A bordered world

The course is an in-depth course in the second cycle and can be studied as a single subject course.
The course can be part of the following program: 1) Master's Program in Global Studies (S2GST)

Entry to the course requires 20 credits of completed second cycle courses in the field of global studies, social sciences or equivalent.

The world of today is a bordered one. Never have there been as many physical walls separating peoples and places – and border technologies developed to identify, filter and control cross-border mobility are proliferating at an unprecedented speed and scale. With borders occupying a central place in global politics, it becomes imperative to critically examine whose mobility is controlled, how, for what purposes, and with what consequences. This course provides in introduction to social theories of borders and uses both contemporary and historical case studies from across the globe to examine the sites of bordering, how borders are put to work, as well as the political, economic and security logics behind border controls.

The course uses borders as a starting point for understanding broader political, economic, and social transformations in global politics, and asks what role borders – and the struggles they give rise to – have in shaping the conditions for contemporary social transformations.

After successful completion of the course students shall be able to:

Knowledge and understanding 

• describe theoretical approaches to borders; 
• account for central actors involved in shaping borders on the local, national and global scale; 
• identify historical, political and economic logics behind borders; 

Skills and abilities 

• analyze the origins, development, and consequences of different border techniques; 
• discuss the purposes of borders from the perspective of different actors; 

Judgement and approach 

• critically assess how borders impact different actors on different scales; 
• critically analyze the role of different actors in creating and undoing borders.

The main forms of teaching on the course include lectures, student-facilitated literature seminars, groupwork, and peer-review of individual research papers.

Language of instruction: English

The course will be examined through the following activities:

• 1 individual written research paper (3 hp) 
• 2 group work projects examined through one role play and one oral presentation (1,5 hp each) 
• 2 mandatory student-facilitated literature seminars (1,5 hp) 

Any restrictions regarding the use of generative AI (genAI) applications are indicated on the course's Canvas page (or equivalent). Students are obliged to inform themselves about the applicable rules for written assignments, seminar tasks, and exams in the current course.

If a student who has been failed twice for the same examination element wishes to change examiner before the next examination session, such a request is to be granted unless there are specific reasons to the contrary (Chapter 6 Section 22 HF).

If a student has received a certificate of disability study support from the University of Gothenburg with a recommendation of adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment, an examiner may decide, if this is consistent with the course’s intended learning outcomes and provided that no unreasonable resources would be needed, to grant the student adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment.

If a course has been discontinued or undergone major changes, the student must be offered at least two examination sessions in addition to ordinary examination sessions. These sessions are to be spread over a period of at least one year but no more than two years after the course has been discontinued/changed. The same applies to placement and internship (VFU) except that this is restricted to only one further examination session.

If a student has been notified that they fulfil the requirements for being a student at Riksidrottsuniversitetet (RIU student), to combine elite sports activities with studies, the examiner is entitled to decide on adaptation of examinations if this is done in accordance with the Local rules regarding RIU students at the University of Gothenburg.

The grading scale comprises: Pass with Distinction (VG); Pass (G) and Fail (U).

The individual research paper is graded U/G/VG. To pass the course, students also need to actively participate in the literature seminars and successfully partaken in co-facilitating one of the seminars, and complete the group work project, including both oral presentation and written report.

In order to obtain the grade Pass (G) for the whole course, students need to receive Pass (G) on the individual research paper and to complete all seminars, including seminar facilitation, and the group work project.

In order to obtain the grade Pass with Distinction (VG), students need to receive the grade Pass with Distinction (VG) on the individual research paper and to complete all seminars, including seminar facilitation, and the group work project.

The results of and possible changes to the course will be shared with students who participated in the evaluation and students who are starting the course.