57117 Cross-Border Theory and History

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences: Social Inquiry
Credit points: 8 cp
Result Type: Grade, no marks

Handbook description

This subject allows students to gain an overview of the major theoretical approaches relevant to the analysis of borders and of social, political, economic and cultural interactions in relation to borders. It focuses on colonial and post-colonial construction and imposition of borders, the emergence of the nation state as a normative form of political organisation, the histories of the cultural, social and political defence of national borders, including those erected internally to deal with indigenous colonised peoples, the histories of major movements of peoples across borders and the circumstances of people located by chance or force 'outside' borders. Students develop skills in evaluating theoretical approaches and in comparative research and critical analysis of literature in international and contested histories.

Subject objectives/outcomes

At the completion of this subject, students should be able to:

Identify and evaluate the major theoretical tools used in the analysis of borders creation, disputes associated with borders and major movements of populations across borders.
Research and analyse comparative data on the histories of border issues in several different locations.
Identify major strengths and weaknesses of major aid programs and agencies.
Strengthen their skills in written analysis and verbal presentation in relation to cross border studies.

Contribution to graduate profile

This subject will allow students to deepen their knowledge of the broad theoretical approaches to border conceptualisation, creation, defence and challenge. Students will become better equipped to undertake comparative analysis of border histories, experiences and disputes in specific locations, allowing better informed evaluation of intervention efforts like those of NGOs and intergovernmental aid agencies in border conflicts and movements of populations across borders. Students graduating from this subject will have increased their competencies in border and migration research, evaluation and policy analysis, contributing to a potential to play effective roles in international and NGO policy development and implementation, and in advocacy in relation to border conflicts and refugee needs.

Teaching and learning strategies

Lectures, seminars, online asynchronous discussions, writing on both theoretical topics in minor essay, and on broader topics, more intensively researched and synthesised into a major essay.

Content

Weeks 1 to 6: lectures and staff led discussions with students reading (alternative weeks could be online discussions).

Week 1: Introductory history of major population movements since 1500 and major causative factors.

Week 2: Nationalism, the establishment of borders and the challenges to them.

Weeks 3. 4 and 5: Theoretical approaches used in sociology, law, economics and place studies (geography, anthropology, history) to analyse processes of border creation, experience of living on them, and cross-border movements and outcomes.

Week 6: Diasporic identities and politics.

Weeks 7 to 13 are student-led seminars on different catalysts of border creation, border challenge and population movement which demand complex, cross-disciplinary analysis. Both historical and contemporary dimensions to be addressed.

Weeks 7, 8 and 9: Partition - histories of colonialism and neo-colonialism, analysis of religious identification and politicisation, gender analysis, representation, memory and history. Comparative case studies: India/Pakistan, North/South Korea, Bosnia/Serbia, Israel/Palestine, Eire/Northern Ireland.

Weeks 10 and 11: Environmental crises and famine: politics of food and distribution and global environmental change: comparative case studies: Ireland 1840s, Bangladesh, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Weeks 12 and 13: Global economies: 'guest workers' including Filipinas in Saudi Arabia, Turkish workers in Germany, Palestinians in Israel, Ugandan 'Asians' in UK, etc, Sex workers (Thai etc) in Australia.

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Minor essay on theoretical approaches

Objectives	Grasp central elements of one theoretical approach relevant to the study of borders and population movement, and apply it to contemporary or historical cross border situations.
Value	20%
Due	Week 6
Word limit	2,000 words
Task	Write a paper evaluating one of the theoretical approaches discussed in Weeks 1-4, using case studies to support your arguments.
Assessment criteria	depth of reading demonstration of grasp of theoretical approach, quality of critical analysis of readings writing style and quality.

Assessment item 2: Online discussion

Objectives	Develop skills in fostering and engaging in constructive discussion on key issues of the subject.
Value	20%
Word limit	500 words per contribution
Task	Participate on the online Discussion Board in at least 5 weeks, and facilitate one week's discussion.
Assessment criteria	breadth of reading demonstrate understanding of principles of succinct expression in online media communication demonstrate insight and competence in fostering discussion and constructive feedback among peers.

