Course Overview

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Over the past years, migration scholars have noted the local turn in migration management and in the study of migration. A growing literature adresses local migration policies, the role of local civil society and other non-state actors in promoting social inclusion and protecting the rights of migrants and new forms of urban solidarities and sanctuary cities. Cities have become more proactive in developing their own policies, philosophies and strategies supporting the reception and integration of migrants and refugees, and in dealing with diversity and social cohesion; local coalitions in many cities have also responded to the most vulnerable migrant groups and strengthend their access to health care, housing and other social affaires independent of residence status. At the same time, cities play a crucial and growing role in the management and control of migration as part of the multiscalar border regime. City administration, welfare services, police and NGOs are relevant agents in negotiating residential rights, territorial removal and departure, and in putting into practice welfare state rebordering. In general, several of these topics fall into distinct fields of research on urban governance, solidarity or borderwork, which are closely related, yet largely disconnected from each other. It is the aim of this virtual seminar to take a broader look at these current urban migration dynamics by bringing together scholarship from the different strands of research and by engaging in original (internet-based) mini-researches undertaken by the participants throughout the course.
The course is organized into six units that include asynchronous (flexible time management, yet with deadlines) and synchronous elements (online meetings, 150 min.). Units 1 to 3 cover in-depth work on and discussion of core readings and theoretical concepts, including synchronous meetings via Zoom. Units 4 and 5 are dedicated to small (internet-based) researches that groups of participants prepare and present together and are fully asynchronous. Unit 6 is our final synchronous meeting dedicated to the discussion of research findings and final assessment of the local turn in migration, and its study.
(1)   Introductory meeting (21 Oct 2022)
(2)   The local turn in migration studies

Part 1: Urban migration and refugee governance (28 Oct 2022)

Part 2: Solidarity cities and urban sancturay (4 Nov 2022)

Part 3: Borderwork in the city (18 Nov 2022)Asynchronous: Preparation of readings and participation in online blog discussion, prior to each meetingSynchronous: Real-time discussion in meetings (see dates)
(3)   Policies and practices of urban inclusion and exclusionSychronous synthesis meeting and research group set up (25 Nov 2022)
(4)   Research phase and work group meetingsAsynchronous (from 25 Nov to 9 Dec 2022)
(5)   PresentationsAsynchronous: upload of group presentations by 9 Dec (e.g. ppt with audio or video cast; online written comments by all participants on presentations of other groups before 14 Dec 2022
(6)   Final synchronous meeting (16 Dec 2022)
Discussion of presentations, comments, responsesFinal disucssion: Toward new urban futures for migration?
The course targets RUB students and students from international partner universities, including the UNIC network, maximum group size 25.

Learning Achievement

Competence

Course prerequisites

Grading Philosophy

Basic credit points (“Studiennachweis”, approx. 3 CP for international students). In this course these are based on attendance, active participation in online blog discussion and in-class debate, and collaborative (asynchronous) workgroups, that put together small empirical researches and present their results. Researches focus on one of the three dimension of the local turn in migration (goverance, solidarities, borderwork), or their interconnection. You will be asked to research, work on and analyse some empirical material and put it in relation to the concepts discussed around that particular dimension.
Additional credit points (Modulprüfung, additional approx. 3 CP for international students) can be achieved through a written term paper (15 pages). Of course, the small researches can be further developed and expanded into the term paper.

Course schedule

Course type

Online Course Requirement

Instructor

Prof. Dr. Margit Fauser

Other information

Programme: Master in Social Sciences

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