UNDERGRADUATE SEMINAR ON IMMIGRATION AND POLITICS IN

WESTERN EUROPE

 

V42.0300                                                                    Fall, 2000

V53.0595

Ann Snoeyenbos                                                          Martin A. Schain

Librarian for West European                                         Professor of Politics

and Social Studies                                                        Office: 58 W. 10th St. (CES)

Bobst, Rm. 610                                                            Office Hrs: Wed 1:00-2:30

998-2609                                                                     998 3838 (CES)/9988531(Politics) 

e-mail: ann.snoeyenbos@nyu.edu                                  e-mail: ms5@is.nyu.edu

 

            The purpose of this course is to train undergraduates who are interested in European studies in approaches to research, and in the sources and uses of research materials on Europe.  The theme "Immigration and Immigrants in Western Europe" will provide the framework around which the readings and discussion will center.  Focusing on a common theme will help reveal the range of research questions and strategies pursued by scholars from diverse disciplines in the social sciences and humanities while also allowing for substantive exploration of an issue that has become central to social relations and political competition in contemporary Western Europe.  This focus will provide us with abundant material that is both cross-disciplinary and comparative.   Class-time will be divided between the discussion of assigned readings intended to introduce interesting methodological and substantive examples of research on a series of subjects within the literature on immigrants and the introduction of library resources available to help conduct such research. 

 

            In this seminar we will explore immigration and patterns of immigrant incorporation in Western Europe. Since the early 1960s immigration has transformed European countries into a multi-racial and multi-ethnic societies.  We will first explore how public policy contributed to this transformation, how it was structured by different concepts, traditions and laws on citizenship, and how it was related to transformation of the party system and the emergence of the extreme right in Western Europe. We will then analyze the impact of this transformation on attempts by European states first to maintain control of their frontiers, and then to incorporate immigrants into the national community.  Finally, we will analyze the emergence of "identity politics" in Western Europe.  We will explore the impact of immigration on a wide range of public policies, as well as society and identity.

   

Course Requirements         

 

            Students are expected to cover all assigned readings in advance of class and be prepared to discuss them during the seminar.  For Weeks II,V,VII,VIII,IX,X,XII two students will be responsible for acting as discussion-leaders.  By the Monday before each of these classes each member of the seminar must transmit to each of the discussion-leaders via e-mail/news-group their reactions, comments and questions about the reading. The essayshould also relate these comments to the student's own research interests.  Each student should focus on one or two articles and/or book-chapters, and post their comments and reviews on the newsgroup site. Each essay should be about 500 words (two double-spaced pages).  Each essay will be worth 15 points, and the total number of points will become part of each student's grade at the end of the semester.  The discussion-leaders will then be responsible for synthesizing, summarizing and presenting these comments around the following questions:

 

(a) What is/are the central question(s) addressed by the authors? 

(b) What, if any, hypotheses are explored in this research?  

(c) What are the main argument(s) developed by the authors?  

(d) On the basis of what kinds of research and evidence have the authors developed their studies?   (e) What do you see as the strengths and shortcomings of this research?

(f) What conclusions would you reach about the subject for this week on the basis of these studies.

            

            The principal requirement of this course will be a research paper due on Wednesday, December 20th.  A two-page outline of the research paper must be submitted to the instructorsby October 4th.  Papers (20-25 pages in length including bibliography and footnotes ) willbe evaluated in terms of 1) the research question(s) posed; 2) the relationship between the research question and the research process; 3) evidence of the research process as demonstrated through the literature review, bibliography, and notes (MLA citation style; and 4) the insights produced by the entire process.         

 

            The final grade will be based on the final research paper (70%) and on written comments reported on the newsgroup site, as well as on class discussion. (30%).   

 

Outline of the Semester  

(*AFC is on the second floor of Bobst/ ERC is on the B level computer center of Bobst.)

 

I. September 6  Schain and Snoeyenbos        

 

Welcome, Introduction  

 

II. September 13  Schain     

Formulating research questions on immigration and the transformation of West European politics:  migration and incorporation  how the issues have been formulated.

 

Readings:     

>Leedy and Ormrod, Practical Research, 7th Edition, Chs. 1-3.     

>Baily, "Cross-Cultural Comparison and the Writings of Migration History: Some Thoughts on How to Study Italians in the New World".     

>Rogers, "Post-World War II European Labor Migration: An Introduction to the Issues" 

>Joppke, Immigration Challenges to the Nation-State, in Joppke, Challenge to the Nation-State, Chapter 1.

>Schain, review of Joppke, Challenge to the Nation-State.

>Hargreaves, Immigration, 'Race' and Ethnicity in Contemporary France, Ch. 1.

 

III. September 20 Snoeyenbos (Bobst: AFC West*)

Questions of researchable topics -- how to choose/develop a suitable topic -- and introduction to research methods           

 

>Introduction to library research:  BobCat, Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), introduction to print periodical indexes, primary vs secondary sources     

>Introduction to electronic library research:  RLIN bibliographic file and citation databases, CD-ROM searching    

 

IV.  September 27  Snoeyenbos (Bobst: AFC Seminar Room)

Introduction to electronic library research:  CD-ROM, RLIN, DIALOG training

 

V.  October 4  Schain (Outline due)

Analyzing the problem and refining the question: Why are there changing patterns of migration?   

 

Readings:     

>Leedy and Ormrod, Ch. 4.

