OAMI 2215 - Anatomy of Displacement and Governance

Racialized, gendered, and class-based policies rooted in colonial legacies persistently deny displaced people dignity, exposing a deep gap between declared human rights values and lived reality. The challenge is no longer whether residents want to live alongside "the other," but how communities can embrace that "otherness" as a genuine catalyst for social transformation, demanding a new narrative for just and effective responses to displacement-affected communities.

This course critically examines displacement as a politically charged human experience. Moving beyond humanitarian clichés, participants trace the journey from disorientation and systemic vulnerability toward agency, resistance, and transformative change. They explore how displaced people act as political agents rather than passive victims, engaging as equals in community co-construction and collective self-governance processes.

Learning Outcomes

• Define the basic concepts, causes, and consequences of displacement, and identify the role and impact of societal norms in contexts of mobility and community regeneration.
• Explain the systemic dimensions of displacement, including its governance structures and their role as potential triggers for social transformation.
• Analyze current events and trends in forced displacement using theoretical frameworks provided in the course and articulate the relevance and implications of displacement beyond existing paradigms, elaborating on possible scenarios for displacement's role in social transformation processes.
• Reflect on one's own perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors toward displacement, and describe their potential impact on displacement-affected communities.
• Demonstrate tolerance toward diverse perspectives on forced displacement, drawing on critical reflection of personal experiences of loss, transition, or belonging.
• Critically examine a given displacement situation by identifying key issues and their underlying drivers
• Explore and compare one's own approach to displacement with alternative perspectives, demonstrating openness to revising assumptions through course engagement.
• Collaborate effectively in a small, self-directed group by dividing tasks appropriately, managing group dynamics, and making effective use of available tools and resources.

Professional Skills

• Conduct critical analysis of a complex topic on displacement
• Produce a well-reasoned written analysis.
• Prepare and deliver a structured oral presentation on a displacement-related topic
• Facilitate a focused group discussion, demonstrating communication clarity and responsiveness to audience questions.

No previous experience is required. However, previous work and/or life experience with displacement related topics and willingness to bring into the class environment is welcomed and will enrich learning.

Possible clarification questions to learning objectives through e mail (before Session 3)

Written feedback to the essay (Before session 9)

Individual feedback to Self-Reflection paper II through e mail (2 weeks after session 12)

Written feedback to the group paper through e mail (Before session 10)

Oral feedback to group presentations at the end of each presentation (Sessions 10 &11)

• Self-Reflection paper – I (setting an individual learning objective for this class) - Individual - 15% - Session 2
• Essay on one of the aspects of ‘anatomy of displacement’ in relation to a current event, an analysis of journalistic pieces – an op ed. (600 and 800 words) - Individual - 20% - Session 7
• Self-Reflection Paper II: An assessment of whether learning objectives were met. This paper should highlight key moments that supported the learning process and provide a comparison with the first self-reflection (SR-I), focusing on how your perspective on displacement has evolved by the end of the semester. - Individual - 15% - A week after Session 12
• Term-paper (groups of 2-4 persons) 4000-4500 words - Group work - 35% - Before session 10
• Presentation (oral – 15 min + 15 min feedback/discussion) - Group work - 15% - Session 10 & 11

• Attendance: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester
• Reading and Preparation for Class: 3 hours a week / 36 a semester
• Research and Preparation for Group Work: 24 hours a semester
• Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 36 hours a semester
• Other: Observation visits and class input: 6 hours a semester