Bachelor
2022/2023
Migration Policy in a Comparative Perspective
Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'
Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'
Type:
Elective course (Political Science and World Politics)
Area of studies:
Political Science
When:
3 year, 3 module
Mode of studies:
offline
Open to:
students of one campus
Instructors:
Oleg Korneev
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
4
Contact hours:
32
Course Syllabus
Abstract
International migration is one of the most important issues in world politics and is studied across all disciplines in social sciences. This course provides an analysis of theory and practice of migration policy in comparative perspective. It examines how states, regional organisations (such as the European Union), institutions at global level (such as the United Nations, the International Organisation for Migration or the World Bank) and other non-state actors respond to the challenges of international migration. The course encourages students to assess leading conceptual and theoretical interpretations of the relationship between international migration, the state system and ideas such as sovereignty, rights and protection. These issues, as well as their reflection in border, migration and citizenship regimes, are at the intersection of politics at state/sub-state and regional/global level. The course considers responses to international migration in its various forms in terms of often competing approaches to understanding or “framing” of international migration (as a security concern, as a human rights issue or as a matter of economic development). It also explores the current state of and prospects for global migration governance. The course relies on rich interdisciplinary theoretical and empirical literature on migration focusing, among other, on issues of policy change, convergence and divergence. It begins with a general introduction to our understandings of international migration and reviews major theoretical debates on migration politics and policy-making. It then examines practices of migration governance in various regions of the world. It also explores paradigms, frames, structures, actors and practices of global migration governance and their localisation in specific regional/national settings. The course concludes by linking issues of global migration governance with global governance in other issue areas.
Learning Objectives
- To provide students with ability to understand the complex phenomena of international migration and to critically assess migration governance using appropriate theoretical and methodological interdisciplinary approaches.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrates independent and critical understanding of the most important aspects of political responses to international migration
- Shows awareness of the relationship between theory and practice in relation to migration governance
- Understands the nature of international migration
- Understands varying policy responses to international migration at local, state, regional and international level
- Identifies the differences between forms and types of migration
- Identifies and assesses critically the competing claims that are made regarding the impact of international migration
- Identifies the strengths and weaknesses of different theoretical approaches to the study of migration politics
- Assesses critically theoretical and policy approaches to forced migration
- Analyses migration governance beyond the nation state and makes connections between local, national, regional and global levels
- Knows specific features of global migration governance and analyses relevant actors and structures in connection with wider dynamics of global governance
Course Contents
- Introduction: What is International Migration? The Politics of International Migration
- Theoretical Debates on Migration Politics and Policy-Making
- Forced Migration: Multiple Policy Dilemmas
- Methodological Nationalism and Migration Governance beyond the Nation-State
- Migration Governance in World Regions
- Global Migration Governance
Interim Assessment
- 2022/2023 3rd module0.3 * Final paper + 0.25 * Presentation (team work) + 0.25 * In-class participation + 0.2 * Position paper
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- Alexander Betts. (2009). Forced Migration and Global Politics. Wiley-Blackwell.
- Alexander Betts. (2011). Global Migration Governance. OUP Oxford.
- Caroline B. Brettell, & James F. Hollifield. (2014). Migration Theory : Talking Across Disciplines: Vol. 3rd ed. Routledge.
- Geddes, A. (2019). The Dynamics of Regional Migration Governance. Edward Elgar Publishing.
- Geddes, A., & Boswell, C. (2011). Migration and Mobility in the European Union. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Gibney, M. J. (1999). Liberal Democratic States and Responsibilities to Refugees. American Political Science Review, 01, 169.
- Lavenex, S. (2019). Regional migration governance – building block of global initiatives? Journal of Ethnic & Migration Studies, 45(8), 1275–1293. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2018.1441606
- S. Massey, Joaquin Arango, Graeme Hugo, Ali Kouaouci, Adela Pellegrino, J. Edward Taylor, & Douglas S. Massey. (1993). Theories of international migration: A review and appraisal. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.3205467E
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- A. Pécoud. (2014). Depoliticising Migration : Global Governance and International Migration Narratives. Palgrave Pivot.
- Alexander Betts. (2013). Survival Migration : Failed Governance and the Crisis of Displacement. Cornell University Press.
- Gibney, M. J. (2004). The Ethics and Politics of Asylum : Liberal Democracy and the Response to Refugees. Cambridge University Press.
- Gil Loescher. (2001). The UNHCR and World Politics : A Perilous Path. OUP Oxford.
- Nyberg-Sørensen, N., Van Hear, N., & Engberg-Pedersen, P. (2002). The Migration-Development Nexus Evidence and Policy Options State-of-the-Art Overview. International Migration, 40(5), 3. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2435.00210
- Rother, S. (2019). The Global Forum on Migration and Development as a venue of state socialisation: a stepping stone for multi-level migration governance? Journal of Ethnic & Migration Studies, 45(8), 1258–1274. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2018.1441605
- Schierup, C.-U., Likić-Brborić, B., Wise, R. D., & Toksöz, G. (2018). Migration, civil society and global governance: an introduction to the special issue. Globalizations, 15(6), 733–745. https://doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2018.1503840