300109 Youth and Migration (S) (SoSe 2017)

Dr. Simone Castellani holds MA in Science of Communication; MA in Social Anthropology, PhD in Social Anthropology. During this semester, he is a DAAD guest lecturer at Bielefeld University. He was a PhD scholar at the University of Seville and Genoa and he was visiting fellow at the Wellesley College (U.S.), University of Freiburg (Germany), FLACSO Ecuador, University of Sussex (UK).

Migration is an outstanding phenomenon which bears implications for policy-making and practice in the contemporary society. Research is increasingly uncovering the role that children and young people play in migration processes both in origin and destination and is elaborating on different forms of migration perpetuated by children and young people themselves. Looking at the different migrant youth through a socio-anthropological perspective permits to put into question the idea of temporality of migration, as well to understand more in depth the processes of migrants’ socio-cultural insertion and stigmatization. Starting from theoretical and empirical literature on migration of children and youth, as well the broader literature on childhood and youth, the involvement of these subjects in international and internal migration around the world will be critically analyzed. The seminar will aim to expose the differential attention paid to children in migration research, analyzing the different sphere of socialization in their everyday life (family, school, peer group) and their transnational implication, linking this to major discourses on migration and related policy-making. The seminar would therefore enable students to acquire an understanding of migration-related phenomena and enhance their employability in relevant organizations. Other settings in which skills acquired through this module include third world countries and international organizations which focus on children and youth on the move.