>Tilly, "Migration in Modern European History"     

>Moch, Moving Europeans, ch. 1; chs. 4-5 (excerpts)     

>Noiriel, "Difficulties in French Historical Research on Immigration" in Horowitz and Noiriel, Immigrants in Two Democracies      

>Miles and Kay, "The Politics of Immigration to Britain: East-West Migrations in the Twentieth Century," in Baldwin-Edwards and Schain, The Politics of Immigration in WesternEurope

>Jeannette Money, Fences and Neighbors, Chs. 1 and 2.

>Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism, pp.9-21

>Zolberg, Contemporary Transnational Migrations in Historical Perspective, in Mary Kritz, editor, US Immigration and Refugee Policy.

 

VI.  October 11 Snoeyenbos (Bobst: ERC Room*)

Scholarly research on the Internet.    

 

VII. October 18 Schain  (Preliminary bibliography due, not less than 20 items)        

The Politics of Migration and research design: Interpreting the role of the state, patterns of immigrant integration and the political impact of immigration

 

Readings:

>Leedy and Ormrod, Ch. 5 and 6.

>Fuchs, American Kaleidoscope, Introduction and Chs. 1-3.

>Hargreaves, Chapter 5.     

>Katznelson, Black Men, White Cities, chs. 1 & 3 (excerpts), chs. 8,9, 11     

>Miller, "The Political Impact of Foreign Labor: A Re-evaluation of the Western European Experience"     

>Body-Gendrot and Schain, "National and Local Politics and the Development of Immigration Policy in the United States and France," In Horowitz and Noiriel.     

>Zolberg, Matters of State: Theorizing Immigration Policy

 

VIII. October 25  Snoeyenbos (Bobst: ERC Room)

 

A. Documents:  US, UN, IGO/NGO, EU--visit to NYU Law Library  

B. Research within the disciplines:  History and Politics--all formats, History vs Politics

 

IX.  November 1 Schain     [re-do this]

Analyzing the impact of immigration quantitative methodologies: Racism, anti-racism andRacialization of the Immigration Issue

 

Readings:

>Leedy and Ormrod, Chs. 9-11    

>Money, Fences and Neighbors..., Chs. 4 and 5

>Nelkin and Michaels, Biological Categories and Border Controls: The Revival of Eugenics in Anti-Immigration Rhetoric   

>Kincheloe, Steinberg and Gresson III, Measured Lies: The Bell Curve Examined, Chs. 1, 16and17

>Lamont, The Rhetorics of Racism and Anti-Racism in France and the United States    

 

X.  November 8 Schain 

Immigration and multiculturalism: a Focus on qualitative methodologies

 

Readings:      

>Leedy and Ormrod, Chs. 7 and 8.

>Adrian Favell, How can we be European?  Multicultural questions in transatlantic perspective

>Huntington, The Erosion of American National Interests, Foreign Affairs, October, 1997

>Schain, The Politics of Multiculturalism in France and the United States      

>Sassen, The de facto Transnationalizing of Immigration Policy, in  Joppke, Challenge tothe Nation-State, Ch. 2 

>Hollifield, Immigrants, Markets, and States, Ch. 2.

 

 

XI.  November 15 Schain and Snoeyenbos (Bobst: AFC Seminar Room)      

A. Immigration and the rise of the Extreme Right in Western Europe: What can we conclude from scholarly work.

 

Reading:

> Leedy and Ormrod, Ch. 12.

>Schain, Zolberg and Hossay, "The Radical Right in Western Europe: A Framework Essay"

>Kitschelt, The Radical Right in Western Europe, Ch. 1.

>Schain, "The Immigration Debate and the National Front," in Keeler and Schain, Chirac'sChallenge

>Schain, Review of Kitschelt The Radical Right in Western Europe in Comparative Political Studies, June, 1997

>Betz, Radical Right-Wing Populism in Western Europe, Chs. 1,3,6.

>Minkenberg, The New Right in Comparative Perspecive: the USA and Germany, Chs. II andIV.

>Judt, The Social Question Redivivus, Foreign Affairs, September-October, 1997

 

B.  Doing research on the extreme right --history and politics 

 

XII.  November 22  Special Luncheon Meeting Schain and Snoeyenbos

 

A. Immigration and new understandings of Citizenship

 

Readings:     

>Soysal, Limits of Citizenship, Chs 8 and 9.

>Brubaker, Citizenship and Nationhood in France and Germany, Introduction and Conclusion.

>Feldman, Reconfiguring Citizenship in Western Europe in Joppke, Challenge to theNation-State, Ch. 7.

>Schuck, The Re-Evaluation of American Citizenship,in Joppke, Challenge to the Nation-State, Ch. 6.

 

B. Anthropology and Religion resources--all formats 

 

XIII.  November 29 Schain and Snoeyenbos

Presentations:  Students will present first drafts of their research paper to the group for discussion and commentary. Copies of the paper should be made available to everyone by Monday morning.

      

XIV.  December 6 Schain and Snoeyenbos       

Presentations:  Students will present first drafts of their research paper to the group for discussion and commentary. Copies of the paper should be made available to everyone by Monday morning. 

 

XV.  December 13 Schain and Snoeyenbos

Presentations:  Students will present first drafts of their research paper to the group for discussion and commentary. Copies of the paper should be made available to everyone by Monday morning.

 

December 20 (Wednesday)  Papers are due!!!