51³ÉÈËÁÔÆæ

Course Description

Summary

The U.N. estimates that there are 281 international migrants in the world, a number that has grown precipitously over the past half century and shows little sign of dissipating. Over the same time period, anti-immigrant parties and leaders have sprung up across much of the world, with visions of national revitalization contingent upon militarized borders and mass deportations. How might we understand the complex and contradictory forces that give rise to such a reality? This course will provide insight into the politics of immigration by considering the history of political borders and nation-states, the ethical obligations that we have to those who are not members of our bounded communities, the political economic structures that drive displacement, and the concrete policies that have been implemented in different domestic and international contexts. By the end of the term, students will have a working understanding of the causal forces producing displacement, the institutional structures that attempt to govern forced migration and displacement, and the myriad challenges faced by migrant and refugee populations seeking to navigate a new country and build a new home.