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SOC30360

Academic Year 2025/2026

Sociology of Migration, Race and Ethnicity (SOC30360)

Subject:
Sociology
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Sociology
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Ana Ivasiuc
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Migration is at the forefront of contemporary debates globally, and has been a centre piece of electoral and political discourses in the Global North since the 1990s. From the so-called “migration crisis” of 2015 in Europe to the Brexit debates on keeping migrants out and to the current anti-immigrant mobilisations in Ireland, the UK, the USA, and elsewhere, migration remains a contentious issue. Often entangled with racism, discourses on migration show us how societies categorise themselves and others, and how they deal with otherness through policies and dynamics of inclusion and exclusion. In this module, we will learn to disentangle the terms used in public, media, and political discourses on migration and race by using concepts and theories from the sociology of migration and race.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

The course will enable students:

· To understand the sociological perspective on migration and race-related concepts

· To describe and summarise sociological theories on migration & race

· To critically assess migration policies and apparatuses in various contexts

· To engage critically with contemporary debates on migration, racism, and connected concepts

Indicative Module Content:

Early theories of migration
Assimilation, integration, acculturation as contested concepts
Chicago School, Georg Simmel (the Stranger), Norbert Elias (the Established and the Outsiders)
Inclusion, (super)diversity, and the “multiculti” melting pot
Social inequality and the politics of multiculturalism
Politics and policies
Legal categories of migration (refugee, asylum, illegal migrant, etc.)
The governance of migration in Ireland and the EU
Colonialism and the birth of “race”
The history of “race” as a concept and as a political tool
Slavery & race
Whiteness
Critical Race Theory
Racism, neoracism, racialization
Case studies on contemporary forms of racism: antigypsyism / anti-Traveller racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia
Migration, race, class, and gender
Migration, race, and violence
Resisting borders, resisting racism
The autonomy of migration theory
Migrant activism & the no-border movement
Anti-racism activism

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

22
Autonomous Student Learning

103
Total

125

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Lectures; reflecting learning; report writing; case-based learning; critical writing.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
SOC30200 - Sociology of Migration, SOC30340 - Race and Ethnicity


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Reflective Assignment: Students choose one:
Learning diary submitted weekly
Critical commentary on EPIC museum
Annotated Interview with person with migration/racism experience
Annotated Music playlist on migration &race		 Week 12 Graded Yes
100
 Yes

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Individual feedback and grade will be provided on Brightspace for individual assignments. Collective feedback will be provided in class after the first round of learning diaries. Additional feedback will be provided in person during office hours if requested by the student.

Name Role
Ms Deirdre Brophy Tutor

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Tues 15:00 - 16:50
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