240116 SE VM5 / VM1 - Refugees and Forced Displacement in a Global Historical Perspective (2023S)

Millions of people have historically been forced from their homes by factors including war destruction, political persecution, regime changes, revolutions, or genocide throughout the twentieth century and in the first two decades of the twenty-first century. This has culminated in new understandings of international law and new ways of treating vulnerable populations. The management of various displacement crises has constituted a critical challenge for local populations, state institutions, as well as international and non-governmental organizations in these various contexts. This course examines this cause-response nexus as it explores various roots of forced displacement crises and related multiscale agendas and practices to address refugees’ needs.

The course has three goals. First, we primarily focus on the twentieth century and we look at causes and contexts in exploring waves of refugees created by wars, by the rise of authoritarian regimes and exclusionary policies, as well as by various political changes at the time of decolonization and after the collapse of communist regimes. Second, we look at different ways local, national, and international actors addressed and attempted to resolve various refugee crises. Lastly, we delve in refugees’ experience of flight and how they shaped and negotiated the management of their displacement.

At the end of the course, students should be able to:
1. Become familiar with debates in the fields of history of refugees and forced displacement
2. Critically analyze historical roots and attempted resolutions of various waves of forced displacement
3. Develop the capacity to critically engage with the literature and interpret past and contemporary sources (visual, textual, oral, data) relating to the topic of the course
4. Engage in contemporary debates on forced displacement and humanitarian responses, drawing on insights from historical experiences.