Course Syllabus

Stolen Childhoods: Migrant and Refugee Children in Europe

Famous Superkilen Park with its playgrounds deserted during Covid lockdowns in Copenhagen. Photo by Salim Aykut Ozturk

Description of Course

Focusing on Denmark’s well-known commitment to children’s rights and their well-being, as well as the country’s treatment of migrants and refugees, this course examines displaced and exploited children with a primary focus on Europe. Using case studies, research and official reports, films, literary excerpts, news accounts, and fieldwork, students learn about migration, trafficking, war, child labor, ethnic or religious discrimination, and disaster as causes of childhood displacement and exploitation. They also investigate displacement and exploitation as factors in children’s overall development, sense of belonging, and identity.

Students examine relevant national and international treaties, laws and policies, and analyze the impact of displaced and exploited children upon the countries that receive them. Students also develop skills for writing and speaking about children's issues; and, more specifically, they develop skills for effective and responsible child advocacy, whether it be hands-on in the field or through political action and education.  

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, the student will be able to...

• Discuss migrant, refugee, asylum-seeking, and other displaced and exploited children within the context of global children’s issues

• Explain the nature, extent, and reasons for migration, refugee status-seeking, and other forms of displacement and exploitation among children in Europe and other parts of the world

• Critically analyze relevant national and international laws, policies, and treaties in countries of origin and receiving countries like Denmark.

• Critically analyze childhood migration and other forms of displacement from the perspective of Human Rights and Children’s Rights

• Describe the effects of migration, displacement and refugee circumstances upon children’s sense of belonging and identity, as well as upon their overall development

• Critically analyze various approaches to the treatment of displaced and mobile children in Europe receiving countries from the perspectives of the children themselves, the host society, and children’s rights

• Create an evidence-based presentation to increase awareness of displacement and exploitation as a global children’s issue and to motivate others to become involved in responsible and effective child advocacy.

Faculty

Salim Aykut Ozturk

Ph.D. in Anthropology (University College London, 2020). MA in Migration and Diaspora Studies (School of Oriental and African Studies, London 2010). MA in Political Science and International Relations (Bogazici University, 2009). BA in Political Science and International Relations (Bogazici University, 2007). Quantitative and qualitative researcher with work and field experience in Istanbul, London and Jerusalem. First book, “Mobility and Armenian Belonging in Contemporary Turkey: Migratory Routes and the Meaning of the Local” (London: IB Tauris) forthcoming in 2022. Currently working on a second book, “An Island that is No More: Politics and Placemaking in Istanbul.” With DIS since 2021.

Field Studies

Field studies complement your course work by placing you in real-world settings to expand upon and rethink what we read about and discuss in class, as well as your daily life experiences in Denmark. You will be expected to prepare for each field study by completing all readings and preparing questions. In this class, field studies include group visits to sites selected by the instructor on the following days:

• We will be meeting Line Mansour at the Foundation of Social Responsibility - which serves as a hub for various NGOs on migration and integration  
• We will be watching Flee (2021), an animated movie on the displacement of an Afghan child into Denmark at the Empire Movie Theatre. More info on the movie can be found here: 
  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8430054/

Expectations from the Students

Students are expected to have completed the assigned readings prior to each class and be prepared to contribute to the class with questions derived from the readings, and reflections from your own experiences and other courses.

It is expected that students:

• Are active participants in class discussions
• Study the readings for each class and prepare questions for discussions
• Collaborate actively in groups during class time for knowledge exchange
• Discuss readings and prepare presentations with an assigned study group outside of class
• Develop and exercise critical thinking throughout the course
• Be independent, manage own time and execute self-directed learning
• Take an active part in creating a sincere, interesting, and safe classroom environment where different perspectives are presented and discussed openly and without prejudice
• Assist in creating a class culture and community of learners

Be prepared to discuss your reflections in class and complete readings that will be assigned in each class or communicated to you via Canvas.

Readings

The majority of the required readings for this course are found in the compendium or on Canvas. Additional readings will be selected as the course progresses based on student interests and current events. Course Reading and Resource List will be distributed on the first day of class. There is no textbook for this course.

