300053 Migration II: Forced Migration (S) (SoSe 2018)

“‘Forced migration’ refers to the movements of refugees and internally displaced people (displaced by conflict) as well as people displaced by natural or environmental disasters, chemical or nuclear disasters, famine, or development projects.” (Forced Migration Review, http://www.fmreview.org)
This course is a basic introduction into forced migration and how it is conceptualized from a sociological perspective. It deals with some contemporary topics in refugee and forced migration studies and theoretical and methodological approaches to studying the causes and consequences of displacement. The course aims to provide students a basic knowledge in order to
• learn about the global dimensions of forced migration and understand how the phenomenon is embedded within broader processes of globalization and an increasingly interconnected world
• familiarize with the international legal framework for the protection of refugees and actors involved in the international refugee regime
• understand the diverse and complex causes of displacement, such as conflicts and crises, development policies and projects, climate change and natural catastrophes
• get to know basic definitions, concepts and theoretical approaches and to critically evaluate and discuss contemporary problems inherent to the conceptualization of forced migration (e.g., what is ‘forced’ and what is ‘voluntary migration’?)
• learn about the lived experiences in displacement

Literaturangaben

Fiddian-Qismeyeh, Elena et al, eds. (2014) The Oxford Handbook of Refugee and Forced Migration Studies. Oxford University Press.