International Relations from Below

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/L_GWBAGES303

Course Objective

After completion of this course, you are able to:Understand key historical and anthropological theories and analytical concepts in the study of migration, diaspora and transnational relations and apply these concepts and theories to ethnographic and historical case studies.Understand and analyze social relations and political organization in spaces of ambiguous sovereignty in modern and contemporary history.Critically reflect on interdisciplinarity in the study of migration, diaspora and transnational relations.

Course Content

International relations are usually studied from a top-down perspective. This advanced, interdisciplinary course develops a bottom-up historical perspective on both the agents of international interactions (migrants and diaspora) and the places where migration and diaspora have rendered state sovereignties ambiguous and complex. Each week, we address one way in which we can study international relations, migration, diaspora and spaces of ambiguous sovereignty from a historical and anthropological perspective. We look at old and new methods, theories and source materials in this field. The course covers modern and contemporary history and is arranged around different themes including: travels, people, objects, places, ideas, voices and sounds.

Teaching Methods

Seminars, in total 2 to 4 contact hours per week.

Method of Assessment

Class participationWritten exam

Literature

The full reading list will be made available to students at the start of the course.

Target Audience

This is a mandatory course for BA 2 students History and International Studies. Other students from the Humanities and Social Sciences are welcome to join, but must have completed all of their first year courses and should contact the coordinator first in order to be admitted to the course.

Entry Requirements

Students must have successfully completed their first year of study.

Recommended background knowledge

Students should have successfully completed all first-year coursework.

Explanation Canvas

Teaching materials, including handouts and powerpoints, will be made available online on Canvas after each seminar. The literature used is available from the university library in digital format.