Prospectus

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Migrations and Tolerance in a Globalized World

Course
2024-2025

Admission requirements

This course is only open for students that are enrolled in the Minor Ecology, Migration and Tolerance: Limits to Cooperation.

Description

Our world is a globalized world, defined by the interconnections of the local and the global and the continuous flow of goods, information, services, technology, capital and cultural influences. This contemporary context comes with its own challenges, amongst which migration and tolerance rank high on the socio-political agenda.

While global flows of goods, services, capital, ideas, technology, culture are seen as a necessity, the free movement of people across national borders is often perceived as problematic and remains largely unregulated internationally. Moreover, within societies of origin and destination human diversity raises issues of integration and tolerance. In some cases, these interactions lead to tension, discrimination, or violence. How do we deal with such issues relating to human plurality? How do societies ensure that differences between communities and individuals do not stand in the way of peaceful, harmonious coexistence? In this course, we examine the role of human migration and migrants in modern economies and societies. Can cross-border migrations, which play such a powerful and transformational role in both origin and destination societies, remain largely unregulated on the international level? Students will engage with this issue as follows:

  • A theoretical and historical introduction to migrations: Why do people move? What are major historical and contemporary trends? We will consider push factors such as conflict, poverty and environmental change.

  • International refuge regime: Why and how is this kind of migration regulated internationally? What kind of protection is available to people fleeing violence, discrimination and persecution? We will explore historical origins of the international refugee regime and its evolution, as well as the current situation in different parts of the world.

  • Major policy debates today: What is the role of migrations in economic and technological progress? How do they impact labour markets? How do migrations change societies and cultures? And to what extent do they contribute to the sustainability of societies and economies?

  • An analysis of liberal secularism, which today is the most dominant theory on and policy-tool for religious tolerance and its limitations. A consideration of alternatives. Are there different ways in which societies have safeguarded human flourishing from the perils of intolerance?

Course objectives

Concise description of the course objectives formulated in terms of knowledge, insight and skills students will have acquired at the end of the course. The relationship between these objectives and achievement levels for the programme should be evident.

  • The student will gain a global overview of the problems and issues related to migration and tolerance.

  • The students will become familiar with a variety of sources that are relevant to current issues of migration and tolerance.

  • The student will get in-depth knowledge of several theories related to migration and tolerance.

  • The student will be able engage with academic discussions regarding migration and tolerance.

  • The students will learn how to prepare and conduct fieldwork research, as well as how to analyse and interpret research results.

Timetable

The timetables are available through My Timetable.

Mode of instruction

  • Eight lectures.

  • Four seminars.

Assessment method

Assessment

  • Invididual assignments

  • Group assignment

  • Final Exam: oral/written examination

  • Resit: oral examination

Weighing

Partial grade Weighing
Individual assignments 40%
Group assignment 20%
Final Exam 40%

End Grade

To successfully complete the course, please take note of the following:

  • The end grade of the course is established by determining the weighted average of the individual assignment grade, the group assignment grade and the exam grade.

Resit

If the end grade is insufficient (lower than a 5.5), there is a possibility of retaking the exam. No resit for the group assignment is possible.

Retaking a passing grade

Please consult the Course and Examination Regulations 2024 – 2025.

Exam review and feedback

How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organised.

Reading list

To be announced.

Registration

Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.

Contact

Remarks

All other information.