Porous Borders? Geography, Power and Techniques of Movement (242-0-1)

Instructors

Emrah Yildiz
847/467-6254
1819 Hinman Ave, #103
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 1-3pm

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-319: Mon, Wed 5:00PM - 6:20PM

Overview of class

At the advent of "globalization" some scholars argued that the movements of capital, goods, people and ideas across nation-states have rendered their borders increasingly porous. The erosive effects of this porosity in the age of the multi-national corporations heralded the death of the nation-state. Yet, in the epoch of border walls and offshored refugee processing centers, this assumed porosity of borders begs a reexamination. In this course, we ask: What is a border? Is it the physical line drawn between two states? When is a border artificial and when natural? Who gets to draw these lines? How does the border become an architecture of regulation that extends access to mobility to some and denies it to others? We will probe these questions by working towards rethinking borders as equally the products of mobile social actors, contraband commodities and fluctuating values as they are of state policies aimed at managing their movements. By the end of the course students will be exposed to diverse theories of space and formations of borders in the Americas, Europe, and South Asia. They will be able to articulate what an attention to space and the relations of power inscribed in border formations can contribute to our conceptions of space and power more broadly.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, student will be able to

· demonstrate knowledge and understanding of social science theories related to the influence of culture and power on the behavior of individuals, interpersonal relationships, and/or group dynamics in prevalent interpretations borders, space, state and subject formations in anthropology and allied disciplines;

· develop the ability to critique theories, claims, and policies in the social and behavioral sciences of borders as well as their objects and subjects of mobility through careful evaluation of scholarly arguments including their major assertions, assumptions, evidential basis, and explanatory utility;

· reflect upon the way in which theories and research about borders from the social and behavioral sciences help elucidate the factors underlying contemporary social issues, social problems, and/or ethical dilemmas in a global and comparative framework.

Class Materials (Required)

All required texts with the exception of the book-length manuscripts given below can be found either on Northwestern library online sources or under files on the course website. If acquiring the listed monographs poses a financial burden to your budget, please reach out to the instructor.


Heath Cabot, 2014. On the doorstep of Europe: Asylum and Citizenship in Greece. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN-13 : 978-0812246155

Ieva Jusionyte, 2024. Exit Wounds: How America's Guns Fuel Violence Across the Border. University of California Press. ISBN-13: 978- 0520395954.

Yildiz, Emrah. 2024. Zainab's Traffic: Moving Saints, Selves, and Others across Borders. Oakland, CA: University of California Press. ISBN-13: 978-0520379831.

Class Attributes

Social & Behavioral Sciences Distro Area

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for Anthropology majors and minors until the end of preregistration, after which time enrollment will be open to everyone who has taken the prerequisites.