The New Stratification: Immigration Policy and Human Rights

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course examines immigration status as a primary axis of stratification in the modern world, fundamentally shaping the "life chances" and civil rights of millions. We will analyze the evolution of U.S. immigration policy from the 19th-century era of mass migration to the present, exploring what these legal shifts reveal about evolving societal values, racial hierarchies, and national identity. Moving beyond policy alone, we will investigate the diverse drivers of human mobility—ranging from economic necessity and escape from state violence to the emerging crisis of climate refugees. By placing the U.S. experience in a global comparative framework, students will evaluate how different regimes respond to the causes and consequences of migration and the ethical implications for human rights in the 21st century.