Privatization of
Migration Governance (M.A.)
Module 4 Globalization and Transnationalism
Mondays, 12:00 to 14:00: LK 062
Dr. Sandhya A.S.
Institute of Sociology, University of
Duisburg-Essen
sandhya.as@uni-due.de
Description
This course uses state-of-the-art
literature in the field of migration studies to understand and contextualize the
growing trend of privatized migration governance. As the neoliberal “management”
of migration gains traction, the role of private actors and institutions
becomes increasingly pivotal. It examines the emerging role of civil society
actors, international organizations, the migration industry (profit-making
actors), networks, and migrants themselves in shaping migration policies and
practices across nation-state. Although the course identifies the relevance of privatization
of migration governance, it recognizes that such a trend does not indicate a
retreat of the states, but rather a reformulation of the traditional state roles.
Through an interdisciplinary
approach, this course aims to equip students with a comprehensive understanding
of the privatization of migration governance, its drivers, impacts, and ethical
considerations. Throughout the course, students will critically analyze the
evolving landscape of migration governance and its implications for migrants,
states, and societies. They will gain an in-depth understanding of the complex
interactions and power dynamics between public and private actors in shaping
migration policies and practices. Offered in English language, this course 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 course ‘privatization of migration governance’ further engages
students through a combination of lectures, interactive discussions, case
studies, guest lectures and viewing of documentaries and/visual aids such as
photographs. The course also offers advanced MA students the opportunity to
develop a sound basis for writing their master's thesis in this topic area.
The course is organized into three parts. The first part focusses on
two dimensions of transnational labour -- global labour and transnational
migration. Each of these raises specific governance issues, crossing states and
regional borders. The second part discusses the role of specific actor-groups
in the governance of transnational migrant labour, particularly the role of
non-state, private actors. Here, we talk about international organizations and
protocols, which have always been important in the transnational governance of
labour and the outsourcing of governance functions to private actors. In this
section, we also explore the role of commercial brokers or ‘middlemen’ in
moving and placing migrant workers from one place to another, conditioning
their skills and exercising control over their labour market participation.
Evaluation in this course will be
based on three aspects: regular class
participation, a presentation on a topic of choice and a term paper/written
review essay (depending on the MA enrollment). As a part of class
participation, students are required to come prepared with the readings and
send two questions or comments on the assigned readings, by 16.00 of the day
before the class. These questions will be used to structure the discussion in
class. All participants are also expected to conduct a presentation of 15-20
mins (on the topic of their choice) at least once a semester and to write a
review/response essay on one of the sessions. The date for submission of essays
will be 12-02-2023. Certification of
participation for course credit is based on these tasks and in class
participation.
Important
dates:
1. University-wide exam
registration deadline in the winter semester: November 6th to 17th
2023
2. Christmas holidays: December 23rd
2023 to January 7th 2024
PART I:
Session
1: Introduction (09-10-2023)
Session
2. Labour on The Move (16-10-2023)
Sassen-Koob, S. (1981). Towards conceptualization
of immigrant labor. Social Problems,
29 (1), 65-85.
Sassen, S. (2008). Two Stops in
Today’s Global Geographies: Shaping Novel Labor Supplies and Employment
Regimes. American Behavioral Scientist, 52 (3), pp. 457-496.
Recommended
readings:
Gereffi, Gary (2014). Global value
chains in a post-Washington Consensus world. Review of International Political
Economy, 21 (1): 9-37.
Lucassen, Jan (ed.) Global Labour
History – A State of the Art. Bern: Peter Lang.
Session
3: Why Govern Labour on The Move? Screening of Guardian’s documentary on Qatar's World Cup 2022
workers (23-10-2023)
PART II:
Session
4: International Organizations and Treaties (30-10-2023)
Georgi, F. (2010). For the benefit
of some: The International Organization for Migration and its global migration
management. In The politics of international migration management (pp. 45-72).
London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.
Geiger, M., & Pécoud, A.
(2010). The politics of international migration management. In The politics of
international migration management (pp. 1-20). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Ashutosh, I., & Mountz, A. (2011).
