Refugees, Migrants, and International Order: Understanding the Politics of Global Mobility

3 credits · Undergraduate

The international politics of migration and mobility have become important flashpoints and growing areas of contention and debate in contemporary public discourse. Like most popular political issues, many people have strong opinions with a relatively weak understanding of the core issues. This course is designed to give students an in-depth introduction to the history, laws, institutions, and changing political dynamics of international migration. The course places a special emphasis on forced migration, refugee flows, and irregular migration given the unique challenges these trends present for the international system. The overall goal is to help develop the substantive knowledge and analytical tools necessary for understanding the complexities of international mobility in a world of states. Theoretically, the course will explore the tensions around globalization and the politics of mobility in a world that is politically and institutionally defined by nation states. At the same time a specific emphasis will be given to case studies and contemporary examples in order in better inform our discussions. FORMATS: Lecture | Discussion