Course Syllabus

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Migration & the City

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migration photo.jpgimage source: Lutte en Nord: informer pour résister

Semester & Location:

Summer 2019 - DIS Stockholm
Type & Credits:

Summer Course - 4 credits
Study Tour:

Sicily, Italy
Field Studies:

multiple, throughout Stockholm
Major Disciplines:

Anthropology, Human Rights, Urban Studies
Prerequisite(s):

None
Faculty:

Tina Mangieri, PhD - tma@disstockholm.se
Program Director:

Neringa  B. Vendelbo - nb@dis.dk
Time & Place:

dates: July 5 - July 31

days: weekdays (Monday - Friday)

time: 10.00 - 13.30 (see course calendar for specifics), 1D-410

Course Description

Without migration, would there be cities? Migration is fundamental to creating the cultural and economic vibrancy of urban spaces. Yet we live in a time and in places where those who move – seeking new opportunities or forced through horrific hardships - are labeled “illegal” and, ultimately, unwelcome, and where migration itself is perceived as a crisis potentially contained at national borders.

This course views migration and cities as intertwined and mutually constitutive. Migration has transformed the Stockholm cityscape dramatically in recent years, but the transnational processes of migrant flows have been an indelible force in Europe’s cities for decades/centuries/millenia. With a focus on Stockholm and a comparative Study Tour to Sicily, we will consider the social and spatial impacts of voluntary and involuntary global migrant movements, the dynamics of displacement and place-making in the built environment, and the complexities and creative strategies of migrant communities in urban spaces.We will consider migration historically, focus on contemporary movements, and approach the study of the city through this often-polarizing lens.

Drawing on migration studies, geography, cultural theory, urban studies, and art & visual culture, we consider mobility as a human right and one with an indelible impact on city life and urban spaces.

Learning Objectives

After successful completion of the course, you will be able to:

• Describe the urban environment in Stockholm and its cultural and economic transformations related to migration
• Illustrate migrant spaces through mapping Stockholm and Palermo cityscapes
• Analyze popular attitudes and public policy toward migration in Stockholm and, comparatively, Palermo
• Interpret the (migrant) city through multiple sensory perspectives
• Present an editorial argument of your enhanced understandings of migration & cities

Faculty

Tina Mangieri, PhD     Tina, headshot.jpg

PhD in Geography (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Instructor - Stockholm University. Cartographer - Yemen Project, Royal Ontario Museum. Principal Investigator - International Archaeological Research Institute, Inc., Honolulu. Academic Director, Associate Academic Dean, and Academic Dean for Africa - SIT Study Abroad. Fulbright scholar - Kenya. Assistant Professor, Geography - Texas A&M University. Assistant Professor - Champlain College. Director of Experiential Education - NYU Abu Dhabi. Associate Dean for Global Education - Bates College. Associate Academic Director and Direcor of Research - DIS. With DIS since 2018.

Readings / Media

All readings and related media are available online, through Canvas. You will not have any textbooks to pick-up from DIS for this course.

Please view the calendar. Readings and other media listed on a particular date should be read/viewed/consumed prior to class on this date. Come ready to discuss.

Field Studies

We will have a series of Stockholm-based field studies throughout the course, to engage intimately with the city. During these field studies, the journey is the destination - be aware of the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and sense of familiarity - or lack thereof - throughout our explorations. Be curious, attentive, and respectful at all times. 

In addition to these scheduled sessions, we will use additional opportunities - spontaneous or scheduled at short-notice - to learn in the city. Practical information related to each field study will be located in the course calendar.

  • Stockholm Field Study 1: foundations
    • Our first field study will focus on the origins of Stockholm - and cities more broadly - through a visit to the historic center of Gamla Stan. We'll consider the role of migration in both the historical and contemporary cityscape, through a focus on "founders," subsequent settlers, and the politics of place.
  • Stockholm Field Study 2: sensory explorations
    • A chance to experience the city through the culinary lens of its communities. Consider the changing spaces, lights, sounds, smells, scripts, and sights as we travel from Östermalm in the city center to the Kista suburb.   
  • Stockholm Field Study 3: mapping urban spaces
    • A hands-on session in critical cartography.
  • Stockholm Field Study 4: tipspromenad
    • Your chance to lead us around the city, to share the experiences and locations informing your understandings of migration in Stockholm.  

