Παρουσίαση/Προβολή

(UNI362) -  STYLIANI LETSIOU

Περιγραφή Μαθήματος

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the anthropological perspective in the interdisciplinary fields of migration, transnationalism, globalization, and citizenship. It focuses on the reconceptualization of the different categories of ‘otherness’ (racial, religious and gender aspects) in light of anthropological theory and methodology. The discipline of anthropology uses a holistic and emic approach in analyzing the social dynamics of the migratory process, while centering on participant observation, the hallmark of anthropology, and the construction of subjectivities as the key actors on the move.

The course uses the anthropological theory, perspective, and methodology to culturally explore certain experiences of migrants. Under the general concept of mobility, it focuses on voluntary and non-voluntary movements of people and detects political, economic, and overall social aspects that they have taken in recent decades. It focuses on forms of migration as they are shaped in the modern globalized environment and analyzes their gender, racial, religious, and work aspects. The course will be taught through the discussion of ethnographic case studies.

The conventional distinction between "legal" and "illegal" migrants is used at the state level. However, the experiences of most immigrants, historically, are extremely complex. Variations in legislation have made these distinctions quite variable and arbitrary, thus challenging the limits of what constitutes "legality" and "illegality". Anthropology discloses the processes by which these boundaries are socially constructed and maintained.

More specifically, the course focuses on host society perceptions, and the migrant responses to these perceptions. The migratory movements of populations are examined in the context of globalization and global warming. It also addresses the impact of globalization on modern population movements and migration policies, and explores key terms, such as ‘migrant’, ‘refugee’, ‘ethnicity’, ‘nationality’, ‘race’, ‘citizenship’, ‘state’, ‘nation’, ‘transnationalism’, ‘mobility’, ‘assimilation’, ‘marginalization’ and ‘integration’.

Although anthropology has important theoretical contributions to the study of migration, migration studies need to be understood as an interdisciplinary field. Thus, migration, as a truly interdisciplinary field, is important to be approached also from a psychological perspective. In particular the course, in its later sections will cover issues related to the psychological health and well-being of migrant populations, different types of trauma and also these populations’ psychosocial acculturation/integration in resettlement societies. The social psychological perspective which looks at groups’ mental processes and behaviours, usually through an etic approach and a positivist methodology, will first be noted to shed light on the above areas; yet it will be combined with the critical social psychological perspective which supports an integrated etic-emic approach and a qualitative methodology. The critical social psychological perspective reminds its audiences to reflect on underlying assumptions in the discipline of psychology which often neglect the socially constructed aspect of terms such as ‘pathology’, ‘mental illness’, ‘diagnosis’, ‘treatment’ and the unfair treatment this neglect may bring upon marginalized or minority groups. The above mean that towards the end of this course the perspective of anthropology-as outlined in the previous paragraphs- will make dialogue with the perspective of social psychology- as outlined above- in order to better understand migrant experiences.

 

 

Ημερομηνία δημιουργίας

Πέμπτη 13 Οκτωβρίου 2022