Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2019 - POL 317 J100

Migration, Identity, and Citizenship (4)

Class Number: 6171

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 3 – Apr 8, 2019: Thu, 5:30–9:20 p.m.
    Vancouver

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Apr 10, 2019
    Wed, 11:59–11:59 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    Six lower division units in Political Science or permission of the department.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Migration is on the rise around the globe, presenting challenges for many countries: Who shall be admitted? What should be the conditions of integration? How will 'we' maintain our identity in the face of growing diversity? Explores how and why liberal democracies offer varying responses to these questions. Students who have taken Selected Topics course POL 319 with this topic may not take this course for further credit.

COURSE DETAILS:

[Students who have taken POL 319 D100 in 1157 (Fall 2015) with the same instructor cannot take this course for further credit.]


The course focuses on migration, identity and citizenship, and the way these dimensions are linked in conditions of structural transnational mobility. Current events show how flows of sizeable groups of people (sojourners, guest workers, immigrant settlers, refugees) impact on the sense of identity of both migrants (cultural dislocation, self-imposed adaptation) and members of host societies (perceived cultural disruption, fears about social cohesion). Citizenship is the political/administrative expression of a State’s notion of national identity and sanctions the belonging or otherwise to a community. It is through citizenship and the associated modes of incorporation of newcomers (assimilation, integration, multiculturalism) that migratory phenomena and issues of cultural identity are dealt with at a sociopolitical and institutional level. To highlight the interconnectedness of these aspects, the course adopts an interdisciplinary approach, building on historical, economic, sociological, and political perspectives.

Students will familiarize with 1) History, patterns and theories of migration; 2) The migration-anddevelopment nexus and the globalization-and-migration interplay; 3) Theories of identity and related constructs (national identity/nationalism); 4) Patterns of acculturation/cultural adaptation; 5) Modes of incorporation of transnational mobility; 6) Citizenship (notion, types, content and emerging challenges).

There will be a 4-hour seminar each week.

Grading

  • Reflection task on text sources and group discussion 25%
  • A case study 30%
  • A Final Examination (Take-Home) 45%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

A package of 12 readings (journal articles and/or extracts from books) is provided through Canvas. The text is chosen to reflect the specific issue dealt with during lectures.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

The Department of Political Science strictly enforces a policy on plagiarism.
For details, see http://www.sfu.ca/politics/undergraduate/program/related_links.html and click on “Plagiarism and Intellectual Dishonesty” .

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS