Migration, Identity, and Home (L4108A)

15 credits, Level 6

Autumn teaching

Migration can shape every part of a person’s life. It affects relationships, ideas of home and sense of belonging.

On this module, you’ll explore how migration shapes people’s goals, sense of self and future. You’ll consider how these experiences differ for privileged, as well as vulnerable, movers. You’ll also look at what happens when people return home, face political or social hostility abroad, or live lives shaped by constant travel.

You’ll examine the experiences of different types of movers, including:

  • travelling professionals
  • precarious workers
  • lifestyle and retirement migrants
  • international students and mobile young people
  • European free movers
  • onward migrants and returnees.

Across these cases, you’ll focus on three key themes:

  • how migrants’ lives change over time, including education, work, family status and personal development
  • how migration reshapes identity, including ideas of nation, class, age, gender or legal status
  • how migrants define home and settlement.

You’ll engage with key research in migration studies, youth transitions and social identity. Through this, you’ll explore the privileges and insecurities of cross-border mobility and transnational life.

Teaching

100%: Practical (Workshop)

Assessment

100%: Written assessment (Essay)

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 20 hours of contact time and about 130 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Courses

This module is offered on the following courses: