Immigration in Western Societies
| Module title | Immigration in Western Societies |
|---|---|
| Module code | SSI2006 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Alexey Bessudnov (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
Immigration has recently moved to the centre of public debate in many Western countries. In this module you will tackle key debates related to immigration. For example, do immigrants contribute positively to national economies or do they simply take unfair advantage of welfare systems? How do immigrant children perform in schools compared to non-immigrant children? What drives public opinion about immigrants and immigration? In this module you will study how immigrants perform in the labour markets and educational systems in the UK and some other Western countries. You will learn the main theoretical approaches to the study of ethnic minorities and immigrants, as well as the empirical findings from the most recent research. The module has a data analytic component and you will be required to undertake some analysis of survey data about immigration and ethnic minorities.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aim of this module is to introduce you to the study of immigrants and ethnic minorities in the UK and to provide you with analytical tools required to reach evidence-based conclusions about immigrants and immigration in a comparative perspective. Knowledge of immigration in Europe and practical skills of data analysis are required in various fields, such as policy making, media, business, and the academia.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. demonstrate good knowledge of main theoretical concepts and empirical findings in the study of ethnic minorities and immigrants;
- 2. correctly interpret results of the studies of ethnic minorities and immigrants published in academic journals
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. assess strengths and weaknesses of research designs in social sciences at the introductory level;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. competently communicate results of independent research in written form to the deadline;
- 5. actively participate in class discussions providing well-defined arguments;
- 6. demonstrate the ability to work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics.
The lectures provide a general discussion of major theoretical and empirical issues in the study of immigrants/ethnic minorities. We will discuss immigration in a comparative perspective, but the main focus will be on the UK.
- Brief history of immigration in the 20th century. 'Push' and 'pull' factors affecting immigration.
- Ethnic minorities in the labour market. Discrimination.
- The second generation in the educational system and labour market. ‘Segmented assimilation’.
- Immigrants and ethnic minorities in the political system.
- Public attitudes to immigrants and immigration.
- Immigration policies.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activity | 22 | 11 x lectures and seminars of 2 hours each (or 1 hour lecture + 1 hour seminar / tutorial) |
| Guided independent study | 33 | 11 x 3 hour course readings and assignments for seminars |
| Guided independent study | 95 | Independent reading and research for the presentations |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation plan | 500 words | 1-4 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 100 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral presentation to the module convenor (viva) | 50 | 10 minutes | 1-6 | Written |
| Recorded presentation with slides | 50 | 10 minutes | 3,7 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral presentation to the module convenor (10 minutes) | Oral presentation to the module convenor (10 minutes) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Recorded presentation with slides | Recorded presentation with slides (10 minutes) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Hein De Haas, Stephen Castles, Mark J. Miller, The Age of Migration: International Population Movements in the Modern World 6th ed., Palgrave (2020).
- Alejandro Portes and Ruben Rumbaut, Immigrant America: A Portrait, 4th ed., University of California Press (2014).
- Students will be provided with other readings in the module handbook.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- The Migration Observatory < http://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk >
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | SSI1005 |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 28/01/2014 |
| Last revision date | 15/01/2023 |
