MIGRATION

INTS 4569 – AUTUMN 2010

CLASS TUESDAY 2-5PM, BCH 301

INSTRUCTOR RANDALL KUHN

rkuhn@du.edu / 303.871.2061 / BCH 208D

BLACKBOARD http://blackboard.du.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/courseMain?course_id=_160092_1

OFFICE HOURS TUESDAY/THURSDAY 12-2PM OR BY APPT

Objectives and Overview

Migration is a fundamental feature of our lives. Indeed, every aspect of our civilization and our

self-conception is shaped by the exodus of all humans from our origin as a species in Southern

Africa 200,000 years ago. In our own era, the aging of western populations, the rise of new

economic powers, and dramatic improvements in human capital have given rise to an era of labor

migration unparalleled in magnitude and diversity, though not entirely unique. New technologies

have risen to facilitate further migration, enable the transmission of resources and knowledge

across borders, and create new transnational patterns of residence and livelihood that challenge

our notions of nation, identity, and even the very meaning of the term migrant. To put it simply,

migration is the human face of our modern era of globalization, entailing incredible costs, risks and

returns for migrants along with important impacts for host societies, sending societies, and the

global system. Migration comes in many varieties in terms of destination, permanence, and level of

coercion, yet common theoretical, empirical, and policy unite these different forms of mobility.

This course offers an holistic view of the migration process from multiple perspectives, at multiple

levels of analysis, and on multiple aspects of our world today.

As with globalization more generally, it is difficult to specify the exact meaning and impact of

migration in comparison to that of a targeted program or policy. This course will map out and

model these pathways as they relate to specific outcomes of interest such as development,

environment, security, and identity. Migration also carries a raft of intended and unintended

consequences, both for good and for ill, that constitute a continuing theme of the course.

Furthermore, we often find that the cultural resonance or other perceptions of migration can be as

important in shaping the world as the actual activities of migrants themselves. Each of these issues

will be explored in weekly lectures and readings. Learning objectives for the course include

1) Understand, interpret, and manipulate migration data and key concepts

2) Familiarity with major migration systems and what makes them a "system"

3) Understanding key theories of migration process at the global, state, community, household,

and individual levels and their relevance to migration policy, control, and promotion

4) Ability to synthesize actual and potential impacts of migration on migrant, receiving, and

sending populations via economic, social and cultural pathways

5) Appreciating and applying the critical role of migrant selectivity in driving impacts

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Grading

Problem set (10%): Because migration is above all a demographic event, we must build upon a

basic understanding of quantitative measures of migration. The problem sets will not require prior

understanding of demographic methods. Problem set will be due October 11 along with your

migration systems presentation.

Migration Systems Presentation (20%): October 11, student teams will lead presentations on

specific migration systems. These will provide an opportunity to explore the determinants and

some impact of migration, to leverage migration statistics, and to explore the meaning of a

migration system through your own presentation and through comparison across presentations.

Your presentation should last no more than 15 minutes with time for questions afterwards. You

should include an organized, well-prepared presentation including visual aids (audio is welcome

as well, within time constraints).

At minimum, your presentation should describe (1) major sending and receiving countries; (2)

history of the system including its economic, political , and cultural genesis; (3) current migrant

rate and remittance data; (4) prevailing conditions of migration costs, physical movement,

legalization, tenure, and naturalization; (5) evidence on the role of the state in emergence,

perpetuation, or control; and (6) forces of selectivity including regional, political, cultural,

socioeconomic, or biophysical factors. Please limit your discussion of migration impacts, outcomes,

or perceptions, which you will cover in your final paper.

Migration Systems Paper (30%): As a follow-up to your migration systems presentation, you will

be asked to write a brief paper exploring one or more impacts of the migration system in the

sending and/or receiving countries. These papers should build explicitly on your understanding of

the migration system itself, including forces of selectivity and the conditions of migration, but

move forward to explore some of the specific impacts raised in the later weeks of the course. It

should draw on specific theories and pathways of migration impact. The paper should incorporate

data and synthesis of original research from the syllabus, from your own literature searches, and

from consultation with your professor. Your paper should be about 6-8 pages unless you receive

prior consent to do something longer.

By moving from general data analysis and systems overview in weeks 1-5 to a study of impact at

the end of the course, I hope that the preceding assignments will offer a chronicle of your learning

experience and a platform for exploration in future courses or work.

