Aims

The module aims to identify and explore how international immigration is governed, perceived, portrayed, and experienced. In particular, the module aims to enable students to:
• Gain an understanding of the key concepts, causes, and consequences of international immigration, as well as the historical, economic, political, and social factors that have shaped it;
• Reflect on the institutions, actors, and policies involved in governing international immigration;
• Critically evaluate the political dilemmas involved in addressing international immigration for a variety of actors, from political parties to citizens, and the media.
• Critically examine the individual, contextual, and structural factors that influence international immigrants’ experiences in host countries.

Outline Of Syllabus

International migration has been one of the signature phenomena in the last few decades, and one of the most debated topics in many developed and developing countries. This module examines international immigration from an IR and Political Science perspective by drawing on Western and non-Western examples. Part I of the module explores key concepts used to make sense of international immigration, as well as theories and empirical evaluations of the economic, social, political and cultural causes and consequences of the phenomenon. It also examines the main institutions and actors involved in the governance of international immigration, and the ways they govern it. Specifically, we will address: Who migrates where and why? What are the different types and implications of international immigration for states and people? Who is governing international immigration and in what ways? Part II offers theoretical and comparative empirical perspectives on some of the main factors that inform the ways states govern international immigration. We specifically focus on how politicians, political parties, governments, native citizens and the media respond to international immigrants and immigration: what is the role of party politics, public opinion and the media in policymaking? How does each one of these factors influence it? Finally, Part III moves to consider the experiences and voices of international immigrants themselves. It critically examines the effects of citizenship/legal status, class, gender, race, religion, and sense of identity and belonging on immigrants’ lives in host countries: What are the effects of individual migrant characteristics in how international immigrants are perceived, portrayed and governed in host societies?
Topics to be covered could include:
• Immigration concepts, motives and implications
• The governance of immigration:
o Institutions and Actors
o Politics of Openness vs. Politics of Closure
• States’ responses to immigration:
o the role of Party Politics
o the role of Public Opinion
o the role of Media
• Critical perspectives on immigration:
o Security and Insecurity
o Citizenship and Identity

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Student contact will primarily take place through a series of Lectures, Seminars, and Module Talks, supported by engagement through the module’s virtual learning environment. In-person Lectures will convey key themes and issues noted in learning outcomes, and Seminars will provide an in-person environment in which students and the module leader can discuss the readings and assignments. The in-person Module Talk sessions will give students the opportunity to clarify and delve deeper into key lecture themes by revisiting and/or completing new structured, guided learning activities. Structured, guided learning activities include quizzes, puzzles, guided tasks, and multiple-choice questions to allow students to check their understanding of the lectures and readings. They also include online videos with added comments, discussion boards, and annotated readings to encourage deeper reflection on the key issues and debates covered each week.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The 2,800-word case study report is aimed at developing academic and employability skills. The case study will be a policy brief. Policy briefs are short documents that refer to a public issue associated with governability. They are addressed to policy-makers who may know little or nothing about the topic, but need to have a general background quickly in order to make decisions. Policy briefs summarise a large amount of complex detail, so the reader can easily understand the heart of the issue, its background, the players (‘stakeholders’) involved and any implemented policies, as well as their repercussions. They are designed to facilitate the use of research or evidence in the public policy process.

The 700-word written exercise will be a critique of a mandatory seminar reading. A critique assignment is a piece of writing in which the student assesses the effectiveness of an academic source in achieving its stated aims and evaluates its value as a reliable resource.