Migration management for the benefit of whom? Interrogating the work of the
International Organization for Migration. Citizenship studies, 15(01), 21-38.
Recommended
readings:
Huw, Thomas and Turnball, Peter
(2018) From horizontal to vertical labour governance. The International Labour
Organization (ILO) and decent work in global supply chains, human relations, 71
(4) 536-559.
Klabbers, J. (2019). Notes on the
ideology of international organizations law: The International Organization for
Migration, state-making, and the market for migration. Leiden Journal of
International Law, 32(3), 383-400.
Weber, L. (2006). The shifting
frontiers of migration control. In Borders, mobility and technologies of
control (pp. 21-43). Springer, Dordrecht.
Session
5: Exhibition on
migration (to be confirmed) (06-11-2023)
Session
6: Group Discussion and Application
of learning (on international organizations’ role) (13 -11- 2023)
Session
7: Infrastructural Governance of Migrant Labour and Role of Migrant Brokers (20-11-2023)
Lindquist, J., Xiang, B., &
Yeoh, B. S. (2012). Opening the black box of migration: Brokers, the
organization of transnational mobility and the changing political economy in
Asia. Pacific Affairs, 85(1), 7-19.
Xiang, B (2013). The intermediary
trap: international labor recruitment, transnational governance and
state-citizen relations in china.
Recommended
readings: (Special
Issues)
Pacific Affairs 2019, Vol. 19, No.
4
Mobilities, 2017, Vol. 12, No. 2
Journal of Ethnic and Migration
Studies, 2017, Vol 44, No. 2
Session
7: Analyzing interviews
(lessons in research and analysis on brokers and their role in migration) (27-11-2023)
PART III:
Session
8: Privatization or delegation? (04-12-2023)
Mayer, F. W., & Phillips, N.
(2017). Outsourcing governance: States and the politics of a ‘global value
chain world’. New political economy, 22(2), 134-152.
Tseng, YF, & Wang, HZ (2013).
Governing migrant workers at a distance: Managing the temporary status of guest
workers in Taiwan. International Migration , 51 (4), 1-19.
Recommended
readings:
Zajek, S. 2013: Transnational
private regulation and the transformation of labour rights organizations in
emerging markets: new markets for labour support work in China. Journal of
Asian Public Policy, 6 (2), pp. 178-195.
Phillips, Nicola 2015. Private
Governance and the Problem of Trafficking and Slavery in Global Supply Chains.
In In Waite, L., Craig, G., Lewis, H. and Skrivankova, K. (eds.) Vulnerability,
Exploitation and Migrants. Insecure Work in a Globalised Economy. Houndmills:
Palgrave macmillan
Toffel, M W, Short, J, Ouellet, M
2015, Codes in Context: How states, markets and civil society shape adherence
to global labor standards. Regulation and Governance, 9, pp. 205 – 223.
Surak, K. (2017). Migration
industries and the state: Guestworker programs in East Asia. International Migration
Review.
Session
9: Debate: Are the States Retreating or
Restructuring? (11-12-2023)
NO CLASS ON 18-12-2024 and 08-01-2024
Session
10: Role of Migrant Networks and religious organizations (15-01-2024)
Levitt, P. (2022). Hybrid
transnational social protection: The role of religious institutions and
networks. Social Compass, 69(2), 153-170.
Gray, B., & Levitt, P. (2022).
Social welfare versus transnational social protection regimes: the changing
roles of church and state. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 48(11),
2721-2739.
Recommended
readings:
Faist, T. (2017). Transnational
social protection in Europe: A social inequality perspective. Oxford
Development Studies, 45(1), 20-32.
Barglowski, K., Bilecen, B., &
Amelina, A. (2015). Approaching transnational social protection: Methodological
challenges and empirical applications. Population, Space and Place, 21(3),
215-226.
Bilecen, B., & Sienkiewicz, J.
J. (2015). Informal social protection networks of migrants: Typical patterns in
different transnational social spaces. Population, Space and Place, 21(3),
227-243.
Session
11: Consultations and feedback (22-01-2024)