COURSE OUTLINE Anthropology 2283F-001 Refugees and the Displaced: An Anthropological Approach to Forced Migration Fall 2018

Transcription

1 COURSE OUTLINE Anthropology 2283F-001 Refugees and the Displaced: An Anthropological Approach to Forced Migration Fall 2018 Lectures: Wednesdays 1:30 4:30 pm Classroom: AHB-1B04 Instructor: Dr. Randa Farah Office: SSC-3423 Office hours: Please refer to the course site in OWL. Teaching Assistant: Please refer to the course site in OWL. Credit value: 0.5 credit Calendar Course Description: This course examines populations forcibly uprooted from their original habitats due to armed conflict, famine, environmental disasters and 'development.' It emphasizes the need to examine displacement in specific contexts. Topics include: the impact of displacement on society and culture, 'home' and exile, humanitarian aid, resistance and resilience in hostcountries. Prerequisites: Any Arts and Humanities or Social Science 0.5 or 1.0 Essay course Antirequisites: None. Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enroll in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. The decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites. Course Syllabus: In this course, we contextualize the refugee and displacement issue within global processes and identify larger structural causes which force people to flee their homes and homelands. In most cases, especially during mass flight from armed Anthropology 2283F-001 Version date: August 3, 2018 Page 1 of 6

2 conflict or natural disasters, the international humanitarian regime springs to action. However, humanitarian assistance is underpinned by power relationships that operate to maintain control over the recipients of aid. Using a critical approach, we examine the humanitarian regime, definitions and classifications of populations forced out of their places of origin seeking shelter, safety and livelihood, these categories include: asylum seekers, stateless populations, refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). We also briefly discuss the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol, as well as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the primary institution with a mandate to provide protection and assistance to refugees. Drawing on scholarly works, lectures, documentaries, as well as students engagement at the South London Neighbourhood Resource Centre (SLNRC), we take a deeper look at individual and collective experiences of displacement, and what these tell us about power structures and relationships. In particular, the community engagement will shed light on how the larger processes shape the real experiences of people, and will give enhance our knowledge on the various programs and services that Canada provides to newcomers and refugees, and their effectiveness. Students will learn how refugees and newcomers navigate in a new society away from their familiar surroundings, and the extent to which programs respond to their needs and the larger society. Course materials include case studies from around the world and Canada. It is critical that students come prepared to class in order discuss the readings assigned each week. Attendance and active participation in class discussions will create a lively environment and promotes learning through the exchange of ideas and in-class debates. Students will have three assignments. Community Engaged Learning, which involves two visits to the South London Neighbourhood Resource Centre (SLNRC) during the term (that is, two weeks of classes will be replaced by two visits to the Center). The first visit is more of an orientation session, and in the second visit, students will participate in one of the Centre s programs of their choice. More information on the dates and specific activities will be provided at the beginning of the term. Please NOTE that a full course schedule including a week-by-week breakdown of topics and assigned readings will be available on the course s OWL site before the first day of class. Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: Anthropology 2283F-001 Version date: August 3, 2018 Page 2 of 6

3 Engage directly with a community organization that provides services to refugees and newcomers in London (Community Engaged Learning) to learn about real life experiences of refugees, Canadian state policies, and community programs. Define a refugee in the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol, and the gap between laws and regulations and the real experiences of people. Interpret the concept of a refugee within a historical and global context. Situate the discourse and practices of large humanitarian organizations within global power structures. Analyze the status of a refugee within a geopolitical order wherein the nationstate is the basic unit. Differentiate between a "refugee" and other designations, and problematize definitions and legal statuses, juxtaposing these with real life experiences. Analyze the relationship between imperial wars and displacement. Explain why/how sociocultural dynamics are affected by displacement and coping mechanisms of displaced peoples. Interpret how restrictive borders and laws affect asylum seekers. Assess ethical conduct and principles in the study of refugees and other vulnerable populations. Course Materials: Registered students will be able to access course readings through the course s on-line OWL site before the first day of class. Evaluation: Essay 30% Dec. 5 th Submit a word essay on forced migration (last day of class). Choose a topic relating to refugees and displacement that you are interested in writing about, if you are unsure if your topic is related to the course, check with me or the Teaching Assistant. More information about the essay and other assignments, specific expectations, and helpful resources will be made available to students on the course OWL site. Anthropology 2283F-001 Version date: August 3, 2018 Page 3 of 6

4 Late submissions: Please note that 2% of your essay grade will be deducted for each day you are late in submitting the essay. No late essays are accepted more than five days (including weekends) after the deadline. However, this does not apply if you have permission for special accommodation from Academic Counseling, in which case the needed accommodation will be provided. Where to submit: Submit your essays and written assignments electronically through OWL s Assignments feature, AND submit a hard copy in class. All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between The University of Western Ontario and Turnitin.com ( More information will be made available to students on the course OWL site. Final Exam 30% The exam covers lectures, readings, documentaries and your experiences at the Centre. The format is mixed and may include multiple choice, true and false, fill in the blanks, definitions, and short and long answers. The final exam will take place during the designated exam period for this course. Use of electronic devices will not be allowed during the final exam. Community Engaged Learning/Fieldwork Participation 20% x 2 = 40% Students are expected to visit the South London Neighbourhood Resource Centre (SLNRC) twice during the term, approximately 3 hours each visit (substitute for two classes). Each visit will be followed by a short paper (a week after each visit) discussing your experiences at the Centre and using what you learned from the readings, lectures and class discussions to reflect critically on what you learned at the Centre. The visit and the paper are regarded as one assignment. Oct 24 First Visit to SLNRC: The first visit is an orientation session to learn about the Centre and the various programs and services it provides. Anthropology 2283F-001 Version date: August 3, 2018 Page 4 of 6

5 Oct 31 First Short Paper: This is a short paper of words where students reflect on what they learned from the orientation session and their own critical observations. Nov. 7 Second Visit to SLNRC: For the second visit, students will be able to sign up to attend one of the programs offered by the Centre, such as programs for youth, seniors, women, etc. Nov. 14 Second Short Paper: This is a second short paper also words about your experiences in the specific programs at the Centre and your critical observations drawing on what you learned in the course. More information on the Community Engaged Learning will be made available to students on the course OWL site. Course Specific Conditions Required to Pass this Course In order to pass this essay course, students must submit all three written assignments and receive a passing grade on two of three written assignments. Course Specific Statements and Policies: Statement on Seeking Special Accommodations: No accommodations will be granted retroactively more than 10 days after an assignment s due date or a missed quiz or test. Please see your academic counsellor immediately if you will be seeking accommodations based on medical or compassionate grounds. Statement on Plagiarism: Students must write their assignments in their own words. Whenever students take an idea from another author, they must acknowledge their debt both by using quotation marks where appropriate and by proper referencing. It is also a scholastic offence to submit the same work for credit in more than one course. Plagiarism is a major scholastic offence. Policy on Laptops and Cellphones in Class: Laptops are permitted for note-taking in class but if it is observed that students are on social networking sites, they will be asked to close the laptop and will not be permitted to use it for the remainder of the class. Be sure that all cellphones are turned off at the beginning of class. Anthropology 2283F-001 Version date: August 3, 2018 Page 5 of 6

6 Institutional Statements and Policies All students should familiarize themselves with Western's current academic policies regarding accessibility, plagiarism and scholastic offences, and medical accommodation. These policies are outlined with links to the full policies on the Anthropology website. Anthropology 2283F-001 Version date: August 3, 2018 Page 6 of 6