INST 4850.

003: Refugees
Fall 2018
Language 316
T Th 11 - 12:20 pm

Dr. Brent Richards

Office: GAB 470B
Brent.Richards@unt.edu
(940)565-2323

The goals of this class are for you to

1. acquire knowledge of important facts about - and concepts of - refugee-related topics

2. analyze and critique others’ arguments
3. come up with original, insightful arguments
4. logically arrive at conclusions

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Assessment: Your grade in this class is based on

Class Participation(10%)
Quizzes(24%)
Midterm(24%)
Final(42%)

Class participation: your class participation grade is based on the number of class sessions in which you made at
least one relevant comment.

Assignments: For all of our class sessions (except for exams and possibly when there are guest speakers), I will
give you a question - or several questions - on the reading or videos, in advance of class. On some days I may simply
tell you to summarize the reading or video. We will spend time in class going through these questions. You won't
have to turn them in to me. But I may base quiz or exam questions on the questions. Moreover, answering these
questions, in class, is a great way to get your class participation points for the day.

Quizzes: In some, if not many, of the classes during the semester, I will give short, unannounced quizzes over that
day’s reading(s) and/or video(s). Typically the quiz will start when class starts. So you should be on time, so you
don't miss it. On other days, an in-class assignment may substitute for the quiz. If you leave class early on the day
of a quiz without a valid absence, though (see below), I reserve the right to give you a zero on the quiz.

The quizzes and class participation, together, make up more than a third of the course grade. So try to do well on
them - they can significantly help your overall grade.

Midterm: The midterm is Tuesday, October 17.

Final: The final exam is Tuesday, December 11 at 10:30 am. The midterm and final will likely be mostly or all in
essay format.

Grading scale: A: 100 - 89.5%; B: 89.4 - 79.5%; C: 79.4 - 69.5%; D: 69.4 - 59.5%; F: 59.4% and below

Extra credit: None. Do your best.

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Academic integrity: In this class, by "cheating" I refer mainly (but not exclusively) to glancing at or copying from
another student’s quiz or exam. I adhere to and enforce UNT’s policy on academic integrity. (See the Appendix of
this syllabus for more information on that policy.)

Attendance: I do not give or subtract points simply for attending class. But attendance can affect your grade, since
missing class can mean missing quizzes. The quizzes make up a large percentage of the overall grade, so missing
class can significantly hurt your grade.

Per UNT policy, if you want me to excuse your absence, you are responsible for personally delivering me a written
request (via email is fine) that I excuse your absence. You are also responsible for providing me satisfactory evidence
to substantiate the absence (like a doctor’s note, for example).

Disabilities: I will provide ADA accommodation if you provide me with documentation from the ODA office. See
the Appendices for more information on the relevant policy.

Learning Center: Another, more experienced instructor once said that when a student struggles academically, poor
study skills and time management practices are probably to blame. The Learning Center can help. It has many
resources that can help you become a better student – especially if this is your first semester at UNT. For example,
their Learning 101 series has workshops on test-taking, time management, stress management and other useful topics.
The Center is at Sage Hall 170 and at http://learningcenter.unt.edu/.

Office hours: My office hour for this class is Thursday from 9:40 am to 10:40 am. If you need to meet at a different time, we
can try to schedule an appointment.

Phones: Please keep your phone on silent, since a ringing phone is distracting for everybody. Also, please don’t play
with your phone during class, unless you are looking up something related to what we’re talking about. Playing on
your phone may contribute to your earning a lower grade. A 2013 study* found that

“. . . students who use their mobile phones during class lectures tend to write down less information, recall less
information, and perform worse on a multiple-choice test than those students who abstain from using their mobile
phones during class.”

*Kuznekoff. J. H. and Titsworth, S. (2013). The impact of mobile phone usage on student learning. Communication
Education, 62 (3), 233-252.

Recording my classes: You are not authorized to record my classes without express prior permission from me (and
this statement is legally binding). Most of the time this hasn’t been an issue, but it’s worth mentioning.

Success.unt.edu: This website is designed to help you do your best at UNT, and includes links to information on
topics such as getting involved in campus organizations, money management and counseling (including career
counseling).
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Course materials: We will be going through the first (and so far, only) edition of Refuge: Refugee Policy in
a Changing World, by Alexander Betts and Paul Collier. It’s paperback, and you can buy it at the campus
bookstore.

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We will be reading other articles, most of which I’ll post on Blackboard. I’ll also require you to watch a
number of videos and movies. Some you can watch for free, either on Kanopy (unt.kanopy.com) or other
websites. Some you’ll need to rent online, for around $3-$6 each. I'd encourage you to watch those together
and split the cost. Note that some videos and movies have an asterisk (*) by the title. This indicates that the
video contains disturbing and/or objectionable content. I will warn you which section(s) of the videos to skip,
in case you'd rather avoid watching those sections of the videos. Typically those sections are short.

Topics - the Big Picture: In week 1, I'll introduce the class and the topic of refugees. In week 2 and part of week 3,
we'll explore some background concepts related to the study of refugees (like - who is a refugee?). In part of weeks 3,
and in weeks 4,5,6 and 7, we will examine the European refugee crisis and related topics. The midterm will be during
week 8. During the rest of weeks 8, and in weeks 9 through 11, we will look at Betts and Collier's ideas for reforming
the current refugee system (and related ideas). In weeks 12 and 13, we will study some particular refugee situations.
Finally, in weeks 14 and 15, we'll look at some topics related to refugees in the US. Note that this (and the schedule
below) are subject to change, at my discretion.

Schedule: I may add other readings and/or videos. "BC" refers to Refuge (the book by Betts and Collier that we'll be
reading). Also note that “Bb” by a reading indicates that it will be available on Blackboard.

Section 1: Human Trafficking Explained

Ch 1 – introduction, definitions, prevalence
So-so
Ch 2 – history
Ok, I think

Section 2: A Closer Look

Ch 3 – sociological perspective – underlying causes
Not sure
Ch 4 – the influence of gender
Bad – replace if possible? Read it again?
Ch 5 – trafficking for labor exploitation
Pretty good, I think
Ch 6 – sex trafficking
Also not great – replace? check
Ch 7 – child mobility in W Africa
Long and not easy but very interesting

Section 3: The anti-slavery movement

Ch 8 – domestic and foreign policy responses
Not great, from what I recall
Ch 9 – victim protection: a case study
Ok – interesting, tho the writing ain’t great
Ch 10 – int’l dev’t issues and other push factors
Ok – not sure I agree with it, though – an easy read
Ch 11 – the human security framework
Quite interesting, too
Ch 12 – law enforcement
Bland – ok, at best – replace? probably
Ch 13 – prosecution
The rough, yet interesting one

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Section 4: supporting survivors
Ch 14 – mental health, PTSD
Ch 15 – globalization and infectious diseases
Ch 16 – community-based

Week 1 Introduction
Tuesday, August 28 Introduction to the class
Thursday, August 30 Movie: Human Flow* (watch online)

Week 2 Part 1: Background concepts

Tuesday, September 4 Shacknove, "Who is a refugee?" (Bb)
Thursday, September 6 Kunz, "The refugee in flight: kinetic models and forms of displacement" (Bb)

Week 3
Tuesday, September 11 Wright, "The media and representations of refugees and other forced migrants" (Bb)

Part 2: Betts and Collier, etc.: The European refugee crisis (and related topics)

Thursday, September 13 BC, chapter 1

Week 4
Tuesday, September 18 Case for application: Colombian IDPs

Documentary: Displaced: Colombia's Invisable [sic] Victims (watch online)

Thursday, September 20 Environmental and/or climate refugees

McAdam, "Climate Change Displacement and International Law..." (Bb)

Week 5
Tuesday, September 25 BC, chapter 2
Thursday, September 27 BC, chapter 3

Week 6
Tuesday, October 2 Video: PBS Frontline: Exodus (watch online)
Thursday, October 4 Ager and Strang, "Understanding Integration: A Conceptual Framework" (Bb)

Week 7
Tuesday, October 9 Integration Case Studies: Germany, Italy, Canada

Video: Journeyman TV: "Meet the refugees trying to assimilate in Europe" (watch online)

Video: PBS Newshour: "How migrants and refugees are being welcomed in one tiny Italian
village (watch online)

Video: CBC: "Farawan family: one year later" (watch online)

Thursday, October 11 Integration Case Study: Finland

Movie: The Other Side of Hope (watch online)

Week 8
Tuesday, October 17 Midterm

Part 3: Betts and Collier, etc.: Ideas for reforming the current refugee system
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Thursday, October 19 BC, chapter 4

Week 9
Tuesday, October 24 BC, chapter 5
Thursday, October 26 BC, chapter 6
Week 10
Tuesday, October 30 A unique case
Video: The Staging Post (watch on Kanopy)
Thursday, November 1 BC, chapter 7
Week 11
Tuesday, November 6 BC, chapter 8
Thursday, November 8 BC, chapter 9

Part 4: Case studies

Week 12
Tuesday, November 13 Case study: North Korea

U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, North Korean Refugee Crisis: Human
Rights and International Response, pages 14-23 and 58-66 (Bb)

Video: The New York Times: "Escape from North Korea: Op-Docs" (watch online)
Thursday, November 15 Case study: Myanmar

Video: Al Jazeera: "The Rohingya: silent abuse"* (watch online)

Week 13
Tuesday, November 20 Case study: Somalia

Videos: Al Jazeera English: "Somalia - the Forgotten Story" and "Somalia - the Forgotten
Story (Part 2)" (watch online)
Thursday, November 22 Happy thanksgiving - no class

Part 5: Refugees in the US

Week 14
Tuesday, November 27 Refugees in the US, part 1: Asylum; current US refugee policy

Video: Well-Founded Fear* (watch online)

CNN: "The US is on track to admit the fewest number of refugees since the resettlement
program began" (find online and read)
Thursday, November 29 Refugees in the US, part 2: family detention policies

Video(s) and/or reading(s) TBA

Week 15
Tuesday, December 4 Refugees in the US, part 3:
Guest Speaker: Daley Ryan, International Rescue Committee, Dallas
Thursday, December 6 Pre-finals day: no class
Tuesday, December 11 Final exam
at 10:30 am

Appendix A: Academic Integrity:

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According to UNT Policy 06.003, Student Academic Integrity, academic dishonesty occurs when students engage in
behaviors including, but not limited to cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, forgery, plagiarism,
and sabotage. A finding of academic dishonesty may result in a range of academic penalties or sanctions, ranging
from admonition to expulsion from the University.

To read UNT’s Academic Integrity, go to         

http://policy.unt.edu/sites/default/files/untpolicy/pdf/7-Student_Affairs-Academic_Integrity.pdf
 
Violations of academic integrity in this course will be addressed in compliance with the penalties and procedures laid
out in this policy.

Appendix B: ADA statement:

The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students
seeking reasonable accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify
their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with a reasonable accommodation letter to be
delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request
reasonable accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of reasonable accommodation should be provided as
early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of
reasonable accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in
each class. Students are strongly encouraged to deliver letters of reasonable accommodation during faculty office
hours or by appointment. Faculty members have the authority to ask students to discuss such letters during their
designated office hours to protect the privacy of the student. For additional information, refer to the Office of
Disability Accommodation website at http://www.unt.edu/oda. You may also contact ODA by phone at (940) 565-
4323.

From
https://policy.unt.edu/sites/default/files/16.001_StudentAccommodation.2018Pub2.pdf

Appendix C: Sexual Harassment

UNT is committed to providing a safe learning environment free of all forms of sexual misconduct, including sexual
harassment sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Federal laws (Title IX and the Violence
Against Women Act) and UNT policies prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, and therefore prohibit sexual
misconduct. If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual harassment, relationship violence, stalking, and/or
sexual assault, there are campus resources available to provide support and assistance. UNT’s Survivor Advocates
can assist a student who has been impacted by violence by filing protective orders, completing crime victim’s
compensation applications, contacting professors for absences related to an assault, working with housing to facilitate
a room change where appropriate, and connecting students to other resources available both on and off campus. The
Survivor Advocates can be reached at SurvivorAdvocate@unt.edu or by calling the Dean of Students Office at 940-
565-2648. Additionally, alleged sexual misconduct can be non-confidentially reported to the Title IX Coordinator at
oeo@unt.edu or at 940-565 2759.

Appendix D: Emergency Notification Procedures

UNT uses a system called Eagle Alert to quickly notify students with critical information in the event of an
emergency (i.e., severe weather, campus closing, and health and public safety emergencies like chemical spills, fires,
or violence). In the event of a university closure, please refer to Blackboard for contingency plans for covering course
materials.