Migration, Culture and Identity

In this interdisciplinary unit students examine migration as part of broader changes at the national, regional and global levels, flagged by the UN and other multilateral bodies as a core component of the human development agenda. Students compare a variety of different forms of migration, including forced, labour and temporary migration. The unit analyses key issues relating to migration, including in particular, the roles played by political organisations, social networks and transnationalism within the migratory experience. In looking at these issues, students critically engage with key debates around culture, race, diaspora and identity that are vital to understanding the social and political context of migration. Included here are debates pertaining to cultural pluralism, acculturation and multiculturalism. The complexities of identity and community making in the context of migration are also examined.