Why Do People Migrate? Part 2: Theories
- FREE
- English
- Social Sciences & Humanities
What is the course about?
The course approaches migration as a constant phenomenon in human history and examines its main supporting theories. It illustrates theories about people's individual decisions to migrate and also the factors of migration as a structural feature of our societies. It explains the role social networks and institutions play in making people move to another country, or return to their own. Finally, it includes interviews with international experts that describe how migration theories can help to understand some topical case studies of labour migrations in the world.
The course is based on video lectures, didactic videos and podcast interviews with international experts. Assignments consist of short quizzes for each unit and a journal exercise at the end of the course. Suggestions for further reading will be included in order to achieve a more in-depth understanding.
To learn more about irregular migration and asylum seeking, check out Part 1: Facts
What will I learn?
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- identify the fundamental terminology used in theoretical debates on migration;
- illustrate the main theoretical approaches that explain the motivations for people to move and settle outside their home countries;
- apply main theories to the interpretation of real case studies.
Who is this course for?
This course is meant as a general introduction to migration issues for students and practitioners.
What do I need to know?
We encourage you to take Part 1: The Facts of this MOOC series. Knowledge of English language is essential. Previous knowledge of basic sociological or economic debates can be an advantage, although this is not a compulsory prerequisite. The only other requirement is enthusiasm and interest in the topic.
Course Structure
CHAPTER 1 – MIGRATION AS A GLOBAL PHENOMENON
Unit 1.1 – Migration in human history
Unit 1.2 – Contemporary trends
CHAPTER 2 - WHY MIGRATION STARTS?
Unit 2.1 – Migration as a choice
Unit 2.2 – Migration as a consequence
CHAPTER 3 – WHY MIGRATION CONTINUES?
Unit 3.1 – The importance of networks
Unit 3.2 – The role of institutions
Unit 3.2 – Return migration (podcast with Jean-Pierre Cassarino)
CHAPTER 4 – EXAMPLES
Unit 5.1 – Migration and development in Africa (podcast with Giorgia Giovannetti)
Unit 5.2 – Care and domestic workers in Italy (podcast with Maurizio Ambrosini)
Unit 5.4 – Indian migrants in Gulf region (podcast with Chinmay Tumbe)
Course instructors
Sabrina Marchetti
I received my PhD in Gender and Ethnicity from the University of Utrecht in 2010. I mainly specialised on issues of gender and migration, with a specific focus on the question of migrant domestic work
Anna Triandafyllidou
Prof. Anna Triandafyllidou is the Director ad Interim of the Global Governance Programme of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies and the Director of the GGP Research Strand on Cultural Pluralism at the European University Institute (EUI).
Prof. Triandafyllidou is also a senior fellow at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy, a visiting Professor at the College of Europe and Editor in Chief of the Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies. She serves as a national expert on migration issues for the OECD and the International Organization for Migration, and acts as an evaluator of research projects for, inter alia, the European Research Council and the European Commission.
She received her PhD from the EUI in 1995. In 2001, she was a Fulbright Scholar at NYU. Her main areas of research are migration, nationalism, European integration, media and discourse studies.
She has published over 20 books and authored over 100 articles in refereed journals and chapters in edited volumes. Her most recent book is What is Europe? (London, Palgrave, 2015) and the Routledge Handbook on Immigrant and Refugee Studies (Routledge, 2016).
For more information about Prof. Triandafyllidou, please see: http://globalgovernanceprogramme.eui.eu/research-areas/cultural-pluralism/ and www.annatriandafyllidou.com
