Bachelor degree in social sciences or humanities + the equivalent of English 6

The course is not part of a main field of study.

This course offers in-depth knowledge of central issues in international migration and ethnic relations (IMER). It draws on ongoing research at the department and the expertise of the teaching researchers. The aim is both to develop knowledge of the state of the art in the field and to examine how such knowledge is and can be produced. In so doing, the course consistently combines theoretical and methodological queries. The course is divided in two modules (15 + 15 credits), each of which covers a delimited area in current IMER research.

The course’s underlying pedagogical philosophy is that the generic intellectual skills of critical thinking and independent analysis are best developed in delimited thematic contexts, in which the connection between knowledge about and knowledge how are most visible and open for scrutiny. To this end, the course is focused on key problems and questions in contemporary IMER research, and benefits from the expertise and current research in the department. Apart from offering students in-depth knowledge on a selected set of subjects in the IMER field, the course also develops a more profound and general understanding of what it means “to know” something and how such knowledge is produced in IMER research.

For the fall semester of 2024, the following to modules are offered:

Module I

Migration and Rights: Legal and Normative Perspectives

International migration is a field of conflicting ideals and realities. This module explores such conflicts from the viewpoint of rights, understood both as legally codified entitlements pertaining to individuals and collectives, and as normative conceptions about what is just and fair. In the first sense, the module engages with international legislation governing migration with specific focus on the tensions between migrant rights and national self-determination/state sovereignty. In the second sense, this tension is critically examined from the viewpoint of normative values such as individual freedom, equality and democracy. The aim of the course is to improve the students’ understanding of the complexity and importance of rights in international migration, and to develop their ability to critically analyze tensions between different rights from a legal and normative perspective.

M****odule II

Artificial Intelligence: Citizenship, society and migration in an automated age

The course explores the growing impact of artificial intelligence driven technologies (AI) on citizenship, society and migration. The increasing scale, scope and adoption of AI is dramatically recasting citizenship and migration as we know it. AI applications have been normalized in numerous areas of relations between states, citizens and communities. It has also been adopted in mechanisms to managing migration. Further to this, AI is increasingly seen as the best (or only) option for current and future societal challenges.

The course approaches AI from a social science perspective. We will critically engage with how AI technologies relate to the field of IMER, and cover how one can understand, research and navigate its impacts. The course is designed to cut through the boom or bust AI hype, by grounding debates in ongoing empirical research on AI in relation to citizenship, statelessness, migration and democracy.

Upon completion of the course the student should demonstrate:

1. God knowledge of two contemporary research areas in IMER.
2. And very good knowledge of two well delimited subjects within those research areas.
3. Ability to critically identify key issues and debates within the research areas as well as blind-spots and weaknesses.
4. Ability to compare and critically review different theoretical and methodological approaches within the research areas.
5. Ability to summarize and critically review existing research on selected research subjects.
6. Ability to formulate and develop original research on the selected research subjects on the basis of secondary sources.
7. Ability to carry out an independent analysis on the basis of a selected relevant material of secondary sources.
8. Ability to present and critically discuss research in good academic English.

The course is based on active and informed participation of the student. The course blends lecture-oriented elements with student-led presentations and discussions. It also includes supervision seminars in group. Seminars have compulsory attendance. The student will spend most of the time working on their own and is expected to come well prepared to each class.

The course consists of two modules of 15 credits each. Each module is examined via an individual portfolio of oral and written assignments (5 credits), graded pass or fail (G or U), and an individual course paper (10 credits) graded A-U. The portfolio is assessed on the basis of learning goals 1 and 3-5, and the course paper on the basis of learning goals 1-8.

A pass on both counts on both modules is required for passing the whole course.

Modul I:

• Costello, Cathryn et al (eds.) (2021) The Oxford Handbook of International Refugee Law. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Fine, Sarah and Lea Ypi (eds.) (2016) Migration in Political Theory: The Ethics of Movement and Membership. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Plus a large selection of articles.

Modul II:

• Elliot, Anthony (2021) The Routledge Social Science Handbook of AI
• Hintz, Arne, Lina Dencik, and Karin Wahl-Jorgensen. (2018)Digital citizenship in a datafied society. John Wiley & Sons.
• Lindgreen, Simon (2023) Handbook of Critical Studies of Artificial Intelligence, Edward Elgar
• Plus a selection of articles.

Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).

If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that applied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented.

The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.

If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format.