Migrations and Multiculturalism

To introduce students to the historical, sociological and anthropological aspects of migration and intercultural relations in the contexts of (European) nation states - with a stronger focus on Slovenia and Slovenians. Particular emphasis will be placed on the preservation, intertwining and transformation of ethnic/cultural identities and traditions in migration and the multicultural contexts at the individual, group and community levels. The lectures will be based on authentic material, primary literature and the results of the lecturer’s own empirical research. In addition, students will be introduced to current theoretical approaches and methodologies in migration and intercultural studies that will equip them for proficient research in this field. The interdisciplinary design of the course provides comprehensive insight into the field of migration and intercultural studies.

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There is no country in the world today that is culturally or ethnically homogeneous. The political relations that have created this image date back to the emergence of nation states. The situation of multiculturalism, migration and intercultural relations is further complicated by migrations and borders. This course will focus on the heterogeneity described above. The topics covered can be systematically grouped into the following strands:
Introductory elaboration of the categorial apparatus, problematization and justification of basic concepts. 1.1.1 An elaboration of different research methodologies and their scope, presentation of basic research findings relevant to the study of intercultural relations and migration today.
Anthropological - sociological aspects of intercultural relations and migration: comparative consideration of the formation of ethnic identity and its manifestations in everyday life in the first and all subsequent generations of emigrants across different continents, periods of immigration, return (problems of adaptation to the environment of origin) and placement in different contexts across all segments of social science analysis;
Historical outline of migration with emphasis on emigration from Slovenia and immigration to Slovenia: Definition of migration (theoretical aspect) and review of sources and literature; legal aspects (emigration and immigration legislation); demographic aspects of migration; analysis of gender, age, educational, occupational composition of emigrants; geographical aspects of emigration (directions of emigration); the causes and consequences of emigration; the attitude of the place of origin (authorities, church, thinking individuals) towards emigration; the human and social situation of immigrants in their new environment; the organisation of life in their new environment (social organisation, publishing activity, emigrant education, etc.); the contribution of Slovenians to their new environment (in the fields of work, culture, science, etc.); contact between the emigrant world and the original homeland; integration into, or comparisons with, migration processes in the world.

The choice of literature and the way of lecturing and tutoring encourages possibilities of individual research and student-lead theoretical projects that will significantly contribute to the sensitisation of the Slovenian environment for intercultural dialogue and to the enrichment of the still-insufficient body of knowledge on migration and interculturality.

Basic:

• Claus Bade: Evropa v gibanju, Ljubljana, 2005. Catalogue
• Peter Berger, Thomas Luckmann: Družbena konstrukcija realnosti, London 1988. Catalogue
• Damir Josipovič: Učinki priseljevanja v Slovenijo, Ljubljana 2006 Catalogue E-version
• Stane Južnič: Identiteta, Ljubljana 1993.
• Marina Lukšič S Hacin: Ko tujina postane dom, Ljubljana 1995.
• Marina Lukšič S Hacin: Multikulturalizem in migracije, Ljubljana 1999. Catalogue E-version
• Milan Mesić: Međunarodne migracije – tokovi i teorije, Zagreb 2002.
• Jure Gombač: Esuli ali optanti? Zgodovinski primeri v luči sodobne teorije, Ljubljana 2005. Catalogue E-version

Students' obligations include active participation in lectures and seminar exercises. Participation presupposes reading the (compulsory) literature, critically examining what has been read and preparing short essays based on what has been read. In addition, students will produce a final examination paper which they will defend in public. The final examination will be the sum of active participation in lectures and seminar exercises and the examination paper with its defence.

Marina Lukšič Hacin is a Scientific Advisor at the Institute for Slovenian Emigration and Migration, Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Ljubljana. She is also an associate professor of sociology at the University of Nova Gorica and the University of Ljubljana, as well as at foreign universities, mainly in Germany and Norway.