Emigration and Immigration: A Northern European Perspective (EMM021)

Content

Emigration and Immigration: A Northern European Perspective

This module addresses past and contemporary migration from a regional perspective by focusing on Scandinavia and the Nordic/North European countries (with particular emphasis on Norway). Drawing on an interdisciplinary social science approach, the course explores questions of identity, belonging, and integration in past and contemporary settings. While immigration restrictions and an emerging transnationalism are linked to concepts of whiteness, ethnicity and globalisation, central concepts such as inclusion/exclusion, discrimination, racism, intersectionality, minoritizing/majoritizing and othering are examined in the Northern European context. In addition, contemporary migration, i.e. the refugee, asylum and immigration policies in Scandinavia between internationalism and state prerogative will be addressed. Against this backdrop, students develop an understanding of the current migratory landscape in Scandinavian welfare states with Norway as a case study. The country´s contemporary migration is placed in historical perspective, emphasizing its transition from an emigration to an immigration nation. Through an ongoing inclusive participatory research project at UiS "Our Migration History", students will be involved in documenting and examining lived experiences of immigrants to Norway today. They will also learn about processes of labour migration as well as irregular migrants and explorations of migrants’ daily life and are encouraged to reflect on the implications of migration processes both historically and contemporarily.

Instructor: Linn Normand

Learning outcome

Knowledge

• Possess advanced knowledge in the field of Scandinavian emigration and immigration historically and contemporary as pertaining to the lived experiences of various immigrant communities in the Nordic countries.
• Have acquired profound knowledge of methodological and theoretical approaches relevant for the study of migration and intercultural relations in the Nordic context
• Can apply knowledge to current challenges within the field of migration, especially aspects such as immigration and integration policies, irregular migrants and transnational processes connected to emigration and immigration to Nordic countries.

Skills

• Can conduct, under supervision, an independent research project on a modern migration or intercultural relations topic of the student’s own choice
• Are able to analyze problems and formulate research questions independently in the field of migration and intercultural relations and to choose as well as to apply adequate methods to answer them
• Are able to identify, assess and use relevant primary material and scholarly literature from a diverse set of sources on a problem related to migration
• Are competent to conduct research projects based on international research
• Can meet the formal requirements to conduct academic research within the field of migration studies and employ the appropriate ethical standards and code of conduct

General competence

• Are able to present in a communicative English, the results of their research in written, oral or visual form in ways suited for diverse audiences and render informed contributions to relevant public debates on topics of migration and intercultural relations
• Can analyze and communicate how migration and transnational processes work and how they are related to national and regional interests
• Can participate in an international academic conversation through articles, presentations, reviews or other media of communication on topics of migration and intercultural relations research
• Possess advanced knowledge of current academic debates in migration studies as well as in neighboring disciplines, and are accordingly acquainted with relevant stages of the research process. Can use this competence to work on research projects both independently and in collaboration with others

Required prerequisite knowledge

Exam

Course teacher(s)

Course teacher:

Course coordinator:

Course teacher:

Method of work

Workload: 360 hours

Contact hours: 60 hours

Independent studies: 180 hours

Weekly assignments 50 hours

Paper: 70 hrs

Forms of learning and teaching: lectures, seminars, tutorials, working groups

Open for

Course assessment

Literature