SOC797 Contemporary Migration Research

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2019
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 10 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. Bernadette Nadya Jaworsky, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Radka Klvaňová, Ph.D., M.A. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Ladislav Rabušic, CSc.
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Supplier department: Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Timetable
each even Wednesday 10:00–13:40 U34; and Wed 10. 4. 10:00–13:40 M011
Prerequisites
none
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 25 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/25, only registered: 0/25, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/25
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
There could hardly be a more important topic in contemporary societies than international migration. In today’s globalized world, there are more than 244 million migrants and the trend toward movement across borders is only increasing. Migration is a hot-button issue in many countries, with politicians, the media and the public speaking out, especially concerning unauthorized migrants and refugees. Exploring the phenomenon of migration can involve multiple perspectives and methods. In this course, we focus on different methods for researching people on the move, from ethnographies of borders to rich, detailed biographical interviews, to the analysis of media and online materials. We also consider the reflexivity of the researcher, looking at the intersection of activism and social scientific investigation. The ultimate goal is to gain a better understanding of contemporary migration in a global context.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, a student will be able to:

- Describe and consider the phenomenon of contemporary international migration in a global context
- Investigate localized migration events in a global perspective
- Conceptualize the methods of migration research and assess the appropriateness of single methods for a concrete research design
- Design a research study on a migration issue
- Assess the possible contribution of academic knowledge to non-academic social fields
Syllabus
  • The course consists of six contact sessions and individual work periods between the workshops. The actual thematic structure of the sessions and individual work weeks may vary according to the particular syllabus for a given semester. The general thematic structure of the course is as follows:
  • 1. Introduction to the course
  • 2. Activism in Research
  • 3. Online and Media Research
  • 4. Ethnographic Research
  • 5. Biographical Research
  • 6. Research Design Workshop & Conclusion
Literature
  • See syllabus for additional articles
  • JAWORSKY, Bernadette Nadya. The Boundaries of Belonging : Online Work of Immigration-Related Social Movement Organizations. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. 295 pp. Cultural Sociology. ISBN 978-3-319-43746-0. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-43747-7. 2016. web nakladatele info
  • Doing research, making science: the memory of Roma workers. Edited by Kateřina Nedbálková - Kateřina Sidiropulu Janků, Translated by Sy. 1st edition. Brno: Masaryk University. 266 stran. ISBN 9788073253899. 2015. info
  • ANDERSSON, Ruben. Illegality, inc. : clandestine migration and the business of bordering Europe. Oakland: University of California press. xvii, 338. ISBN 9780520282520. 2014. info
  • Global woman : nannies, maids, and sex workers in the new economy. Edited by Barbara Ehrenreich - Arlie Russell Hochschild. 1st ed. New York: Metropolitan Books. vi, 328. ISBN 0805075097. 2003. URL info
Teaching methods
The workload of a course is 10ECTS (250 hours of work) and it consists of:

24 contact hours consisting of lectures and in-class group activities
Compulsory reading (approx. 600 pages = 120 hours)
Paper peer review (5 hours)
Paper presentation preparation (5 hours)
Discussion leadership preparation (6 hours)
Research for the final paper (30 hours)
Academic writing (60 hours).
Assessment methods
The minimum for passing the course is 60 points, and the possible maximum points is 100 points + 2 bonus points, based on the following structure:

Participation in class (discussions, group projects) (20%)
Discussion Leadership (10%)
Written Assignments (25%) 5 points for each home assignment (discussion papers and peer-to-peer feedback)
Final paper (3,000 – 4,000 words) (45% - 10% for the draft and 35% for the final paper)
Active participation 2 bonus points
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
Teacher's information
Mgr. Radka Klvaňová, Ph.D., M.A., Ph.D. (room 3.48)

doc. Bernadette Nadya Jaworsky, Ph.D. (room 3.66)

The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018.
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