Immigration and Irish Society

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

The aim of this module is to understanding the role of immigration in shaping modern Ireland, how the Irish nation-state has responded to recent large-scale immigration and the challenges of integrating immigrants with a particular focus on the role of social policy. The module consists of three blocks: (1) Migration and the making of Ireland: 6 lectures on how emigration and immigration has shaped Irish society since 1600. Lectures will include some case studies - Palatines, Huguenots, Jews - as well as consider how Irish emigrants fared during this period in the United States, the United Kingdom in Europe. (2) Racism, Rights and the Irish Nation-State: 6 lectures focus on Irish responses to refugees, asylum seekers and migrant workers, on issues relating to citizenship and the politics of immigration. (3) Social Policy Challenges and Integration: 6 lectures focus on the role of social policy in fostering integration and upon specific Irish debates about integration. The Republic of Ireland is examined comparatively.