MIGRATION AND THE POLITICS OF IDENTITY - 2024/5

Module Overview

International migration has increasingly become a focus of attention across a range of academic disciplines as well as for politicians, policy makers and the media. Various factors - and combinations of factors - global political and economic restructuring, mobilities, conflicts, ambitions – mean more people move across international boundaries. With the increasing movement of people governments in Britain and Europe have been tightening control on the entry of migrants and making entry ever more conditional. As countries in the Global North recognise the need to recruit migrants to fill labour shortages a ‘managed migration’ approach has driven national government’s migration policy. Managed migration means an increasingly selectivity about who is allowed to cross borders. This creates highly differentiated status and rights given to the different categories of migrant.

The arrival and settlement of migrant populations in countries of destination like the UK and other European nations has meant an increasingly preoccupied with social exclusion, social cohesion and integration. The policy approaches that have developed out of these concerns are often controversial and seen a rise in the numbers of residents with insecure statuses, and emphasised divisions between migrants and citizens, and between migrants with different legal statuses. These issues, debates and policies have profound and on-going implications for processes of identity, belonging and multiculture. 

 

Module provider

Sociology

Module Leader

EVERGETI Venetia (Sociology)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

 

Key concepts and questions in migration debates

Traditional perspectives for understanding migration

New approaches to understanding migration

Gender perspectives and migration

Differentiated migration: irregular, asylum and refugee migration

Differentiated migration: global labour markets and demands

Super-diversity and migration patterns and experiences in UK contexts

Managing migration: criminalisation and securitisation

Migrant resources: organisations, social networks and migrating social capital

 

 

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

None

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to assist students in their knowledge and understanding of debates and perspectives on migration and identity politics. It enables them to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of key theoretical approaches to explaining migration motivations and the impacts of migration on migrants and countries of departure and destination. It allows the students to both have some flexibility to focus on particular areas of interest but balances this with a requirement to show ‘whole module’ learning.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:
 

• A media article analysis worth 50% of the overall mark. The aim of this critical analysis is to show the students’ understanding of traditional and contemporary migration theories, whilst linking these to current developments and media stories on migration, diversity and cultural difference.


• An essay, worth 50% of the overall mark.  The aim of this essay is to substantively engage with an aspect of contemporary migration and identity politics from topics covered in the later part of the module. Students are expected to provide an overview of the relevant issues and concerns and develop an argument in relation to the essay question, by making reference to key debates learnt in class and by applying a framework that refers to core academic literature.

 



Formative Assessment & Feedback
Students receive extensive feedback throughout the semester through interactive in-class activities and during consultation and feedback office hours. They also receive extensive written feedback on the media article analysis. This is intended to build their confidence in their knowledge and understanding of the material and so prepare them for the second assignment. Students are encouraged to see the module leader and discuss all aspects of their work and learning experience.

Module aims

• Develop knowledge and understanding of contemporary migration debates and the processes of migration and the diversity of migrant flows within a UK and a global context
• Develop knowledge and understanding of current debates concerning national identity, transnational identities, ethnic diversity, cultural difference, integration, cohesion and changing local and global geographies
• Develop knowledge and understanding of the experiences, identities and social networks of migrants and migrant communities
• Consolidate and extend key academic skills and practices

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to reflect the programme’s key learning and teaching aims by:

Developing students’ in-depth understanding of migration debates and issues

Engendering knowledge of key theoretical conceptualisations of migration contexts and processes

Developing understandings of the relationship between migration processes and migration policy and practice and how this impacts upon migrant and receiving groups in countries of departure and countries of destination;

Developing key study skills that relate to employability and are relevant to professional practice.

 

The learning and teaching methods include:

Lectures, Seminars (including class exercises and interactive discussions), captured content, guided learning activities and independent study.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: SOC2046

Other information

The Department of Sociology is committed to developing graduates with strengths in digital capabilities, employability, global and cultural capabilities, resourcefulness and resilience and sustainability. This module aims to develop students’ grasp of a set of key set of concepts, theories and debates in the area of migration that underpin their understanding in these topics and enable them to make informed choices both in researching relevant issues and in their future professional careers. In particular, it supports students to develop in the following key areas.

 

Employability. The module aims to develop skills that are highly significant in the workplace for a variety of professional pathways, especially in relation to the areas of representation, migration, diversity, social research, community and public sector work and education.

 

Global and cultural capabilities. This module is by definition dealing with issues of global importance and socio-cultural diversity. Students will be exposed to theories necessary for understanding contemporary social inequalities, inclusion/exclusion, diverse identities and issues of power and domination. The module is designed so that students will gain an understanding of the socio-historical context of migratory movements, colonialism and our ways of thinking about them and analysing these developments in the intersection with class, gender, ethnicity and race, thus developing their intercultural competencies. Because of the topics covered in the module, students will also come away from the module more sensitive to recognising ‘racialised regimes of representation’ within everyday life.

 

Resourcefulness and resilience. Students are encouraged to see themselves as engaged in a process of continual development of their theoretical understanding and, through class discussions, to help one another to develop in their ability to explore ideas in a respectful, open and supportive environment.

 

Sustainability. Students will be equipped with the knowledge, tools and motivation needed to support and enact positive change in relation to issues of equality, diversity and social wellbeing in a range of contexts, especially pertaining in sustainable practices of doing social research. In addition, some topics covered in the module explicitly relate to people and environment relations.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2024/5 academic year.