Assessment item 3: Class presentations

Objectives	Develop skills in verbally presenting concepts and case studies clearly and succinctly.
Value	20%
Task	Two class presentations Based on weekly topics (Weeks 2-12) Report on major research essay (Week 13)
Assessment criteria	demonstration of active engagement with academic literature demonstration of capacity to engage thoughtfully with other students clear and succinct verbal presentation clear and succinct presentation of your own research.

Assessment item 4: Major research essay

Objectives	extend research skills strengthen critical analysis and comparative analysis skills plan and produce formal written scholarly essay.
Value	40%
Due	Week 14
Word limit	3,500 words
Task	Develop and write a research essay based on any of the topics of Weeks 5-12.
Assessment criteria	depth of research quality of critical analysis synthesis of research materials planning and structure of argument.

Minimum requirements

Satisfactory completion of all assignment tasks, participation in the majority of lectures and classes.

Indicative references

Anderson J. and O'Dowd L. 1999: 'Contested Borders: Globalization and Ethnonational Conflict in Ireland'

Regional Studies: The Journal of the Regional Studies Association 1 October 1999, vol. 33, no. 7, pp. 681-696(16)

Anderson, J. and Goodman, J 1998: Dis/Agreeing Ireland, Pluto Press.

Castles, S. and M. Miller (1993) The Age of Migration, London: Macmillan.

Constable, N. (1997) Maid to Order in Hong Kong: Stories of Filipina Workers, Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

DuBois, Laurent 2000: 'La Republique Metissee: Citizenship, Colonialism and the Borders of French History' in Cultural Studies 14(1), 15-34. PDF [re the Caribbean].

Espin, O. M. (1999) Women Crossing Boundaries: A Psychology of Immigration and Transformations of Sexuality, New York: Routledge.

Hasan, Mushirul [ed] 2000: Inventing boundaries : gender, politics and the partition of India, New Delhi ; Oxford : Oxford University Press.

Healy, E. and B. Birrell (2003) 'Metropolis divided: the political dynamic of spatial inequality and migrant settlement in Sydney', People and Place, 11(2), pp 65-85.

Hondagneu-Sotelo, P. (1996) Gendered Transitions: Mexican Experiences of Immigration, Berkeley: University of California Press.

Howitt, R 2001: 'Frontiers, Borders, Edges: Liminal Challenges to the Hegemony of Exclusion', Australian Geographical Studies, July 2001, 39 (2) 233-245

Hughes, David Macdermott, 1999, 'Refugees and Squatters: Immigration and the politics of territory on the Zimbabwe-Mozambique Border' , Journal of Southern African Studies, 25 (4) pp 533-552

McBride, S. (2000) 'Policy from what? Neoliberal and human-capital theoretical foundations of recent Canadian labour-market policy', in Restructuring and Resistance: Canadian Public Policy in an Age of Global Capitalism, M. Burke, C. Mowers and J. Shields (eds), Halifax: Fernwood, pp 159-177.

'Border disputes - The costs of petty nationalism.' 2000The Economist (US) August, v356 i8184, p32

Mohamed J. 2002: ']Imperial Policies and Nationalism in The Decolonization of Somaliland, 1954–1960' English Historical Review November 2002, vol. 117, no. 474, pp. 1177-1203(27) .doc [Africa/Somaliland]

Pedraza, S. (1991) 'Women and Migration: The Social Consequences of Gender', Annual Review of Sociology, 17, pp 303-325.

Richardson, S., L. Miller-Lewis, P. Ngo and D. Illsley (2002) The Settlement Experiences of New Migrants: A Comparison of Wave One of LSIA 1 and LSIA 2, report prepared for the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, Commonwealth of Australia.

Teicher, J., C. Shah and G. Griffin (2002) 'Australian Immigration: The triumph of economics over prejudice?' International Journal of Manpower, 23(3), pp 209-236.

VandenHeuvel, A. and M. Wooden (1999) New settlers have their say: How immigrants fare over the early years of settlement: an analysis of data from the three waves of the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia, Canberra: Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs.