ANTH/INTL 308  (DC 8)
Migration and Human Adaptation
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Spring 2010
KH 115
Instructor: Dr. Bruce Roberts
Department of Anthropology and Earth Science
Office: KH 213; Telephone: 477-2043
Office hours: M 3-5PM; T 12-1PM; W 9AM-1PM, 3-5PM ; TH 12-1PM

E mail: robertsb@mnstate.edu; Class web site http://web.mnstate.edu/robertsb/308

Humans have been moving since ancestral species first left Africa between 1 and 2 million years ago. Nevertheless, the rate and scale of migration today is unparalleled in human history. In this course we will examine why people move, why they go where they go as well as the consequences of these movements. Our emphasis will be on contemporary migration in today’s world. We’ll examine migration as an adaptive strategy that people use in adjusting to changing conditions in their environment. Movement entails adjustment and numerous aspects of peoples’ lives change as a result: lifestyles, livelihoods, habitation modes, foodstuffs, clothing and dress, education, family life, etc. Collectively these traits constitute what anthropologists call culture. Some movement is voluntary but much of it is not. We’ll look at both voluntary and involuntary movement and consider how they differentially affect the people involved: women and men, children and adults, migrants and hosts. Case studies based upon ethnographic research – the hallmark of cultural anthropology – will be utilized.  

To reiterate, we’ll attempt to objectively understand the causes and consequences of human migration rather than perfunctorily viewing it as a problem per se. This will not be a course about “illegal immigration” nor will I permit it to be used as a forum for promoting anti-immigration rhetoric or prose.

This course falls under Dragon Core Category 8: Global Perspective.

Goals of Category 8 courses are:

• To increase students’ understanding and appreciation of the world’s nations and peoples.
• To increase understanding of the interconnectedness of the economic, social, political, cultural, artistic, and environmental systems at the global, regional, and local levels.
• To obviate fear generated by the unknown, and to increase the ability to function in a globalized world.

Student Competencies: after this course MSUM students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of our universal human concerns.

• Demonstrate how human security* relates to the global context.

• Explain globalization and how it links and affects the local, regional, and international levels of society as well as the mechanisms and norms of global cooperation.

•  Discuss global perspectives and world views by giving attention to the perceptions of peoples of various regions of the world as well as difference stemming from cultures, arts, ideologies, and institutions.

Texts

Cohen, Jeffrey H.
2004    The Culture of Migration in Southern Mexico. Austin: University of Texas Press.

George, Mariam Sheba
2005    When Women Come First: Gender and Class in Transnational Migration. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Trager, Lillian ed.
2005    Migration and Economy: Global and Local Dynamics. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, Society for Economic Anthropology.

Additional readings will be found below. They will be hyperlinked to the online copy of this syllabus, to be found on the class webpage http://web.mnstate.edu/robertsb/308.  

Some of the Topics We May Examine Include:

• Rural to urban migration – a phenomenon that has been ongoing for thousands of years but today is taking place at unparalleled rates. Why?
• Remittances – money that gets sent back home by migrants. How much gets sent back home and to whom? What impact do remittances have on host and home countries?    
• Involuntary or forced migration – what are the different circumstances of refugees, internally displaced peoples (IDPs), and oustees? Are there patterns to the ways people move in this type of migration?
• Transnationalism – what is meant by this term? Why is it so significant in today’s world? What challenges does it present to a field like anthropology, which has traditionally been based upon the study of relatively well bounded locales?
• Gender and migration – how does the migration process differentially affect women and men? Are there different motivations for men and women to move?
• Internal voluntary migration – what kinds of circumstances encourage the internal movement of peoples? What are some examples?
• Return migration – the phenomenon that occurs when people go back to their country of origin. What are some of the reasons for this and what are some of the issues that confront these returnees?
• International Relief Agencies and Governments – what are their roles in the migration process, especially with regard to refugees/internally displaced peoples?  
• Retirement migration – people who decide to move overseas after retirement. Why do they do this? How do they adapt to their new places of residence? How are they received by locals in their destination countries?

 Evaluation

Attendance/discussion: Whether or not to come to class is your decision. However, it is certainly true that attendance correlates positively with grades. Attendance and participation in class discussions based on the readings may constitute a critical but intangible component of your final grade. I will informally monitor attendance and participation and in the end that could mean the difference for you.  

Critical book reviews: For each of the two ethnographies for this course you’ll write a critical book review of approximately 5-7 double-spaced pages. Each of these reviews will be worth 40 points. The first one on Cohen's Culture of Migration in Southern Mexico is due the day of the midterm, March 10th. The second one on George's book When Women Come First is due on the last day of class, May 3rd. Late reviews will be penalized 5 points per half day late. Together these reviews will constitute 18% of your final grade. I will provide you with guidelines soon but meanwhile if you’re unsure how this should be done visit the University of Wisconsin Writing Center webpage  or the webpage for the University of Alberta Libraries

Pop Quizzes: There will be 6 pop quizzes throughout the semester administered at my discretion. Each will be worth 20 points. They are designed to provide you with a tangible incentive to stay current on the readings. I also view them as a proxy for taking attendance. They will be either short-answer or objective (multiple choice, true-false, matching) format. Combined these quizzes will constitute approximately 27% of your final grade.

Exams: There will be a 100 point midterm and a cumulative 150 point final exam. Both will be comprised of a combination of objective questions (multiple-choice, true-false) as well as short answer and essay. The midterm will constitute 22% of your grade and the final exam will comprise 33% of your final grade. 

Extra Credit:  None. Very simply, I do not believe in it and do not give it. If you follow the instructions on this syllabus you will be fine.  If you wait until the end of the semester to figure out that you're not doing well, by then it will be too late. I believe rewards should accrue to those who work hard throughout the semester and attend class consistently.

Students with disabilities who believe they may need an accommodation in this class are encouraged to contact Greg Toutges, Coordinator of Disability Services at 477-5959 (Voice) or 1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY), CMU 114 as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.  

Summary of Evaluation Criteria

Grading Scheme

Schedule of Topics and Reading Assignments