Environmental and political crises have forced populations from their homes throughout human history, but these crises became a global political problem only in the twentieth century. This course will start by examining mass migrations and diasporas in historical perspective, and will then explore the political origins of displacement in Ethiopia, the Sudan, Cambodia and Thailand, Yugoslavia, and Central Africa. Each of these crises has been handled by a combination of private and public, local and international organizations, whose interactions are complex, and which have left an enduring legacy for local institutions. We will consider how to understand the international community's response-why it has done what it has, but no more. Requirements: one short paper and a research paper; active and constructive participation in class discussions. Prerequisite: two previous courses dealing with the politics and history of other countries, international relations, or migration.
SHANKS