SOC-30042 - Module Specification
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

It is often said that we are living in an ‘age of migration'. In the UK and elsewhere, immigration remains at the centre of political debate. These debates are often infused with strong emotions and reflect polarised standpoints. This module will explore how migration affects emotions and identities. It will address the questions: What makes people migrate? What are the emotional aspects of migrating? And how do societies and communities respond and adapt to immigration? Whilst in certain contexts migrants have been welcomed, in others tensions and conflicts have been well-documented. The module will engage with competing perspectives with a view to understanding these tensions.
The module will consider the experience of different types of international migrant, for example: asylum seekers and refugees, unauthorized workers, lifestyle migrants and retirees, migrant workers and highly skilled migrants. Through a focus on selected case studies, the emotions and identities of migrants, citizens and residents are examined.

• To provide a sociological approach to understanding the relationships between migration, emotions and identity
• To enable students to apply migration theories and other relevant sociological concepts and theories to real world exemplars.
• To introduce and allow engagement with interdisciplinary research literature in migration studies.
• To consider policy debates on migration and the impact and implications of migration policies.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a range of theories on the relationship between migration, emotions and identity and communicate these effectively in written form.: 1
Display comprehension of interdisciplinary approaches to studies of migration.: 1
Apply independent and critical thinking to define and solve problems through the interpretation and evaluation of research.: 1
Apply conceptual knowledge from the literature to real world exemplars.: 1
Demonstrate knowledge of the contemporary social, political and economic contexts that may inform debates on migration and identity.: 1
Show how wider sociological knowledge and theory can inter-relate to debates on migration.: 1
Evaluate key aspects of theoretical and empirical research on migration and identify possible implications for social policies in this field.: 1

Study hours

Active learning hours include:
- 20 hours contact hours (10 x 1 hour weekly lectures; 10 x 1 hour weekly seminars);
- 2 hours of individual/group assessment consultation
- 40 hours of asynchronous online study activities set by the tutor (these include: engagement with key readings, note-taking, preparing seminar questions and debates, watching videos and engagement with news and other media reports)
Independent study hours:
88 hours assessment preparation

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment