This seminar is intended to introduce students to current issues and topical themes that dictate our collective social experience. It aims to introduce the students to a wide variety of perspectives and provides them with a sociological framework and vocabulary to understand and interpret these issues. The course is designed in such a way that it provides students with the knowledge of current social developments, encourages them to present and discuss suggested literature, and enables them to form an informed opinion about certain themes and topics. Offered in English language, this seminar is also directed at students who seek to practice and improve their English language skills and advance their academic training in an international linguistic medium.
The topic “Migration, crisis and solidarity”is highly relevant for students to comprehend recent events in and around Europe, but also in other parts of the world. The seminar focuses on this particular topic and is divided into three main parts. In Part I, we discuss why migration is a crucial topic to discuss and how sociology provides key insights into why migration happens, what conditions enable or prevent mobility, and what consequences migration has on society. In Part II, we bring in various perspectives and case studies that shows the relevance of race, gender and the question of labor in how migration is organized. In the Part III, we look into the over-used term of migration 'crisis' and understand how such a perspective comes into place. In this last section, we also discuss the relevance of transnational networks and organizations of migrants that are key to understanding solidarity among migrants-on-the-move. In the seminar, we also learn how to conduct an oral presentation on a topic and find appropriate literature for the writing of the term paper. Participants are graded based on their oral presentations and written outlines (to be submitted within a week of the presentation), as well as their term papers (to be submitted by 31-07-2023).
- Lehrende(r): Sandhya A.S.