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The aim of this seminar is to complement the traditional migration courses offered by the Department of Social Geography and Regional Development. The course introduces students to recent theoretical and practical developments in migration studies, enabling them to engage with the studied material proactively and meet experts in selected lectures. It intensively uses a discussion about the relevant topics as well as about the student's feedback on recommended articles. Three selected migratory issues will be introduced: Diaspora and transnationalism, Refugees and asylum seekers, and Environmental migration. All of the topics will start firstly with terminology and definitions, then concepts, and thirdly will be introduced case studies and empirical examples. Students will understand the studied concepts and make sense of the relations between historical and current events, or between local and global events and migration flows. The study material comprises presentations and academic texts, as well as videos.
The course is recommended for Czech and international students with an interest in migration studies at both the bachelor’s and master’s levels. The whole course is conducted in English. Poslední úprava: Janská Eva, doc. RNDr., Ph.D. (03.10.2022)
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Van Praag, L., Timmerman, Ch. (2019) Environmental migration and displacement: a new theoretical framework for the study of migration aspirations in response to environmental changes, Environmental Sociology, 5:4, 352-361, DOI:10.1080/23251042.2019.1613030 Nawrotzki, R. J. et al. (2015) Undocumented migration in response to climate change. International Journal of Population Studies, vol. 1, issue 1, pp. 60-74. Nguya, G., & Siddiqui, N. (2020). Triple nexus implementation and implications for durable solutions for internal displacement: on paper and in practice. Refugee Survey Quarterly, 39(4), 466-480. Ferris, ., & Halff, K. (2011). Protracted internal displacement: Is local integration a solution?. Forced Migration Review, (38), 53. Lems, A., Oester, K., & Strasser, S. (2020). Children of the crisis: ethnographic perspectives on unaccompanied refugee youth in and en route to Europe. Journal of ethnic and migration studies, 46(2), 315-335. Seaman, M., & Stites, E. (2022). Family Matters: Older Refugee Minors in Vienna and Factors for Resiliency. Journal of Refugee Studies. Jones, R. C. (2020). The decline of migrant transnationalism with time abroad. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 43(15), 2685-2704.Recommended article: Price, M. D. (2016). Constructing the Andean diaspora: State-based and immigrant-led development strategies. In Legacy of slavery and indentured labour (pp. 63-86). Routledge. Bruneau, M. (2010). Diasporas, transnational spaces and communities. Diaspora and transnationalism: Concepts, theories and methods, 3(1), 35-50. Hardwick, S. W. (2006). The geography of whiteness: Russian and Ukrainian “coalitions of color” in the Pacific Northwest. Race, ethnicity, and place in a changing America, 329-38. Poslední úprava: Janská Eva, doc. RNDr., Ph.D. (03.10.2022)
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The course requirements include active participation in classes and a concluding test on 16.12. 2025 composed from three topics (based on the three blocks) to summarize the knowledge. Compulsory attendance at the lectures, max. 1 absence is permitted and the second is only available with an apology. •Obligatory reading of articles for selected lectures (see bibliography), a reflection of which will be within the lecture. The written test consists of four parts – an essay and a knowledge test. The essay, on a given topic, should be about one page in length. The test will include both open and closed questions related to the three thematic blocks (a total of 80 points). In addition, 20 points can be earned for class participation and completion of tasks (5 points for the essay and 15 points for one task assigned to each block). Final mark is the sum of 80 for the test and 20 for the tasks during the course. 100-87 points….1 86-73 points…2 72-60 points…3 Poslední úprava: Janská Eva, doc. RNDr., Ph.D. (05.10.2025)
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The seminar in 2025 is divided into three topical blocks:
Seminar 01/ Introduction, requirements, introduction to the topic Migration terminology In this lecture, we will discuss the key migratory terminology and definitions used in the course. We will discuss our experience with migration. Prepare the answer for this question: What are three most important topics/issues in the migration studies? - basic terminology (migration, emigration, immigration, internal, international, irregular/undocumented/illegal); - types of migration (economic, political, etc./permanent, circular, temporary); - migration flows in the world, the number of migrants worldwide and in Czechia and the main sources of data on migration.