Take home Final Exam (40%): Because the class is mostly conceptual in nature, it is essential that

you be tested on your core understanding of migration theory, methods, and empirical literature.

You will receive a take-home final examination at the end of the final class, November 15. You

will answer two essay questions (out of a total of four options). Your answers will need to be

thoughtful, concise, and informed by the course readings and lectures. The exam must be returned

by Friday November 19, 5pm. The exam should take about 10 hours of your time.

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Course Materials

We will use a mix of textbooks and readings available electronically. The books have their merits

and weaknesses, but they are highly complementary to one another and will be helpful additions

to your bookcases. In the schedule I refer to texts by the name of the first author, shown in bold.

Castles, Stephen and Mark J. Miller. 2009. The Age of Migration: International Population Movements

in the Modern World. Fourth Edition. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Also check out their website: http://www.age-of-migration.com/na/index.asp

Massey, Douglas S., Joaquin Arango, Graeme Hugo, Ali Kouaouci, Adela Pellegrino and J. Edward

Taylor Massey, D.S. et al. 1998. Worlds in Motion: Understanding International Migration at the End of

the Millenium. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Fix, Michael, Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Jeanne Batalova, Aaron Terrazas, Serena Yi-Ying Lin,

and Michelle Mittelstadt. 2009. Migration and the Global Recession. Washington, DC: Migration

Policy Institute, Report Commissioned by the BBC World Service.

If you seek a poetic and thought-provoking break from the realities of academic life, I strongly

urge you to read the following novel:

Salih, Tayeb. 1969. Season of Migration to the North. New York: NYR Books.

Electronic readings are available through direct WWW links from the on-line syllabus (you must

be on the Virtual Private Network), through a standard literature search, or directly from me. If

you bring your thumb drive to the first class I will give you a soft copy of every reading.

September 14: Migration History, Significance, and Key Concepts

How do we define a migrant or a migration? What key concepts are required to define a migrant

or to classify different forms and modes of migration? What is the shape of migration over human

history, including modern times? How and why is migration important today? How does

migration affect different impacted groups at different levels of analysis? What does it mean to be

a migrant in terms of economic, social, and political well-being?

Castles, Chapter 1: Introduction

Massey, Chapter 1: New Migration, New Theories

Hessler, Peter. Go West: Scenes from an American Homecoming. New Yorker, April, 19, 2010.

The Economist, 17 December, 2010. Being Foreign and Greener Grass.

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September 21: Migration Theory, Globalization, and Development

Why do people migrate? What role does globalization play? How does migration differ from other

forms of globalization? What factors drive global demand for migrant labor? What drives the

supply of migrants at the national, community, household, individual levels? What perpetuates

flows of migration within a system? How might migrant selectivity affect migration impacts?

Castles, Chapter 2: Theories of Migration, Chapter 3: Globalization, Migration, and Development

Massey, Chapter 2: Contemporary Theories of International Migration

Castles, Stephen. 2003. The International Politics of Forced Migration. Development 46(3): 11-20.

September 28: Migration Measurement, Concepts, and Systems

How do we measure the current flow and accumulated stock of migrants? How do these measures

differ when looking at a sending or receiving society? How do we measure financial and social

remittances? What are the key migration systems today and how are they changing? Can we easily

differentiate between a sending and receiving society?

Batalova, Jeanne, Michelle Mittelstadt, Mark Mather, and Marlene Lee. 2008. Immigration: Data

Matters. Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute and Population Reference Bureau.

Haupt, Arthur and Thomas T. Kane. 2004. Population Handbook, 5th edition. Washington, DC:

Population Reference Bureau, 35-38, 41-42.

Fix, Chapters 1-2

Hand out Problem set, due October 11 with your migration systems presentation. Presentations

can use relevant chapters in Castles, Massey, and Fix; resources shown in Batalova et al., stats

from MPI data hub (http://www.migrationinformation.org/datahub/), and your own searches.

October 5: Migration and the State

What role can and does the nation-state play in encouraging or discouraging immigration, out-

migration, and internal movement? What are some of the unintended consequences of migration

policy? What policies could influence migrant assimilation, adaptation, and acculturation?

Castles, Chapter 8: The State and International Migration: The Quest for Control

Fix, Chapter 4

Massey, Douglas S. 1999. International Migration at the Dawn of the Twenty-First Century: The

Role of the State. Population and Development Review 25(2): 303-322.

Neumayer, Eric. 2006. Unequal Access to Foreign Spaces: How States Use Visa Restrictions to

Regulate Mobility in a Globalised World. Transactions of British Institute of Geographers 31(1): 72-84.

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October 12: The Migration Industry and how people migrate

How do social networks, transnational communities, and migration-centered businesses promote

the flow of migration and ensure the safety of migrants? What risks do they present? How can

states either control or harness the activities of such systems?

The first half of class will be devoted to your migration systems presentations

Portes, Alejandro and Julia Sensenbrenner. 1993. Embeddedness and Immigration: Notes on the

Social Determinants of Economic Action. The American Journal of Sociology 98(6): 1320-1350.

Sadiq, Kamal. 2009. Paper Citizens: How Illegal Immigrants Acquire Citizenship in Developing Countries.

New York: Oxford University Press, Chapter 1.

Randall Kuhn. 2003. Identities in Motion: Social Exchange Networks and Rural-Urban Migration in Bangladesh. Contributions to Indian Sociology 37: 311-337.

October 19: Migration and Livelihoods

What role do migrants play in the host economy and what are their effects on economic outcomes

and labor markets? What role does migration play in the economic and livelihood strategies of

their families and communities?

Castles and Miller, Chapter 10: Migrants and Minorities in the Labour Force

Fix, Chapter 5 and 6

Congressional Budget Office. 2005. The Role of Immigrants in the U.S. Labor Market. Series on

Immigration, Washington, DC.

Kuhn, Randall. The Logic of Letting Go: Family and Individual Migration from Rural Bangladesh.

October 26: Impacts on Development, Health, and Environment

How does migration affect health, development, and environmental outcomes in sending and host

societies? To what extent are these effects explained by remittances or other pathways? Are effects

mostly positive or negative? Does migration benefit the poorest? How does brain drain really

impact sending nations? What role does migration play in feedback loops that may heighten

ecological decay? What, if any, state policies can address best address these issues?

Massey, Chapter 8: National Development and Chapter 9: Community Development

Portes, Alejandro. Migration and Development: A Conceptual Review of the Evidence. working Paper, Red International: Migracion y Desarollo.

Curran, Sara. 2002. Migration, Social Capital, and the Environment: Considering Migrant

Selectivity and Networks in Relation to Coastal Ecosystems. Population and Development Review, 28,

Supplement on Population and Environment, 89-125.

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November 2: Migration and Social Transformation

How does migration transform the social and cultural landscape of both sending and receiving

society? How does migration break down the very distinction between here and there? How do

these processes play out at the levels of global discourse, group identity, and individual behavior?

Castles and Miller, Chapter 11: New Ethnic Minorities and Society

Portes, Alejandro. 1996. Global villagers: The rise of transnational communities. American Prospect

25: 74-77.

Gardner, Katy. 1993. Mullahs, Migrants, Miracles: Travel and Transformation in Sylhet.

Contributions to Indian Sociology 27: 213-235.

Hollinger, David A. 2006. From Identity to Solidarity. Daedalus 135(4): 23-31.

November 9: Security, Politics and Conflict

What role does international migration play in threatening global security and in the national

security of sending and receiving nations? How can these concerns be managed without

compromising the benefits of migration? How do selective state policies governing international

migration rights and internal migration incentives exacerbate ethnic conflicts? What role do

migrants, including forced migrants, play in domestic politics and international advocacy?

Castles, Chapter 9: Migration and Security and Chapter 12: Migrants and Politics

Adamson, Fiona B. 2006. Crossing Borders: International Migration and National Security.

International Security 31(1): 165-199.

Salter, Mark B. 2004. Passports, Mobility, and Security: How smart can the border be? International

Studies Perspectives 5(1): 71-91.

Hartmann, Betsy. 2010. Rethinking climate refugees and climate conflict: Rhetoric, reality and the

politics of policy discourse. Journal of International Development 22(2): 233-246.

November 16: Charting a new path

What are the major upcoming trends in global migration systems, patterns, and practices? What

new legal and policy frameworks are on the horizon?

Warnes, Tony A.M. 2009. International Retirement Migration. Chapter 15 in Dudley L. Poston and

Peter Uhlenberg (eds.), International Handbook of Population, Amsterdam: Springer.

Koslowski, Rey. 2008. Global Mobility and the Quest for an International Migration Regime. In

Joseph Chamie and Luca Dall'Oglio (eds.), Migration and Development, Continuing the Dialogue: Legal

and Policy Perspectives. Geneva: International Organization for Migration.