Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course is designed to familiarize students with the topics of citizenship and political participation of migrants and ethnic minorities. It will mainly focus on European democracies from a comparative perspective, although different examples will also be provided from non-European countries. Students will learn different concepts and theories in the field of international migration, citizenship, and political engagement of immigrant-origin groups. In particular, we will discuss different modes and channels through which minorities mobilize themselves in the political sphere of their countries of origin and residence. Students attending this course will also engage in discussions regarding the implications of the political mobilization of immigrant minorities at the local, national and supranational level.
The course is made of lectures, some of which will also count with the participation of external guests. The course is highly interactive and requires the active engagement of students in class discussions. Students are also expected to work throughout the semester in view of producing a final research paper for this course.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
This course is designed to help students acquire the following skills:
- Read and discuss scientific literature in sociology and political science;
- Understand the normative and empirical implications regarding the active engagement of immigrant and ethnic minorities in the political sphere of their countries of origin and residence;
- Develop and articulate a critical discourse on this topic;
- Conduct a literature review that puts in dialogue different scientific perspectives on the same research topic;
- Collect and analyse empirical material through a combination of data sources;
- Academic writing;
- Planning and time management.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
The course is taught in English. Students are expected to have a good understanding of the language.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course combines lectures in which the active participation of students is required with activities done at home (preparatory readings, a mid-term essay and a final research paper). It is essential that students attend the lectures and complete all readings and requirements on a timely basis.
Before every lecture, students are expected to:
- Select one of the suggested academic publications posted on MyULiege under "Support de cours", write a short report on that publication, and submit the report to the lecturer before the class.
- Participate actively in lectures throughout the semester;
- Submit one short mid-term essay (focused on the theoretical framework to be used for the final research paper for this course);
- Submit a final research paper.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
Students are expected to be present in the classroom and actively participate during the sessions. Depending on the availability of external speakers, some lectures may be given in a hybrid mode or fully online via video-conference.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- MyULiège
Further information:
The course material will be put on MyUliege under "Support de cours". Students will receive more information regarding the list of recommended readings during the first week of the course.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- Remote
written exam
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Further information:
The evaluation is based on three elements:
1) Preparatory readings and short reports (4 points, worth 20% of the final grade)
For each lecture, students are expected to choose one publication from the ones included in the list of suggested readings and write a short report of maximum 250 words outlining the key points of that publication. The reports should be sent by email to the lecturer before each class. Failure to submit the reports or late submissions will be reflected in students' grades.
2) Active participation in class and one mid-term essay (6 points, worth 30% of the final grade)
Students are expected to use the recommended readings to actively participate in class discussions. They are also expected to write a short mid-term essay of maximum 1,000 words (excluding front page, references, footnotes, bibliography, annexes, etc.) on a topic of their choice that is related to the main topic of the course (the decision regarding the specific topic of the essay will be made in consultation with the course lecturer). This essay will help students with the preparation of their final research paper for this course, as it will comprise the conceptual and theoretical framework that will later be used for the final research paper. Further details regarding the mid-term essay will be provided during the first lecture.
3) Final research paper (10 points, worth 50% of the final grade)
At the end of the semester, students are expected to submit a research paper of approximately 3,000 words (excluding front page, references, footnotes, bibliography, annexes, etc.) on a topic of their choice related to the main topic of the course. The papers will comprise a conceptual and theoretical discussion based on the literature review (as also reflected in the mid-term essay) and an analysis of the empirical material that students will collect throughout the semester under the supervision of the lecturer. Further details and examples regarding the final research paper will be provided during the first lecture.
Second session (Resitting the exam) (20 points, worth 100% of the final grade): In the second session, students are expected to submit a research paper of approximately 6,000 words on a topic of their choice related to the main topic of the course (the decision regarding the topic of the paper for the second session should be done upon consultation with the lecturer). The guidelines and deadline for paper submission for the second session will be set after the January 2025 exam session.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
The course starts on 19/09/2024. There are no preparatory readings before the first session. If the number of students registered for this class is too limited, the lectures could be replaced by a series of face-to-face meetings with the lecturer.
Keeping yourself informed: This course is also concerned with recent developments regarding citizenship and the political engagement of migrants in their countries of origin and residence, for which following news coverage on this topic is strongly encouraged. Students will receive from the lecturer links to useful internet sites and will be encouraged to also use social media (Facebook, X/Twitter, etc.) to keep themselves informed about recent developments regarding the topic of the course.
Contacts
Daniela Vintila, Daniela.Vintila@uliege.be
Association of one or more MOOCs
The MOOC entitled 'Migrations internationales : Comment les mobilités transforment les sociétés ? (H2)' is associated with this course.