Guest Lecturers

We will have guest lecturers in both Stockholm and Palermo to add multiple perspectives. Additional information will be posted in the course calendar.

Approach to Teaching

The course will include interactive lectures, discussions, experiential activities, field studies, guest lectures, simulations, group work, and presentations. 

Expectations

The success of this course depends on my ability to communicate ideas and concepts, on our collective ability to create an environment conducive to learning, and on your commitment to engage in the course material inside and outside class. For this to work, we must treat one another with respect, always.

 Active participation - one of the key components of your grade and one of the most pleasurable aspects of an engaging course - requires preparation. I expect you to have completed the assigned reading(s)/listenings/media viewing(s) before each class and to come with notes, thoughts, and questions. Readings, announcements, details, updates, the course schedule, and communications with one another are on Canvas. Download the Canvas app to your phones and turn on notifications so you stay up-to-date. You are responsible for checking Canvas daily.

Please do the following:

1. Submit assignments on time.
2. Complete all assigned readings/media viewings prior to the designated class.
3. Our time together is short! Be punctual and attend all classes (including field studies and study tour visits), prepared and ready to contribute. Missing classes without a legitimate excuse will result in a lower final grade.
4. Bring a notebook and pen/cil to class for taking notes. Only use laptops when instructed for specific activities. Please switch off your mobile phone during class and resist the urge to text. Please speak with me if you need your device for note-taking. 

Evaluation

The course grade is determined through the following assignments, described below. Additional information needed to complete each assignment will be provided in class.

Grading

Assignment

Percent

active participation

Active participation in class requires arriving on time and being prepared in relation to readings, assignments, presentations, and all course activities outside the classroom. Your engaged participation grade is determined by your involvement in reflections, discussions, and exercises in class - and your attitude! Active participation is essential in the classroom, on field studies and study tour, and in all group work. Attendance is mandatory at all course meetings, including field studies and study tour visits. 

25%

quizzes

Two quizzes (5% each) provide opportunity for a quick check-in - ensuring you are on-track with the basic course information. 

10%

Palermo

During our study tour, you will be assigned specific places, organizations, tasks, and/or information that you will need to prepare in advance of our visits. You will provide this information in the form of oral presentations/notes to the class. You will also be varyingly responsible for professionalizing our visits through informed questions, introductions, and appreciations. 

20%

op-ed

Your time in Stockholm and Palermo is short, so connecting your learning here to your lived experience and your life beyond study abroad is vital. It is important to me that you integrate our learning with migration debates and the experience of migrant communities in cities and towns at "home." This topic is too visceral, too critical, and too global to consider in European isolation. With this in mind, you will end the term with a short essay (400-600 words) - in the style of an op-ed or opinion-piece - intended for publication. The outlet might be the New York Times, your campus paper, or an online journal.

20%

migration & the city journal

This assignment may take the form of an illustrated paper or multimedia presentation. You will select one aspect of the course - migrant histories, borders, othering, enclaves/neighborhoods, migration policy, state and community support services, artistic expression, cultural impacts, activism, etc. - and discuss in the context of Stockholm or a comparative analysis of Stockholm/Palermo. You should utilize photos, maps, drawings, poems, film, or other media to illustrate your journal. You will present your journal on the final day of class.

25%

Late Papers / Assignments

I will not remind you to submit your work once a deadline has passed. All late submissions will receive a 0 unless you have communicated with me before the deadline and have received permission to submit your work late. Approved late submissions will be reduced by half a letter grade for each day late.

Electronic Technologies

Laptops/tablets/iPads/phones are not permitted to be open and in-use during class unless we are working on specified tasks. Mobile phones must be silenced during class. If you need your device for note-taking, let's talk. 

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on: 

 

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due