Study information

Immigration in Western Societies

Module titleImmigration in Western Societies
Module codeSSI2006
Academic year2022/3
Credits15
Module staff

Dr Alexey Bessudnov (Convenor)

Duration: Term123
Duration: Weeks

11

Number students taking module (anticipated)

30

Module description

Immigration has recently moved to the centre of public debate in many Western countries. In this module you will tackle key debates related to immigration. For example, do immigrants contribute positively to national economies or do they simply take unfair advantage of welfare systems? How do immigrant children perform in schools compared to non-immigrant children? What drives public opinion about immigrants and immigration? In this module you will study how  immigrants perform in the labour markets and educational systems in the UK and some other Western countries. You will learn the main theoretical approaches to the study of ethnic minorities and immigrants, as well as the empirical findings from the most recent research. The module has a data analytic component and you will be required to undertake some analysis of survey data about immigration and ethnic minorities.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to introduce you to the study of immigrants and ethnic minorities in the UK and to provide you with analytical tools required to reach evidence-based conclusions about immigrants and immigration in a comparative perspective. Knowledge of immigration in Europe and practical skills of data analysis are required in various fields, such as policy making, media, business, and the academia.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 1. demonstrate good knowledge of main theoretical concepts and empirical findings in the study of ethnic minorities and immigrants;
  • 2. correctly interpret results of quantitative studies of ethnic minorities and immigrants published in academic journals that applied some statistical techniques;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 3. independently conduct simple descriptive analysis of quantitative data using basic statistical concepts (means, frequency tables, some statistical graphs, etc.);
  • 4. assess strengths and weaknesses of quantitative research designs in social sciences at the introductory level;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 5. competently communicate results of independent research in written form to the deadline;
  • 6. actively participate in class discussions providing well-defined arguments;
  • 7. demonstrate the ability to work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics.

The lectures provide a general discussion of major theoretical and empirical issues in the study of immigrants/ethnic minorities. We will discuss immigration in a comparative perspective, but the main focus will be on the UK.

  • Brief history of immigration in the 20th century. 'Push' and 'pull' factors affecting immigration.
  • Ethnic minorities in the labour market. Discrimination.
  • The second generation in the educational system and labour market. ‘Segmented assimilation’.
  • Immigrants and ethnic minorities in the political system.
  • Public attitudes to immigrants and immigration.
  • Immigration policies.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
271230

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities2211 x lectures and seminars of 2 hours each (or 1 hour lecture + 1 hour seminar)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities55 x 1 hour data tutorials
Guided independent study3311 x 3 hour course readings and assignments for seminars and lab sessions
Guided independent study90Independent reading and research for essay and presentation

Formative assessment

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Essay plan500 words1-2, 4-5Written

Summative assessment (% of credit)

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Essay502,000 words1-2, 4-5, 7Written
Recorded presentation with slides5010 minutes3,7Written

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
EssayEssay (2,000 words)1-2, 4-5, 7August/September reassessment period
Recorded presentation with slidesRecorded presentation with slides (10 minutes)3,7August/September reassessment period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

  • Hein De Haas, Stephen Castles, Mark J. Miller, The Age of Migration: International Population Movements in the Modern World 6th ed., Palgrave (2020).
  • Alejandro Portes and Ruben Rumbaut, Immigrant America: A Portrait, 4th ed., University of California Press (2014).
  • Students will be provided with other readings in the module handbook.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

Key words search

Immigrants; immigration; ethnic minorities; labour market; educational system

Credit value15
Module ECTS

7.5

Module pre-requisites

SSI1005

Module co-requisites

None

NQF level (module)

5

Available as distance learning?

No

Origin date

28/01/2014

Last revision date

10/05/2022