• Alba, Richard and Victor Nee. 1999. “Rethinking Assimilation Theory for a New Era of Immigration.” Pp. 137-160 in The Handbook of International Migration, edited by Charles Hirschman et al. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation
• Alfredson, Lisa: “Child soldiers, displacement and human security”
• Anderson, Lund & Schulz (2010) “Ideally, you need a good childhood:” 40 children talk: www.boerneraadet.dk/english/reports
• Augustin, Laura (2009). “West Africa’s Children: are they trafficked?”
• http://www.lauraagustin.com/west-africas-children-are-they-trafficked-what-are-child-rights#more-3804
• Convention of the rights of the child (CRC):  http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/pdf/crc.pdf
• Dobson, Madeleine E. (2009) Unpacking children in migration research
• Drugger, Durlauf & Heckman. Role of Human Capability in Reframing the Global Development Agenda.
• Fazel, Mina l, Ruth V Reed, Catherine Panter-Brick,  Alan Stein, “Mental health of displaced and refugee children resettled in high-income countries: risk and protective factors”: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.461.9066&rep=rep1&type=pdf
• Gulloev and Gilliam: “Moulding civilized citizens” http://edu.au.dk/fileadmin/edu/Temaer/Paedagogisk_antropologi/Moulding_civilized_citizens_-_paper_Gilliam_og_Gulloev.pdf
• Heath, Anthony F., Catherine Rothon and Elina Kilpi. The Second Generation in Western Europe: Education, Unemployment, and Occupational Attainment, Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 34: 211-235 (2008) DOI: 10.1146/annurev.soc.34.040507.134728
• Jordan, L P, Graham, E, Resilience and Well-Being Among Children of Migrant Parents in South-East Asia; Child Dev. 2012 September; 83(5): 1672–1688. Published online 2012 September doi:  10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01810.x
• Hopkins, Peter E. & Malcolm Hill (2008): “Pre-flight experiences and migration stories”
• Human Rights Watch Lost in Transit: Insufficient Protection…at Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport (2012)
• IDP (2015) “Internal displacement global overview 2015”:
• http://www.internal-displacement.org/assets/library/Media/201505-Global-Overview-2015/20150506-global-overview-2015-en.pdf
• Read: p. 7-15 and take a look at the country figures from p. 82
• ILO textbook on Child Labour, 2004, Chapter 2 (i.e. pages 42-69; no need to do the exercise at the end)
• Júlíusdóttir & Gunnlaugsson, Nordic comparison of reception of asylum seeking and refugee children in a public health perspective
• Laoire, Ni, C., Carpena-Mendez, F., Tyrrell, N. and White, A.; (2011) Introduction - Childhood and Migration in Europe: portraits of mobility, identity and belonging in contemporary Ireland. In Childhood and Migration in Europe: portraits of mobility, identity and belonging in contemporary Ireland. UK: Ashgate
• Mignatti (2012): “The Case of Third Country Nationals Family Reunification”
• Mooney, Erin: “The Concept of Internal Displacement and the Case for Internally Displaced Persons as a Category of Concern”
• Neumayer, Eric (2007). “Qualified ratification: explaining reservations to international human rights treaties.” Journal of Legal Studies, 36 (2). pp. 397-430.
• http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/3051/1/Qualified_ratification_(LSERO).pdf
• Ngure, Francis M, Brianna M. Reid, Jean H. Humphrey, Mduduzi N. Mbuya, Gretel Pelto, and Rebecca J. Stoltzfus “Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), environmental enteropathy, nutrition, and early child development: making the links.”
• https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Francis_Ngure/publication/260398485_Water_sanitation_and_hygiene_WASH_environmental_enteropathy_nutrition_and_early_child_development_Making_the_links/links/546649980cf25b85d17f5f09.pdf
• Parusel B (2016) Unaccompanied minors in Europe: between immigration control and the need for protection Security, Insecurity and Migration in Europe, 2016
• Peek, Lori and Alice Fothergill. 2006. “Reconstructing Childhood: An Exploratory Study of Children in Hurricane Katrina.” Quick Response Report #186. Boulder: Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center, University of Colorado.
• Peters, Krijn et al. (2000). “When children affected by war go home: Lessons learned from Liberia”
• Serap Keles, Oddgeir Friborg, Thormod Idsøe, Selcuk Sirin, and Brit Oppedal. “Resilience and acculturation among unaccompanied refugee minors.” International Journal of Behavioral Development 0165025416658136, first published on July 29, 2016 doi:10.1177/0165025416658136
• http://jbd.sagepub.com/content/early/2016/07/28/0165025416658136.abstract
• Unicef, 2014, Access to education for Syrian refugee children in Zaatari refugee camp:
• http://www.unicef.org/jordan/Joint_Education_Needs_Assessment_2014_E-copy2.pdf  
• Read: Introduction, findings, conclusion and recommendations
• Unicef Report: Child Victims of Trafficking in Europe, Chapter 2 (i.e. pages 13-32)
• Wagner & Einarsdottir (2006). Nordic ideals as reflected in Nordic childhoods and early education.
• Wagner (2004). ”Fishing naked.”
• Wagner (2006). “An outsider’s perspective: Childhoods and early education in the Nordic countries.” 
• Wagner, Camparo, Tsenkova, & Camparo, (2008). ”Do anti-immigrant sentiments track into Danish classrooms?  Ethnicity, ethnicity salience, and bias in children’s peer preferences.”
• Wateraid: http://www.wateraid.org/~/media/Publications/how-health-systems-fail-child-mortality.pdf

