Migration and Urban Education

Migration and Urban Education

Course number: EDST 129

Term: Fall 2022

Course Instructor: Gabrielle Oliveira

Why do people migrate? The world is witnessing an era of unprecedented human mobility, with the number of migrants worldwide reaching 281 million people in 2020. Half of all im/migrants are women, 36 million of them are children and almost 40% of global migration occurs between countries in the global South. This course examines migration and education in global urban contexts. Drawing on the anthropology and sociology of immigration, the course reviews major theories of immigrant incorporation and exclusion processes, examines case studies of im/migrants, refugees, and displaced persons and their adaptation processes in countries in the North and the South, and considers educational practices and policies that develop to address migration in diverse contexts. The course asks: (i) how cultural, social, political, and economic factors influence im/migrant incorporation; (ii) how immigrant families navigate newfound educational systems; and (iii) how educators can facilitate im/migrant students’ opportunities for learning through changes in policies, pedagogies, and curricula. In this course, students will consider the relationship between migration and development as they learn about the global phenomenon of migration and education. Students will read, watch, and hear from scholars and that have done research with migrant populations, but also hear from practitioners (teachers, educators, principals, and international organizations) about the challenges of implementing and executing policies in schools around the world. We will examine together how draconian, sweeping, exclusionary immigration policies affect children and families in schools around the world.