The Anthropology of Migration, Introductory Course
Course content
Migration studies have undergone a major transformation in recent decades. Formerly, social scientists tended to research migration in terms of one-way “push-pull” movements from a place of origin to a migration destination, and the social, economic and cultural processes whereby immigrants were integrated into the new homeland. In recent years, however, migration scholars have redirected their approach so that they now view population movements as closely associated with the emergence, and further consolidation, of fields of social and economic relations spanning the physical distances involved in the migratory move. This means that migrants have strong ties to the place they have left as well as to the place or places to which they move. This is perhaps most clearly brought out in the concepts of transnationalism, diaspora and global networks that have gained prominence in migration research and refugee studies since the 1980's, along with the research method of multi-sited fieldwork. These new analytical and methodological perspectives raise important questions concerning the social organization of migration as well as our understanding of processes of socio-cultural continuity and change. In this course we will examine how anthropology can contribute to migration research in the light of this new development. How can we draw on anthropological theory in the conceptualization of the spatially and temporally extended processes that are set in motion by migratory movements? And how can we develop an ethnographic research practice that can encompass these complex processes?
Board of Studies, Department of Anthropology
From spring 2025 the course is also offered to students at the
- Master Programme in Social Data Science
- Master Programme in Political Science
- Master programme in Global Development
- Bachelor and Master Programmes in Psychology
Enrolled students register the course through the Selfservice. Please contact the study administration at each programme for questions regarding registration.
The course is open to:
- Exchange and Guest students from abroad
- Credit students from Danish Universities
Knowledge: Critically discuss concepts and theories related to the subject.
Skills: Identify and formulate central anthropological questions with regard to the topic of migration.
Competences: Demonstrate how relevant research questions relate to empirical settings.
A combination of lectures, guest lectures, student presentations and group Work.
BSc students and MSc students: 500 pages obligatory literature
The teacher will publish 200-300 pages of supplementary literature.
Course literature will be available through Absalon on the
course website
+ Textbook: Rytter, Mikkel & Karen Fog Olwig (2011): Mobile
Bodies,
Mobile Souls.Family, Religion and migration in a Global World.
Aarhus:
Aarhus University Press.
The students will be organized in feedback groups, where part of the learning will be to receive feedback from fellow classmates.
Besides this, the students will receive a general feedback in class two times during the course as a general response to the portfolio handed in as work in progess in their groups.
Finally, they will receive a written feedback when being graded for their exam.
When registered you will be signed up for exam.
- Full-degree students – sign up at Selfservice on KUnet
- Exchange and guest students from abroad – sign up through Mobility Online and Selfservice
- Credit students from Danish universities - sign up through this website.
The dates for the exams are found here Exams – Faculty of Social Sciences - University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
Please note that it is your own responsibility to check for overlapping exam dates.
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Portfolio
- Type of assessment details
- Length: Portfolio exam can be written individually or in groups of max. 4 students. Portfolio exams consist of 2-7 submissions. For MA students, there is a submission more than for BA students, i.e. if the BA student has to submit five submissions, the MA students must submit six submissions. The number of submissions is set by the lecturer. The total length of all of the submissions must be max. 30,000 keystrokes for one BA student and max. 37,500 keystrokes for one MA student. For groups of two students, max. 40,000 keystrokes BA students and max. 47,500 for MA students. For groups of three students, max. 45,000 keystrokes for BA students and max. 52,500 for MA students. For groups of four students, max. 50,000 keystrokes for BA students and 57,500 for MA students. In the case of group assignments, the contribution of each individual student must be clearly marked in the assignment. For groups with both BA and MA students, the same number of submissions is required as for MA students. The assignments are assessed jointly with a single grade.
- Exam registration requirements
-
Students must hand in portfolios during the course, and make an oral presentation in class, in order to be eligble for the exam.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
Policy on the Use of Generative AI Software and Large Language Models in Exams
The Department of Anthropology allows the use of generative AI software and large language models (AI/LLMs), such as ChatGPT, in written exams, provided that the use of AI/LLMs is disclosed and specified (i.e., how it was used and for what purpose) in an appendix that does not count towards the page limit of the exam.
If AI/LLMs are used as source, the same requirements apply for using quotation marks and source referencing as with all other sources. Otherwise, it will be a case of plagiarism.
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
There is appointed a second internal assessor to assist with the assessment when the first assessor finds this necessary.
- Re-exam
-
1. re-exam:
An essay with a revised problem statement must be submitted at the announced date. The students must sign up for the 1. re-exam.
Please note that the re-exam is an essay even for courses, where the ordinary exam is a portfolio exam.
2. re-exam:
A new essay with a revised problem statement must be submitted at the announced date next semester. The students must sign up for the 2. re-exam.
Essay lenght:
One BA student: 21.600-26.400 keystrokes. For group responses, Min. 6,750 and Max. 8,250 extra keystrokes per extra group member.
One MA student: 27,000-33,000 keystrokes. For group responses, Min. 8,450 and Max. 10,300 extra keystrokes per extra group member.
For groups with both BA and MA students:
A MA and a BA student: 31,900-38,975 (BA: 14.175-17.325 KA: 17.725-21.650)
A MA and two BA students: 38,050 – 46,475 (BA: 11,700-14.300 KA: 14.650-17.875)
A MA and three BA students: 44,525-54,375 (BA: 10.475-12,800 MA: 13.100-15.975)
Two MA and one BA student: 41,000-50,050 (BA: 11,700-14.300 KA: 14.650-17.875)
Two MA and two BA students: 47,150-57,550 (BA: 10.475-12,800 MA: 13.100-15.975)
Three MA and one BA student: 49,775-60,725 (BA: 10.475-12,800 MA: 13.100-15.975)
Criteria for exam assessment
See description of learning outcome. Formalities for Written Works must be fulfilled, read more: MSc Students/ BA students (in Danish)/ exchange and credit students
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 42
- Preparation
- 100
- Exam
- 64
- English
- 206
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- AANB05091U
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Bachelor
Bachelor choiceFull Degree Master choice
- Duration
-
1 semester
- Placement
- Spring
- Schedulegroup
-
See timetable
- Studyboard
- Department of Anthropology, Study Council
Contracting department
- Department of Anthropology
- Department of Psychology
- Department of Political Science
- Social Data Science
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Social Sciences
Course Coordinator
- Anja Simonsen (13-6d7a766d3a7f75797b7a7f717a4c6d7a80747e7b3a77813a7077)
Are you BA- or KA-student?
Courseinformation of students