INTL 4630 - Population, Immigration and Politics
Spring 2015
Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM-10:45 AM
Classroom 3
Instructor: Szymon Stojek
Class: Monday-Thursday, 8:00-10:45, Classroom 3
Office Hours: Office Hours by Appointment (Monday-Thursday)
Email: sstojek@uga.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Contemporary political development is characterized by growing density of global
interdependence and stronger focus on political, cultural and economic (environmental,
technological, etc.) developments that simultaneously affect populations across regions of the
world. Population movements, such as immigration, are an integral and perhaps the most
challenging part of this process. Immigration and immigrants produce significant social and
political challenges to host states and generate tensions within host societies. This course takes a
surveying view of population movement phenomena focusing on two central elements: Migration
and Identity Politics. During this semester, we will analyze broad patterns in the global
demographic development focusing on answering questions such as: How and why does the
distribution of the world’s population change? What explains differential population growth
around the world and how does that influence supply of migrants and demand for immigration?
How do various states respond to and integrate the non-native newcomers. How do large-scale
movements of population across state borders, cultural fault lines and languages shape economic,
social, and environmental policies? In an effort to accommodate this broad theme, we will view
population movement phenomena from the perspectives of immigrants, host and origin nations,
as well as global non-state actors.
Disclaimer: Information, including deadlines, assignments, and reading materials outlined
in this syllabus are subject to change. Students are required to attend class and remain
informed of all deadlines, changes to the syllabus and other announcements.
REQUIRED READING MATERIALS
Textbook: Castles, Stephen, and Mark J. Miller. The age of migration: International population
movements in the modern world. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.[Abbreviation: CM].
Electronic Journal Articles: Most of the assigned readings are available at the UGA library.
You can access those articles by visiting http://www.libs.uga.edu/ejournals
Course Reserve: Few readings may be available through the main library’s course reserve. To
access this resource please go to: http://libs.uga.edu/access_services/reserves.html. Password:
“alien”.
Prerequisites/Expectation: This is a senior level course and as such it assumes proficiency in
reading of relatively complex scientific journal articles. You are not expected to follow all of the
methodological (e.g. statistical, formal models) sections; however, comprehension of main points
is required. If you should run into problems, you can contact me before the class for which the
reading is due. Further, it may be helpful to check with your undergraduate advisor about the
necessary/recommended prerequisites.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADES
20%
30%
20%
30%
Attendance & Participation
Quizzes
Poster Presentation
Final Exam (APRIL 2)
Participation (20%): Evaluation. Student participation in class accounts for 20% of the grade in
this course. I will be taking note of your contributions and the progress in the quality of your
contribution. Please note that talking a lot does not equal higher participation quality; though, I
encourage you to participate whenever you feel you can add to the discussion or have a question
about the material covered. The 20% of your participation grade will be based on a) attendance
and tardiness, b) class discussion, and c) the quality of the report on the readings.
Attendance and Student Initiative. Attendance is mandatory for all class meetings. Each
absence will result in a 5% deduction form your final grade. Students are expected to attend
and participate in the class discussions, which address assigned readings and current events
pertinent to the topics scheduled for a given class. This rule will be the key to your class
experience, since best comprehension can only be facilitated through preparation before the
class and active participation through in-class discussions. Completion of all assigned
readings PRIOR to the scheduled class is expected. This will increase the benefits of class
attendance and can serve as a good metric of your comprehension of the material. I will keep
track of your performance and this will become a component of your participation grade.
Note: If you don’t talk, your final participation grade will be a 70/100 (minus 5 x number of
absences). If you have any concerns about your participation grade, contact me as soon as
possible.
Reading Discussion Assignments. Several times during the semester I will ask that you turn
in an index card with a brief (2-4 sentences) summary of the reading assigned for that day.
On this card, apart from the summary, I want you to put a well-thought through discussion
question. This question should not ask what did the author mean, but rather should be
engaging broader course material and provoke discussion in the class. I will grade these cards
and they will become part of your participation grade. A well stated summary and question
will account for 2% percentage point of your participation grade. If the question sparks a
class discussion, I may award it up to 4%.
Quizzes (30%). During the course, I will be administering quizzes, which will be covering
readings assigned for that class and previous readings for the section we are discussing. These are
essential to your success, since they gage your class preparation and comprehension. These
quizzes are also a significant portion of your final grade.
Poster Presentation (20%). During the course you will be divided into four to five groups and
will be assigned a topic for which you will need to prepare a presentation. The topics will follow
the material covered in class lectures and readings, and will require you to expand the material
covered with some current event examples and case studies. The poster session will be scheduled
during in-class during the last week of classes (February 9-11). I will outline the details of this
assignment on the first day of classes.
Final Exam (30%): The final exam will cover the material spanning the entire semester. This
cumulative exam is scheduled for: Thursday, February 12 between 8:00 - 10:45 am. This exam
will count for 30% of your final grade.
ACADEMIC POLICIES
Deadlines. You are expected to turn in the assignments at the beginning of the class and the
exam on the date specified above. Failure to meet the deadline for an assignment or an exam
does not entitle you a make up at a later time. In extraordinary cases and on a strict per case
basis I may facilitate a make-up opportunity. If you have an anticipated time conflict with any
of the scheduled exams or required in-class work, you must let me know by FIRST DAY OF
CLASS. For the University-wide academic deadlines such as Drop/Add time or course
withdrawal deadline, consult UGA academic calendar, which can be accessed at:
http://bulletin.uga.edu/bulletin/univ/calendar.html
Disability Arrangements: If you qualify for course adaptations or special accommodations
under the Americans With Disabilities Act, please contact the Disability Resource Center and
provide the appropriate documentation well before exam accommodations are made. If you
have already documented a disability or other condition through the DRC, which would
qualify you for special accommodations, or if you have emergency medical information or
special needs I should know about, please notify me in person on the first day of class,
January 9th. I am always available via email at sstojek@uga.edu or in person during office
appointments should any issues arise throughout the course.
Academic Honesty. As a University of Georgia student, you have agreed to abide by the
University’s academic honesty policy, A Culture of Honesty, and the Student Honor Code,
found at: http://www.uga.edu/honesty/ahpd/ACOH%20May%20%2707.pdf. All academic
work must meet the standards described in A Culture of Honesty. You will receive a failing
grade for the class if you are found cheating on examinations, plagiarizing the work of others,
attempting to turn in assignments used in previous classes, along with all other possible
infractions noted in the University’s policy on academic dishonesty. Lack of knowledge of
the academic honesty policy is not a reasonable explanation for a violation.
NOTA BENE:
Classroom Etiquette
The use of cell phones, iPods, iPads, or any other electronic devise will not be permitted during
class meetings. I will permit you a laptop ONLY to take notes and review online readings. There
will be times during our class when I will require that you not use your laptops. Please note that I
reserve the right to reverse this policy at any time.
Grade Appeals
If you believe your exams or assignments have been graded unfairly, you can appeal your grade
in written form. You have to hand in your appeal on the day after the assignment or exam was
returned. Comparisons to other students’ graded assignments will not be accepted for a
complaint. Hand in the original copy of the graded assignment/exam together with the written
appeal. I will reevaluate your grade in light of the argument that you made. However, the new
grade may be the same, higher, or lower than the original grade and it will be final.
Grade Scale:
COURSE SCHEDULE
Course schedule will be posted on course’s website 30 days in advance of the first class.