Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course is designed to familiarize students with the main theoretical debates, analytical approaches, and empirical research in the sociological study of international migration. It provides a sociological understanding of historical and contemporary patterns of migration across time, space and place. Students will learn how sociological research tackles aspects such as: migration trends; the motivations and consequences of migration for individuals, families, communities, and societies; the drivers behind continuity and change in migration management; the complexity of migrant rights recognition at different levels; processes and social mechanisms of inclusion/exclusion in origin and residence countries; public attitudes towards migration in diverse societies. Students attending this course will also engage in discussions linking migration to other key concepts including ethnicity, inequalities, racism, (post)colonialism, identities, and social relations.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
This course is designed to help students acquire the following skills:
- Read and discuss scientific literature related to key sociological theories, concepts, analytical and empirical approaches regarding human mobility
- Develop and articulate a critical discourse regarding the link between migration and social processes, institutions and experiences;
- Conduct a literature review that puts in dialogue different scientific perspectives on the same research topic;
- Collect and analyse empirical material through a combination of data sources;
- Academic writing;
- Planning and time management;
- Working independently and as part of a team.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
The course is taught in English. Students are expected to have a good understanding of the language.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course combines lectures and in-class exercises that require students' active participation with activities done at home (preparatory readings, a Critical News Analysis, a research paper). It is essential that students attend the lectures and complete the requirements on a timely basis.
Before lectures, students are expected to:
- Use the list of course readings posted on MyULiege "Support de cours" to prepare for class discussions and for Critical Reading Debates
- Participate actively in class discussions and Critical Reading Debates;
- Submit and present a Critical News Analysis (task not applicable for students enrolled in programmes for which this course counts with 5 ECTS);
- Work in groups to submit and orally present a research paper.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
Face-to-face: The course is interactive and requires the active engagement of students in class discussions. Some lectures also count with the participation of external guests. They may also be given in a hybrid mode or fully online via video-conference, depending on the lecturer's instructions.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- MyULiège
Further information:
The course material will be put on MyUliege under "Support de cours". Students will receive more information regarding the list of preparatory readings during the first course sessions.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
oral exam
- Remote
written exam
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Further information:
The evaluation is based on three elements:
1) Preparatory readings and Critical Reading Debates (4 points, worth 20% of the final grade)
Students will receive a list of readings to help them prepare for the various topics discussed in class. During the semester, they will also work in groups to prepare and lead Critical Reading Debates in class, based on the arguments, evidence, and perspectives raised in specific publications from the reading list. Each group will prepare and lead one Critical Reading Debate, and all students are expected to participate actively in the debates. Further guidelines and the debate schedule will be provided in class.
2) Active participation and Critical News Analysis (6 points, worth 30% of the final grade)
Students are expected to use the preparatory readings to actively participate in class discussions. Throughout the semester, each student (except for students enrolled in programmes for which this course counts for 5 ECTS, for which this assignment does not apply) is also expected to write and oraly present in class a short Critical News Analysis (of approximately 750-1,000 words) of a recent news article of their choice linked to the course topics. Students should critically interpret the news article in light of the sociological approaches discussed during the course and to outline their position regarding the information/arguments presented in that article. Further guidelines and the schedule of Critical News Analyses will be provided in class.
3) Group work for submission and oral presentation of a research paper (10 points, worth 50% of the final grade)
During the semester, students are expected to work in groups to deliver and orally present a paper of approximately 4,000 words (excluding front page, references, footnotes, bibliography, annexes, etc.) on the sociological profile of one or several migrant communities of their choice. The decisions regarding the composition of groups and the communities to be analysed by each group will be done in consultation with the lecturer. The papers shall comprise a conceptual and theoretical discussion based on the literature review, and an empirical analysis of the selected migrant communities based on material that students will gather throughout the semester under lecturer's guidance. The submission and presentation of research papers shall be done during the exam period. Further guidelines will be provided during the first lecture.
Second session (Resitting the exam) (20 points, worth 100% of the final grade): Students are expected to work individually (rather than working in groups) to submit and orally present a research paper on the sociological profile of one or several migrant communities of their choice (the decision regarding the specific topic and communities should be done in consultation with the lecturer). The paper should be of approximately 4.000 words, except for students enrolled in programmes in which this course counts for 5 ECTS for which the length of the paper should be of approximately 3,000 words (in all cases, the word limit excludes the front page, references, footnotes, bibliography, annexes, etc.). The specific guidelines and deadlines for the paper submission and presentation for the second session will be set after the first exam session.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Students interested in this course (and for which this is an optional course in their program) must obtain prior authorization from Dr. Vintila before enrolling in this course. Any student who does not obtain such authorization before registration will not be allowed to take this course.
The course starts on 17/09/2026. There is no preparatory reading before the first class. If the number of students registered for this class is too limited, the lectures could be replaced by a series of face-to-face meetings with the lecturer. Lectures may also be given in a hybrid mode or fully online via video-conference, depending on the lecturer's instructions.
Keeping yourself informed: This course is also concerned with recent developments regarding in the field of international migration, for which following news coverage on this topic is strongly encouraged.
Contacts
Lecturer: Dr Daniela Vintila (Daniela.Vintila@uliege.be)
Association of one or more MOOCs
The MOOC entitled 'Migrations internationales : Comment les mobilités transforment les sociétés ? (H2)' is associated with this course.