Block I.: Forced Migration Series Seminar 02/ Refugees in the world This lecture will introduce the topic of refugees in the world by looking at terminology, frameworks and international responses to the refugee crisis around the world and through different contexts and perspectives. The aim is to gain a clearer picture of the complexity of this topic. Seminar 03/ Ukrainian refugees: European and Czech response The content of the lecture will focus on topics related to forced migration within the European Union. Attention will be paid to the different asylum systems applied by EU Member States towards asylum procedures. Specifically, the content of the lecture will focus on the particular groups of unaccompanied minors and the context of the Ukrainian refugees in Eastern European member states as well as the refugee trends from Ukraine since 2014. Compulsory article: Lems, A., Oester, K., & Strasser, S. (2020). Children of the crisis: ethnographic perspectives on unaccompanied refugee youth in and en route to Europe. Journal of ethnic and migration studies, 46(2), 315-335. Recommended article: Seaman, M., & Stites, E. (2022). Family Matters: Older Refugee Minors in Vienna and Factors for Resiliency. Journal of Refugee Studies. I Seminar 04/21.10. Internally Displaced Persons - who are they? At this lecture, we will look the topic of internal displacement as humanitarian challenge. The session will cover the basic terminology as well as topics of social protection, durable solutions, and social experiences of IDPs in their everyday lives. Reading: Diab, J. L. (2023). Refugee, asylum seeker or migrant? Words matter. People matter. Politics matters. In G. Heck, E. Sevinin, E. Habersky, & C. Sandoval-García (Eds.), Forced migration studies: Current interventions (chapter 12). Cairo: Centre for Migration and Refugee Studies, American University in Cairo. Brun, C. (2025). Vulnerability: The trouble with categorical definitions in institutional ethical reviews, forced migration research, and humanitarian practice. Daedalus: Journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 154(2), 114–126. https://doi.org/10.1162/daed_a_02102 Discussion questions to think about while reading
2. Assignment (to prepare before class): Look through news articles, NGO publications, or official policy documents from your home country (or a country you know well) that discuss people on the move or people affected by crises. Choose two short excerpts (a headline, paragraph, or quote) where labels such as “refugee,” “migrant,” “vulnerable,” “at risk,” or “beneficiary” appear. In 200-250 words total, briefly discuss:
Bring your examples and short notes to class as well as submit them on the google drive before that class. Block II: Environmnetal migration
Seminar 05/ Environmental migration I (Drbohlav) The lecture will first briefly outline the state and development of the environment and the ongoing climate change at the global level. This will be followed by a definition of so-called “environmental migration” and related legislation. Selected key types of environmental migration, including “amenity migration,” will then be presented. Next, an overview of the numbers and regions where environmental migration is most prominent will be provided. The final part will focus on explaining the main determinants and conditioning factors of environmental migration. Seminar 06/ Environmental migration II (E.Masná) Selected key aspects of environmental migration; an introduction to the myths burdening this topic (de Haas); an explanation of migration as a form of adaptation to environmental change; a demonstration of the most threatened areas; a characterization of research approaches to environmental migration; and the presentation of selected case studies – the Marshall Islands, Pakistan, and Mexico (see literature). Compulsory articles: Van Praag, L., Timmerman, Ch. (2019) Environmental migration and displacement: a new theoretical framework for the study of migration aspirations in response to environmental changes, Environmental Sociology, 5:4, 352-361, DOI:10.1080/23251042.2019.1613030 Nawrotzki, R. J. et al. (2015) Undocumented migration in response to climate change. International Journal of Population Studies, vol. 1, issue 1, pp. 60-74.
Seminar 07/ Environmental migration III (Masná) Research from Zambia will be presented, focusing on the adaptation strategies of the population in selected areas of the country. The study analyzes the influence and contribution of environmental factors to individual migration motivations and examines the role migration plays within adaptation strategies to changing environmental conditions among a selected population in a specific region of Zambia. The research is based primarily on a quantitative approach and employs advanced statistical methods.
Block III.: Diasporas and transnationalism Seminar 08/. Diasporas - old and new diaspora In this seminar we will look at the definitions and concepts of diaspora. Reations, ties between country of origin and country of destination. Compulsory article: Bruneau, M. (2010). Diasporas, transnational spaces and communities. Diaspora and transnationalism: Concepts, theories and methods, 3(1), 35-50. Janská, E. et al. (2024). The role of geographical distance in transnational institutional engagement of the Czech diaspora: a comparative study. Homework: Read the article by Bruneau (2010) and identify the key terms (with your explanations). Submit it by November 23. Seminar 09/ Transnationalism Concept, terminology and development of transnationalism. Political, social, cultural, religious and economic transformations. Compulsory article: Jones, R. C. (2020). The decline of migrant transnationalism with time abroad. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 43(15), 2685-2704.Recommended article: Recommended article: Price, M. D. (2016). Constructing the Andean diaspora: State-based and immigrant-led development strategies. In Legacy of slavery and indentured labour (pp. 63-86). Routledge. Seminar 10/. Presenting diasporas in the class (5 min) Seminar 11/ Final test
Poslední úprava: Janská Eva, doc. RNDr., Ph.D. (06.10.2025)
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