The Politics of Mobility, Displacement and Asylum

The course belongs to the general area of political anthropology and the related sub-discipline of the anthropology of migration (human mobility, forced displacement, humanitarianism, globalization etc) as well as to studies on citizenship and political inclusion. In the first part, it presents an introduction to global mobility, global migration flows, displacement and asylum, taking into account their quantitative, legal and sociological dimensions and, specifically, it will deal with (global) South-North and South-South mobility and displacement. In the second part, from an anthropological and ethnographic perspective, in-depth case studies around these themes are presented, shedding light on social worlds, experiences, tensions and transformations related to migration. The third part (9 credits only) is a seminar-style section focused on developing a political anthropology of citizenship, asylum, political inclusion, nationalism, belonging, community-making: it presents and discusses classical texts as well as new research revolving around these topics.

Knowledge and Understanding

Through a combination of frontal lectures, individual/group presentations, in-class discussions, at the end of the course students should be able to:
1. Critically debate key questions on human mobility, global migration flows, asylum and displacement in their quantitative as well as qualitative dimensions.
2. Analyze detailed case-studies, with context-specific and ethnographically informed examples.
3. Understand the mutual definition of migrants, refugees and citizens; of the political exclusion and inclusion; of statelessness, citizenship, and national belonging.

Ability to apply Knowledge and Understanding

1. Assess the policy, political and ethical implications of migration dynamics and public discourses built around them.
2. Go beyond generic and stereotyped representations of migration, belonging and citizenship, by differentiating typologies, categories and dimensions of migratory dynamics
3. Go beyond the ethnocentric vision of globalization and migratory dynamics.