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Study information

Immigration in Western Societies

Module titleImmigration in Western Societies
Module codeSSI3002
Academic year2021/2
Credits15
Module staff

Dr Alexey Bessudnov (Convenor)

Duration: Term123
Duration: Weeks

11

Number students taking module (anticipated)

60

Module description

Immigration has recently moved to the centre of public debate in many Western countries. In this module you will tackle key political debates relating to debates on 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 the local population? What drives public opinion about immigrants and immigration? In this course you will study how first and second generation perform in the labour markets and educational systems in the countries that attract a large number of immigrants, such as the UK, the USA, Germany and France. You will learn main theoretical approaches to the study of ethnic minorities and immigrants, as well as empirical findings from the most recent research. The module has a data analytic component and you will be required to undertake empirical analysis of survey data about immigration and ethnic minorities in R.

The prerequisites for this module are SSI1005 (SOC1004/POL1008) (Introduction to Social Data) and SSI1006 (SOC1041/POL1041) (Data Analysis in Social Science 1).

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to introduce you to the study of ethnic minorities in Western countries based on the analysis of quantitative data, 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 detailed knowledge of main theoretical concepts and empirical findings in the study of ethnic minorities and immigrants;
  • 2. correctly interpret results of quantitative studies of ethnic minorities and immigrants published in academic journals that applied a range of statistical techniques;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 3. independently conduct simple descriptive analysis of quantitative data using a range of toolss (means, frequency tables, some statistical graphs, correlation coefficients, etc.);
  • 4. assess strengths and weaknesses of quantitative research designs in social sciences at the intermediate level;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 5. effectively communicate results of independent research in written form to the deadline;
  • 6. actively participate in class discussions providing structured arguments;
  • 7. 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 of immigrants in the educational system and labour market. ‘Segmented assimilation’.

- Immigrants and ethnic minorities in the political system.

- Public attitudes to immigrants and immigration.

- Immigration policy.

 

- Computer lab sessions introduce students to survey data analysis with R, covering the following topics:

- Measurement and data sets. Variables and observations. Measurement scales.

- Distributions. Mean, median, variance. Frequency tables.

- Data visualisation.

- Contingency tables.

- Statistical inference.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
27.5122.50

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities16.511 x lectures of 1.5 hours
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities1111 x 1 hour computer lab sessions
Guided independent study3311 x 3 hour course readings and assignments for seminars and lab sessions
Guided independent study89.5Independent reading and research for essays; writing essays

Formative assessment

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
ELE test ELE test (20 minutes) 1-2, 4ELE feedback

Summative assessment (% of credit)

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
50500

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Examination501 hour1-2, 4-5, 7Written
Statistical assignment 502,000 words3, 5Written

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
ExaminationExam (1 hour)1-2, 4-5, 7August/September reassessment period
Statistical assignment Statistical assignment (2000 words) 3,5August/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).

Paul Collier, Exodus: How Migration is Changing Our World. Oxford University Press (2013).

Alejandro Portes and Ruben Rimbaud, Immigrant America: A Portrait, 4th ed., University of California Press (2014).

Students will be provided with other readings in the module handbook.

Key words search

Immigrants; immigration; ethnic minorities; labour market; educational system

Credit value15
Module ECTS

7.5

Module pre-requisites

SSI1005 (SOC1004/POL1008) and SSI1006 (SOC1041/POL1041)

Module co-requisites

none

NQF level (module)

6

Available as distance learning?

No

Origin date

11/12/2019

Last revision date

16/12/2019