Evaluation

I use a multi-method assessment system.  This means that I provide many and varied opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning, including quick writes at the beginning or end of class, occasional tests and quizzes, written assignments, and a final project. I also incorporate individual, paired, and group activities into the assessment plan. The goal here is to give each student a chance to shine through his or her best/most comfortable mode(s) of demonstrating knowledge and ability to apply it.

Students complete self-evaluations and peer evaluations as part of the final grading process. I take these into account; but, as the course instructor, I am responsible for determining all grades.

Coursework and Grading

I return written assignments to individual students with my comments and the grade, usually electronically. I do not discuss grades on an assignment or in the course via email. Students who wish to discuss grades must see me in person during scheduled office hours or by appointment. This is to preserve confidentiality. To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all of the assigned work. I do not grade on a curve.

Participation:

Class participation constitutes a large part of the course grade. To receive a high grade on participation, you must

• have good class attendance and arrive on time;
• come to class well prepared, having completed all assignments;
• contribute meaningfully to class discussions and activities;
• demonstrate increasing mastery of the material;
• think critically about differing theories, policies, and points of view; and
• participate actively in all field studies.

The quality of each student’s work on group activities will be considered as part of the class participation grade.  In other words, it will not be enough to “be there” for a group activity; you must be a productive participant in the process and your work must contribute significantly to the final product. I expect students to come to class having completed the assignments thoroughly and thoughtfully and, therefore, to arrive ready to discuss, debate, engage, reflect, and question. I expect students to respect various points of view, but also to challenge one another’s thinking and my thinking too. Good class participation is not the same as “talking the most;” but rather, a measure of each student’s contributions to our shared learning experiences.

Group Presentations and Papers:

In this course, all the material and the required student work lead to one another. This means, I expect you to develop your ideas and specifically research questions over the course of the term. This is why;

• early in the term (February 4), you will pair up in groups and make a short presentation about the current problems children face globally today, 
• based on your individual takeaways from your group presentations, you are going to formulate a research question that you want to focus in the rest of the term (February 22),
• we will discuss these research questions together and I will guide you through articulating research questions and designing research (February 25),
• in the light of discussions with your peers in class and my recommendations, you will submit a Midterm Paper (April 1)
• you will also have a chance to debate your arguments with your peers (April 29) before submitting your Final Paper (May 20). 

Additional Policies

Lateness and Tardiness:
Students are also expected to arrive punctually for all classes.  Unexcused absences will result in a lower course grade. Students are responsible for all work missed due to absence or tardiness.  Course assignments must be submitted by the beginning of class on the due date even if the student is absent for full marks. 

Students may notify me via email if they are going to miss a class or be late to class.  Students are responsible for all work missed during their absence, regardless of the reason.  Assignments are due on the due date regardless of whether the student is in class at the time when the assignment is due.  I will not discuss the impact of an absence on a student’s grade via phone or email. This is to preserve confidentiality.

Please be advised that late papers will be accepted, but the grade for the paper will be reduced by half a point for each day that it is late.

Use of Laptops or Phones in Class: 
Computers, tablets, and phones are allowed in class for note taking purposes and group work. Phones are to be shut off during class and texting, Facebooking, etc. during class will have a negative impact on your participation grade. If a phone does ring in class the responsible party is expected to bring cake or another snack to class next time, this, of course, applies to all participants including the instructor.

Academic Regulations  

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

• Course Enrollment and Grading  
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code 

Other important aspects of academic honesty for this course include accurate reporting of (1) fieldwork experiences and (2) the nature and extent of your contributions to your Working Group outside of class.

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