2020-2021 Academic Catalog

May 03, 2024

2020-2021 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

IDCE 343 - Understanding and Responding to the Migrant/Refugee Challenge

This course is a Collaborative Final Project (CFP).lthough our world has seen forced migrations in the 20^th Century in various places, the early 21^st Century seems to be presenting new levels of complexity around migrations. The drivers are many, varied, and they may be conspiring: social and political violence and conflict; economic stress/anxiety and injustice; food and water insecurity/scarcity; and ecological stressors or uncertainty, including climate change. Given this complexity, there are challenges both on the assessment side (measuring people on the move and drivers) and the societal response side (mitigation and adaptive management by states, NGOS and other actors). Key questions form our roadmap: 1) What are the drivers and stressors of forced migration, and what are the locations and magnitudes of flows of people? 2) What are the degrees of agency, strategies, motivations, and concerns of movers (why do some move, others not)? 3) What is the status of existing support networks to receive and process immigrants across the Southern Border? 4) What do migrants’ own networks like? 5) Are there case studies of best practices we can apply to the US? 6) What does current US Immigration Law and Policy look like? 7) What would a more humane, effective Immigration Law and Policy look like? 8) What are the implications of U.S. socio-demographic trends and projections for immigration policy, society and the economy?

We will consider four stakeholder groups: 1) migrants and refugees themselves; 2) volunteer agencies (VOLAGs) and groups (e.g. GR, Catholic Charities, Sanctuary City Advocacy Groups); 3) government agencies (e.g. Massachusetts Office for Refugees & Immigrants); and 4) policy makers (state and federal lawmakers). There will be a 5-day field visit in Week 5 to Worcester, Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington, D.C. to meet with immigrants, community groups and NGOs, and government agencies working on the frontline of immigrant support services and refugee resettlement in their respective urban/regional contexts. The graded CFP deliverable will take the form of Assessment/Needs Reports and/or Response/Action Plans for one of the four specific stakeholder groups. The overarching question is: How can we strengthen the work of stakeholder X? What capacities are strategic?

Concentrations:

Refugees & Forced Migration- Healthy People/Healthy Planet- Climate Change Impacts & Adaptation- Monitoring Evaluation & Effectiveness.

Prerequisites: AS A CFP COURSE, IT IS EXPECTED STUDENTS WILL TAKE IT IN THEIR GRADUATING YEAR (FALL OR SPRING).

Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually