Learning objectives
The educational objectives concern theoretical and methodological dimensions.
The aim is the students' ability to explore the mobility as social, economic and cultural phenomena by an intersectional perspective, that is, being able to read migrations both as questions of social class and as questions related to colonialism and racialization.
About the methodological dimensions, the course aims to provide the first rudiments for a multidimensional analysis (micro and macro analysis) of social phenomena, using at the same time quantitative databases, ethnographic diaries, legal documents.
In this sense, the course also invite to participate students as 'people in mobility' (individual, family, generational) with the aim of helping them in re-elaborating the experience and the migratory background.
Prerequisites
No
Course unit content
The Sociological Legal Clinic aims to introduce the students to the multidisciplinary analysis of migratory processes as emblematic example of the evolution of the role of the Nation-State in the management of social conflicts and the global differences. The objects of debate are the border, the frontier, the cross-border solidarity, the detention condition of foreigners, the processes of inclusion and exclusion of asylum seekers. These questions will be analyzed maintaining attention to more general and transversal social theory contents inherent to symbolic, cultural, structural and institutional violence in the contemporary era and the way in which discrimination is structurally reiterated today.
The course aims to involve the students in open research fields, adopting a comprehensive strategy of analysis of research cases and providing students with elements of research methodology that can develop their own critical sense.
The course will be divided into 4 modules:
Module I: The first module of the Sociological-Legal Clinic will focus on the concept of structural violence, perspective and analytical approach that the rest of the course wants to have. The course aims to shed light on the role of national and international institutions in shaping contemporary mobility, within conflictual interactions with solidarity movements and self-organization of migrants themselves.
Module II: The second module of the Sociological-Legal Clinic will focus on the border space from a theoretical and methodological point of view. We will explore the multiple dimensions of borders in the contemporary world, starting from their historical evolution up to the current challenges of global mobility.
Module III: The third module of the clinic will delve into the connections between migratory experience, recognition of rights and sexual identity. In fact, there are an increasing number of people belonging to the LGBTQ community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer) who arrive in Italy and apply for international protection.
Module IV: The fourth module will explore the issue of detention of migrants, with specific reference to the case of the crime of aiding and abetting irregular migration.
Full programme
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Bibliography
The study materials will be uploaded after each lesson and will essentially be scientific essays on the topics covered, for a total of approximately 12 essays (3 essays per module).
Teaching methods
The Course is characterized by an innovative teaching approach:
part of the lessons will be traditional, aimed at transmitting some theoretical concepts and some basic methodological knowledge;
part of lessons will be linked to the presence of people on the move: the so-called 'open lessons' with the presence of volunteers, NGO activists and migrants;
part of the lessons will be held in 'field', laboratories located in spaces, where migratory phenomena take shape (methods and times of these laboratories will be agreed with the students). To carry out these laboratories, the Clinic has started a formal collaboration with numerous ONGs including:
Ciac onlus;
Mediterranea Human Saving;
ASGI (Associazione Studi Giuridici Immigrazione);
IrpiMedia;
MSF Medicine sans Frontières.
Assessment methods and criteria
The exam includes:
- The development of a research paper produced by the student
- The study of essays uploaded to Elly
Other information
The Clinical Sociology and Legal Course extends a special invitation to students who wish to ‘work’ (understand, elaborate, thinking) on their own migratory background (from the South to the North of Italy, from the South to the North of the world, from the East to the West of everywhere, ...).
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
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