SOC 295-01 - Special Topic: Migrants, Refugees, and Diasporas

4 credits (Spring)

Cross-listed as: AMS 295-01 and PCS 295-01. This course offers an introduction to the study of voluntary and forced migration from a global and transnational sociological perspective. In the last century, large-scale cross-border movement of people has transformed both receiving and send societies, from patterns of majority and minority relations to national identity formation. Drawing from cases in Europe, North America, and Asia, we will examine the behaviors and interactions of actors and institutions as they grapple with changes in their societies due to global migration. We will also explain the construction of migrants, refugees, and diasporas as social problems and seek to understand the sociological underpinnings of power in issues such as assimilation, development, loyalty, racism, and security. The emphasis of this course is on exploring theoretical and methodological debates in order to develop our critical and reflexive capacities in analyzing the global forces that shape our increasingly interconnected societies.

Prerequisite: SOC 111.
Instructor: Quinsaat