-3 minutes) summary of the content and most important outcomes of the previous session at the beginning of the following session.
5. Serve as a discussant for the presentation given by another participant of the seminar. You are asked to provide a brief 3-5-minute comment in which you evaluate content and style of the presentation, offer constructive criticisms and suggestions and to pose questions that may stimulate debate among participants.

Requirements for taking the examination for the module 5c

In order to take the final examination of the module 5c on the content of the seminar, students will have to consider (and satisfy) the following requirements:

1. If you wish to take an examen on the topic of the course you will have to register via the LSF portal in the 5th or 6th week of the summer term 2019 (i.e. between 29.04 and 10.05.2019). Should you have any questions about any related adminstrative issues please contact Ms Katrin Rinaldi in the administrative office.
2. After successful registration and after compeltion of all of the assignments enlisted above the student is required to meet with the lecturer to agree on a date for the examination as well as topics, themes and literature to be covered in the examination. The student is expected to make propositions for these topics and themes. One of the topics can be the theme of the presentation given by the student in the course.
3. Examinations are scheduled to take place in the week commencing on 15th July. In general, the examination can be held in English or German language, depending on the preferences of the student. Should you have any questions about the module examination please contact the lecturer.