UMass Boston

Immigration Politics in Comparative Perspective

Course #: POLSCI 368, Class #: 4928, Section #: 01

Description

This class explores how and why migration occurs and what political consequences it has for the host countries and for the countries that immigrants leave behind. It explores how states attempt to manage immigration flows, which range from human rights abuses to direct encouragement. The class will also analyze theories explaining anti-immigrant attitudes, the reasons behind open or restrictive migration policies throughout the developed world and why these can lead to human rights abuses. In addition, the class considers the impact that host countries have on migrants' political attitudes and on issues on assimilation both social and economic. The emphasis will be on migration flows moving to Europe and the United States, but will also include, to a lesser extent, Australia, Japan and Latin America.