Inequality 2: International migration
Contact:
Coordinator:
Structure:
Assessment:
Period:
Study level:
ECTS:
Links:
FSWS2-040-A
bo-soc@fsw.eur.nl
Dr. E. Snel
Lectures and tutorial groups (Problem based Learning)
Written examination
Block 4 (2.4)
English stream (Sociology) Level, Bachelor 3 (Sociology) Level
7.5
Channel, Timetable
Contents
This course gives a basic introduction in international migration and various related
phenomena. In the course, international migration is examined in the context of the broader
discussion social inequality. Previous courses about social inequality focused on issues of
class, ethnicity and gender. These issues will also return in this course. The course will also
discuss gender-related issues of international migration. For instance, what international
migration implies for families of migrants who remain in the destination country. A central
topic in the course is that international migration is both caused by social inequality and, in
turn, produces social inequality – both in the sending and the receiving countries of
migrants. We discuss the notion of ‘civic stratification’ which means that inequality in
citizenship’s rights of foreign migrants may have an independent effect on their achieved
social position in destination countries. More in the general, the course gives an comparative
overview of the history of international migration and extensively discusses various both
economic and sociological theories about the causes of international migration.
Learning outcomes
After following this course, students will be able to
 explain what is typical for the sociological approach of international migration, in
comparison to other disciplinary (particularly economic) approaches of the
phenomenon
 explain the difference between macro-, meso- and micro-level explanations of
international migration
 explain the main economic and sociological theories about international migration
(such as neo-classical economy, new economy of labour migration (NELM), historicstructural approaches, segmented labour market theories, social network
approaches, and the ‘theory of cumulative causation’ of Douglas Massey)
 discuss the different empirical types of international migration: labour migration,
family-related migration, asylum migration, illegal migration, etc.
 discuss the relation between international migration and social inequality in both the
sending and receiving countries of migrants (incl. the notion of civic stratification)
 discuss what international migration means for the families and children of migrants
 discuss what international migration means for the economic and social development
of the receiving countries (incl. notions like financial and social remittances)


discuss the notion of transnationalism and to explain various theories and discussions
about transnationalism
discuss the issue of immigrant integration in the receiving countries and the existing
“integration regimes” in various countries (incl. the scientific discussion about these
integration regimes).
Literature Inequality2: International migration
One of the following ‘basic books’ (available at the University Library):
Castles, S. and Miller, M.J. (2009). The Age of Migration. International Population
Movements in the Modern World. Fourth edition. Houndsmill: Palgrave Macmillan
Massey, D.S., Arango, J., Hugo, G., Kouaouci, A., Pellegrino, A. and Taylor, J.E. (2005).
Worlds in Motion. Understanding International Migration at the End of the
Millennium. Princeton: Princeton University Press
Samers, M. (2010). Migration. London and New York: Routledge
Kivisto, P. and T. Faist (2010), Beyond a Border. The Causes and Consequences of
Contemporary Immigration. Los Angeles, London, etc.: Pine Forge Press
Plus a limited number of articles and book chapters that will be made available by Socweb.